Rumbled: MMA star Anthony Johnson ‘arrested for identity theft’ on same night he made Bellator comeback after 4-year absence

Bellator MMA light heavyweight Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson was arrested and charged with identify theft not long after making a successful debut with the promotion in Connecticut last week, according to reports.

Returning to the cage four years after he announced his retirement, former UFC title contender Johnson overcame a rocky start to defeat Jose Augusto with a second-round KO at Bellator 258 in Uncasville on Friday night and advance to the semi-finals of the promotion’s light heavyweight grand prix tournament.

But after that auspicious start, things soon went downhill for the 37-year-old when he was detained by police at the Mohegan Sun Casino – the venue for his fight.

According to records from the New Canaan Police and shared by MMA Fighting, Johnson was charged with identify theft after the alleged illegal use of a credit card, in a case apparently stemming from two years ago.

The time of arrest was listed as 23:00 on Friday May 7 – the same evening Johnson had been in action at Bellator 258.   

“On 11/09/2019 the New Canaan Police took a complainant regarding a victim having their credit card being used by a third party without permission,” the police report read.

“The illegal use of the credit card was used to purchase a round-trip airline ticket from Ft. Lauderdale, FL (FLL) to Newark, NJ (EWR).

“The name of the passenger was Anthony Johnson. A subsequent Investigation determined Johnson used the illegally obtained credit card to purchase the airline ticket. An arrest warrant was obtained for Johnson for the charges.”

The heavy-hitting light heavyweight – who last appeared in the UFC in April 2017, when he lost a second 205lbs title fight with Daniel Cormier – has been released on a $500 bond and will reportedly appear in court on June 8.

According to MMA Fighting, ‘Rumble’ could face up to five years in jail and a fine of up to $5,000 if convicted.   

Johnson is due to face Russian reigning light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov in his Bellator grand prix semi-final in July, with the winner of the tournament picking up a $1 million prize.