Tag: Jose Augusto

In the first round, there nearly was a question of whether it was a good idea for [autotag]Anthony Johnson[/autotag] to come back from retirement.

Short-notice opponent [autotag]Jose Augusto[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) was raining down punches on Johnson (23-6 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) – with his left hand likely broken. But Johnson survived the barrage in his first fight in four years. And 90 seconds into the second round, Johnson knocked Augusto out with a right hand.

Johnson’s win, in his Bellator debut, was in the quarterfinals of the light heavyweight tournament – and put him into the semifinals against champion Vadim Nemkov, meaning he’ll fight for the belt his next time out.

The light heavyweight tournament quarterfinal bout was the Bellator 258 co-main event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The fight aired on Showtime.

Johnson went after Augusto’s lead leg with early kicks. Then he landed a perfect push kick 45 seconds in and came behind it with a few punches. About two minutes in, Augusto landed a right and seemed to hurt his hand with the punch. He threw a right hand 30 seconds later and pulled it back and winced in pain.

Johnson went after him with authority with punches and kicks against the fence. Johnson unloaded, but somehow Augusto din’t go down and stayed in the fight. And seconds later, Augusto landed a big left hand that wobbled Johnson. He went after him with his one good hand and had him hurt in a big way. He worked for a choke and seemed to have Johnson in trouble. But Johnson survived, Augusto let the pressure off, and a few seconds later Johnson got a takedown and finished the round on top.

The pace slowed in the second round. Both fighters seemed to be recovering from the pace in the first. But 90 seconds in, Johnson threw a right that landed right on the chin. Augusto fell backward to the canvas. Johnson landed one big hammerfist on the canvas before referee Mike Beltran could get in to stop it. And just like that, it was over.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 258 results include:

• Anthony Johnson def. Jose Augusto via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 1:30
• Peter Queally def. Patricky Freire via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 3, 0:01
• Michael Page def. Derek Anderson via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 1, 5:00
• Raufeon Stots def. Josh Hill via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Lorenz Larkin def. Rafael Carvalho via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Patchy Mix def. Albert Morales via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 3, 2:40
• Omar Hussein vs. Logan Storley* – scrapped due to Hussein failed medicals
• Johnny Eblen def. Daniel Madrid via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:44
• Johnny Campbell def. Henry Corrales via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:12
• Johnny Soto def. Weber Almeida via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Erik Perez def. Blaine Shutt via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Not many humans on planet earth would eagerly jump at the opportunity to travel across continents to fight Anthony “Rumble” Johnson on seven days’ notice, but “Gugu” is an exception.

When [autotag]Jose Augusto[/autotag]’s phone rang last Friday and the fight was offered, he didn’t think twice. He quickly accepted, boarded a plane, and arrived at Mohegan Sun for Bellator 258.

“No f*cking way,” Augusto told MMA Junkie on Wednesday, through a translator, when asked if he considered turning down a short-notice fight vs. former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Johnson.

Augusto (7-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) didn’t simply take the fight because as a chance to just show up and collect a check. He’s confident he will win, despite what the oddsmakers say. Augusto views the matchup as favorable and plans to shock the world when the two square off.

“That’s exactly the fight I want,” Augusto said. “He’s a guy that comes forward (with) aggressiveness. I’m also a striker. I can also catch him going forward. I can touch him on his chin and knock him out. This is exactly the fight that I want. There’s no better fighter to knock out than ‘Rumble.'”

“You’re going to see the new generation of MMA. In with the new, out with the old. … The Hall of Famers are going to be pushed out. The new generation is coming in. You’re going to see the upset of the century.”

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It’s been a whirlwind year for the 29-year-old light heavyweight. In March 2020, he signed to fight for Dana White’s Contender Series. However, the ongoing global pandemic threw a monkey wrench in his plans when the season was pushed back and visa issues ensued.

From there, Augusto signed with Bellator, but travel papers continued to haunt him. Eventually, Bellator was able to work and get him an athlete exception for a visa. A former heavyweight, Augusto made his promotional and divisional debut April 2 at Bellator 255, when he submitted former UFC fighter Jonathan Wilson in Round 1.

Now scheduled against Johnson, Augusto enters the first round of the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix on the same side as the champion. Should he win Friday, Augusto will fight current titleholder Vadim Nemkov in what will be only his third promotional outing.

“I just have a lot of gratitude to be in this situation,” Augusto said. “It’s been three years since I got to the Pitbull Brothers in Natal, Brazil. I’m already, in my third fight, possibly fighting for the world title. I can only have gratitude in my heart for this situation.”

Bellator 258 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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