Emotional Josh Thomson breaks down on-air as he pays a heartwarming tribute to the late Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson

Former UFC fighter Josh Thomson broke down live on-air after paying tribute to the late Anthony Johnson.

The MMA world has been in mourning this week after the tragic news of Johnson's passing aged just 38. The former UFC light heavyweight title contender was a hugely popular figure during his time in the UFC and Bellator and was known for his devastating knockout power.

Johnson was signed to Bellator at the time of his death. He competed just once in the promotion, winning via a second-round KO.

At Bellator 288 last night, John McCarthy, Josh Thomson and Mauro Ranallo paid tribute to the late MMA star, with 'The Punk' making a special mention of Johnson's work outside of the cage:

"I thought about all of the things I wanted to say today, about how we found each other, how we became friends and how we coached each other but everybody say this... The part I want everyone to remember him for is the charitable work he did."

Thomson continued:

"He would spend his holidays with kids and started a campaign for anti-dog fighting. At one point he had 12 pitbulls he wanted to save. I know people remember him for 'Rumble'... but I want people to remember him for his humble words. The way he smiled, the way he lit up the room and the positive feedback he always had."

Watch the touching tribute here:

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Josh Thomson explains what it was like meeting Anthony Johnson for the first time

Josh Thomson paid a touching tribute to Anthony Johnson at Bellator 288. The former Strikeforce lightweight champion also shared memories he has of 'Rumble' on his podcast.

On the latest episode of WEIGHING IN, Thomson detailed the first time he met Anthony Johnson. According to 'The Punk', it wasn't 'Rumble's' size or achievements that surprised him but how kind and humble he was as a person:

"He was super humble, super nice, he understood I had a big fight coming up, and he just flowed with me. He gave me positions, he took positions away, he worked."

Josh Thomson also shared that Johnson played a big factor in helping him sign for the UFC. Furthermore, he added:

"He opened my eyes a lot to just understanding the importance of, 'Hey, what can I do to repay you? And I wanna thank you so much for spending your Saturday and helping me get ready for something... You're very humble and soft-spoken and I'm loud and obnoxious and brash.'"

Watch the full podcast episode here: