Case against Johnson is dropped and fighter is free to fight again

Johnson (photo) is no longer suspended by the UFC. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

Anthony Johnson, ranked third in the official UFC light heavyweight rankings, is free to fight again. The North American, who was temporarily away from the organization due to a domestic assault case, saw the lawsuit withdrawn, which resulted in his immediate return to Ultimate.

According to information released by the UFC, the initiative to withdraw the case came from the person who had accused the fighter at the beginning of the case. “The person who filed the order against Anthony Johnson in September voluntarily dropped the complaint last week in Florida court. Before withdrawing the case, the judge questioned this person about his intentions and, therefore, decided to withdraw the entire case,” the organization explained in a statement.

“The withdrawal of the case, together with the independent investigation carried out by the UFC, brings closure to this matter for Johnson and allows him to return to the UFC. Therefore, UFC executives are exploring options for Johnson's next fight to take place early next year,” he continued.

Before the fighter's retirement, UFC president Dana White had revealed that he would arrange a fight between Johnson and Alexander Gustafson. So far, the Swede does not have his next fight scheduled, as Rashad evans, who was a potential opponent, intends to stay out for a few more months while he recovers from injury.

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