The UFC announced on Sunday that lightweight Michael Johnson will return to the octagon on February 22nd at UFC Fight Night 61 against Edson Barboza in the co-main event of the fight card.
On Monday evening, the UFC revealed that Johnson was suspended by the promotion earlier this year following an arrest in South Florida.
“UFC lightweight Michael Johnson was ineligible to compete in the UFC organization following his arrest regarding a domestic dispute in Palm Beach County, Florida in April 2014,” the statement said. “Given that the allegations against Johnson constituted a potential violation of the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy, the UFC organization temporarily barred Johnson from competition pending the completion of a third-party investigation.”
“Following a thorough review and investigation—including personal interviews with Johnson and independent confirmation that he has satisfied all obligations required by the UFC—Johnson is once again eligible to compete and will begin training for his next fight at UFC Fight Night: Evans vs. Teixeira in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The UFC will continue to monitor Johnson’s status. He must fully comply with the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy and all other contractual and additional obligations in order to continue competing in the UFC.”
“All UFC athletes are required to comply with the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy they signed along with their fight contract. The UFC organization will not tolerate any violation of its Fighter Conduct Policy. The organization is committed to thoroughly investigating all allegations and taking the appropriate action when warranted.”
According to the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office website, Johnson was arrested on April 9th for battery and was released on a $1,000 bond. Johnson’s last fight took place in early March in England as he defeated Melvin Guillard by unanimous decision and it was his third win in a row.