Three years ago, Johnny Walker was viewed as the biggest threat to Jon Jones’ rule over the UFC’s light heavyweight division. Since the following article was written, he has gone 1-3 in his last four fights. Tonight at UFC Vegas 48, Walker will be headlining against Jamahal Hill with an opportunity to remind the world of his potential.
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[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JULY 19, 2019, 1:41 PM]
Headlines: Michael Bisping: I Think Biggest Threat To Jon Jones Is Johnny Walker
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping feels Johnny Walker may have the best shot at dethroning Jon Jones.
Walker has been making a name for himself in a short amount of time. Walker has only had three fights in the UFC, but there’s already buzz surrounding the 27-year-old Brazilian bruiser. All three of Walker’s UFC wins have come via KO or TKO. None of those bouts made it to the two-minute mark. He’s also riding a nine-fight winning streak and hasn’t lost since June 2016.
Bisping Says Walker Is Credible Threat To Jones
Bisping has responded to Jones saying that Walker isn’t quite ready for a title opportunity. “The Count” agrees, but he still believes that Walker may pose the toughest challenge for “Bones.” Here’s what he had to say on his Believe You Me podcast.
“I think the biggest threat right now to Jon Jones is Johnny Walker. I think Johnny Walker gives him a lot of problems, but I understand it from Jones’ perspective. He’s still not well-known enough to the average MMA fan. He’s had a big splash, he’s had a few big wins in very, very quick time. And in fact, he’s injured right now because he injured himself with his post-fight celebration. That’s the most damage he takes in his fights, in his own f*cking celebrations.”
Bisping went on to talk about the benefits of not hot-shotting Walker to a title opportunity.
“But he’s not there yet. He needs another win or two. For one I think it would be rushing Johnny Walker and potentially bringing him on a little too far, too soon. And Jones is right. Another couple more wins, put him in a co-main event, even a Fight Night main event against a big name and then all of a sudden you’ve got a real star on your hands. And then that makes the pay-per-view bigger for everybody involved. So, I agree with Jones.”
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