According to a report from MMAjunkie, former UFC welterweight and light heavyweight contender Anthony Johnson has been hit with a restraining order.
This restraining order was filed by a Florida woman who claims to have had a relationship with Johnson previously.
The woman, who was not named, filed for this restraining order because there was “an immediate present danger of dating violence,” her attorney Robyn Barrett told MMA Junkie.
Scott B. Saul, the attorney representing Anthony Johnson, claims that the fighter is accused of “online stalking, making threats and posting intimate images of the woman.”
“He’s saying I’m going to go get my gun, and her interpretation was (the message was) aimed at her,” Saul explained to MMAjunkie. “His position was somebody on social media was stalking him, and he was saying it in reference to the person bothering him and not her. That’s his position, and also I believe he may have posted a picture of her performing something intimate on him. But it all had to do with social media postings.”
As a result of this restraining order, Anthony Johnson must avoid this woman until February 6, 2020, at which point she will evaluate the situation and determine if an extension is necessary.
“There were no findings of fact, nobody testified, and there was no ruling,” Saul assured. “It was just the parties saying, listen, these people barely know each other – what do we need to litigate? Let’s just revisit this in one year, and if there’s not a problem, you don’t need an injunction because there’s no imminent threat to anybody.”
Anthony Johnson retired from MMA in 2017, after failing to claim the UFC light heavyweight belt from Daniel Cormier. Since then, he has hinted about a potential return to action — though it sounds like he’ll only return for a heavyweight showdown with Jon Jones. He recently joined the BKFC team in a “fighter relations” role.
Stay tuned for further details on this situation as they emerge.
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 3/8/2019.