Anthony Johnson forced to withdraw from Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix: “Never been this afraid of anything in my life”

Anthony Johnson has been forced to withdraw from the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix and the situation sounds rather serious.

Johnson (23-6 MMA), a former UFC title challenger, advanced to the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix semifinals back in May with a second round knockout victory over Jose Augusto.

‘Rumble’ was slated to face reigning Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov in the tournament semifinals in four weeks time. However, following a report from MMAJunkie this morning, Anthony Johnson has confirmed he will not be competing again until 2022.

“Really wish I could go into detail about how ill I truly am. Just know I need as many prayers as I can get and I’ll see you in 2022 God willing… Never been this afraid of anything in my life but I’ve remained strong with the support of friends and family.”

Anthony Johnson continued:

“Not asking for anything but prayers 🙏🏾 See you in 2022 hopefully 💪🏾 This is gonna be a battle and I’m gonna have to dig deeper than I ever have before. Love you all #RumbleSquad NOT COVID” – Johnson wrote.

Bellator has not yet announced a replacement for ‘Rumble’, but that news should come swiftly.

The promotion returns to action this evening with Bellator 266, a fight card headlined by a light heavyweight matchup between Phil Davis and Yoel Romero.

Hopefully Anthony Johnson can make a full recovery from his current illness and be back to full health as fast as possible.

Stay glued to BJPENN.com for further updates.