Tributes began pouring in on social media after Anthony “Rumble” Johnson passed away at the age of 38 after a long battle with the disease. Today we will discuss about Anthony Johnson: Cause of death| Illness| Death
Anthony Johnson: Cause of death| Illness| Death
Anthony Kevoa Johnson (March 6, 1984 – November 13, 2022) was an American mixed martial artist. He spent most of his career competing for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was a multiple-time title challenger before ending his career with a singles fight with Bellator MMA. He fought in the Light Heavyweight Division. He was known by his nickname Rumble, which was given to him because of his one-punch knockout power.
Cause of death
Johnson’s cause of death was organ failure due to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.
Bellator President Scott Coker spoke with MMAJunkie in January about Johnson’s return timeline and how it will be determined by his health fight.
“Without getting too much into his medical condition, he needs to worry about getting healthy first,” Coker said.
“He has to recover and be healthy because there is more to life than fighting. I want him to have a long, healthy life and that is the most important thing.
Tributes poured in from around the world of mixed martial arts following the news of Johnson’s fighter’s passing.
Illness
The cause of death of former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight contender Anthony “Rumble” Johnson – who tragically passed away on Sunday morning aged just 38 – has been revealed.
For more than a year, Johnson and those close to him had hinted at extremely serious health issues that not only kept him from competing for Bellator, but were potentially life-threatening. Then, just last month, Johnson’s manager called on mixed martial arts (MMA) fans to pray for “the Rumble”.
According to Yahoo! Sports, Johnson was suffering from a cancer known as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, an auto-immune disease. He passed away due to organ failure after a long battle with these diseases.
Death
Two-time former UFC title challenger Anthony Johnson died on Sunday at the age of 38.
When news of Johnson’s death broke, details were scarce. It was known that Johnson had health issues, but the seriousness of his condition was not clear until his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, asked the MMA world to pray for “the Rumble” on ESPN last month.
“I want everybody to pray for him. Pray for Anthony. He’s not doing well,” he said of Johnson’s health. “They [Bellator and Scott Coker] are backing him [Anthony Johnson]. You can’t imagine how much they’re supporting him and they really didn’t have to do it.”
YahooSport’s Kevin Eol was the first to reveal Johnson’s cause of death on Sunday. The former fighter died of organ failure due to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.
WebMD states, “Lymphoma occurs when lymph-node cells or lymphocytes begin to multiply uncontrollably, producing cancer cells that have an unusual ability to invade other tissues throughout the body.”
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a severe systemic inflammatory syndrome that can be fatal.
“HLH occurs when histiocytes and lymphocytes become hyperactive and attack the body instead of just bacteria and viruses. Histiocytes are phagocytes—cells that engulf and destroy pathogens,” explains PrimaryImmune.org.
Johnson was known for his knockout power. 17 of his 23 career wins came by knockout. In his Octagon debut in 2007, “Rumble” finished in 13 seconds. He competed in the UFC as a welterweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight. Johnson last fought for Bellator MMA in May 2021. He defeated José Augusto Azevedo by knockout in the second round.
Rest Easy my brother. For a guy who struck fear in so many peoples heart Anthony Johnson was a caring person. From random text to check ins during loss. What a person he was, Rumble will be missed. Sometimes life doesn’t seem fair. Horrible news #RIP #Rumblesquad @Anthony_Rumble pic.twitter.com/HH2SO1dPj7
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) November 13, 2022