Anthony Johnson enters pre-trial diversion program, avoids jail
Former UFC star Anthony Johnson will avoid jail time if he can complete a required anger management course, part of a pre-trail diversion program, before October 21.
The former fighter turned Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship ‘Head of Fighter Relations’ was arrested earlier this year on an alleged misdemeanor domestic battery on his ex-girlfriend.
Johnson’s attorney, Michael Walsh, today told TMZ Sports that Johnson reached an agreement with prosecutors this month to enter a pre-trial diversion program.
Walsh says Johnson will be required to complete an anger management course … and once he’s done that, the case will be dismissed.
In the police report obtained by TMZ, details of the incident include “Rumble” Johnson reportedly forcefully picking up his ex-girlfriend, putting her in a “football hold”, and carrying her into another room as she was trying to pack his belongings in an effort to throw him out of the house.
The report from TMZ states that when cops arrived and spoke with Johnson, he admitted to picking up his ex-girlfriend and carrying her into another room, but had no intention of hurting her, he just wanted to stop arguing Johnson claimed. While there were no visible injuries to the woman, she stated she was scared due to Johnson’s size and martial arts experience.
After cops spoke with both parties, they determined that Johnson had done enough to lead to a domestic violence arrest which led to Johnson being arrested and charged with a misdemeanor domestic violence charge. This was not Johnson’s first time involved in a domestic violence case, as he was arrested in 2009 for a domestic violence incident involving an ex-girlfriend, where he ultimately pled no contest to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge.
Today rumblings started to surface that Anthony Johnson will seek to return to MMA competition in 2020 although nothing has been finalized.
