Johnny Walker Releases Statement Following Brutal KO Loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Vegas 84

Johnny Walker talks Magomed AnkalaevJohnny Walker released a statement following his devastating second-round knockout loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Vegas 84. Walker…

Johnny Walker talks Magomed Ankalaev

Johnny Walker released a statement following his devastating second-round knockout loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Vegas 84.

Walker came out fast and furious in the opening round, looking to put Ankalaev on his back foot and throw off the Russian contender with his signature wild style of striking. However, things took a drastic turn in the second with Ankalaev controlling the cage as Walker’s attacks were few and far between.

Stuck in an endless loop of circling to his left, Walker moved in quickly, but it was Ankalaev who landed a brutal looping right hand that sent the Brazilian crashing to the canvas. Ankalaev followed it up with a nose-shattering shot that forced the referee to step in with just over two minutes left in the round.

Johnny Walker Congratulates His Opponent

Taking to social media, Walker addressed his brutal defeat by congratulating his opponent and promising to come back even better.

“Win or learn, right, coach!” the video caption read. “Fighting the best in the world, one little mistake cost the win. You don’t make me so you can’t break me, you didn’t build me so you can’t kill me! Let’s keep climbing.

“I’m good, just a little scratch on my nose,” Walker said in the video, with his wife by his side. “I going to watch my fight, I wanna see what mistakes I did a little later on and I’m gonna put on my YouTube channel here the recalculations to see what I did wrong and talk more about the fight.

“It is what it is, we fight the best in the world,” Walker continued. “I’m one of the best in the world, they’re gonna face the best in the world. Could be me, could be him. So he had a better night than me, congratulations to him, Magomed Ankalaev. I hope he get the belt now. And I’m gonna keep grinding, keep grinding and going for wars, going upward. Thanks everyone for the sport and I’m gonna take a few days off then come back to the gym, come back better” (h/t MMA Mania).

The loss to Ankalaev snapped Walker’s three-fight win streak which included highlight-reel-worthy victories over Ion Cutelaba, Paul Craig, and Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Smith. Despite the loss, Walker’s performance was still strong enough to bump him up one spot to No. 7 on the light heavyweight rankings. Ankalaev remains at No. 3, sitting firmly behind former champions Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka.

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Alex Pereira’s coach sends message to Magomed Ankalaev following Brutal KO of Johnny Walker: ‘See You Soon’

Magomed AnkalaevMagomed Ankalaev may have earned himself another shot at UFC gold following his brutal second-round knockout of Johnny Walker…

Magomed Ankalaev

Magomed Ankalaev may have earned himself another shot at UFC gold following his brutal second-round knockout of Johnny Walker on Saturday night.

After their UFC 294 clash came to a confusing and disappointing end, Ankalaev and Walker kicked off the promotion’s 2024 with a five-round headliner at UFC Vegas 84. Walker came out fast and furious in the opening round, but it didn’t take long for Ankalaev to slow the pace and begin chipping away at his opponent.

As Walker attempted to move in during the second round, Ankalaev uncorked a nasty right hook that sent Walker crashing to the canvas. Ankalaev quickly moved in and landed an absolutely vicious follow-up shot that was enough for the referee to jump in and save Walker from absorbing any further damage.

Following the victory, Magomed Ankalaev called for a light heavyweight title opportunity against the division’s reigning champion, Alex Pereira. That prompted a response from Pereira’s friend and coach, Glover Teixeira.

“Great knockout,” Teixeira wrote on X. “We will see u soon. #UFCFightNight”

UFC Fighters React to Magomed Ankalaev’s Impressive Performance

Teixeira wasn’t the only one who offered their immediate reaction to Magomed Ankalaev’s highlight-reel-worthy win in Las Vegas.

Magomed Ankalaev Smashes Johnny Walker with Vicious Right Hook in Round Two – UFC Vegas 84 Highlights

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker at UFC Vegas 84Magomed Ankalaev earned his 10th victory inside the Octagon, dispatching Johnny Walker in the second round of their UFC…

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker at UFC Vegas 84

Magomed Ankalaev earned his 10th victory inside the Octagon, dispatching Johnny Walker in the second round of their UFC Vegas 84 headliner.

Walker came out fast and furious in the opening round, walking down Ankalaev and showing him little respect, but it didn’t take long for the Dagestani to slow the pace and begin chipping away at his overly aggressive opponent.

Walker was much more hesitant to throw in the second round, allowing Ankalaev to take control of the action. With just over two minutes to go in the round, Walker moved in looking for a low kick. Ankalaev immediately made him pay, landing a big right hook that knocked Walker against the fence and down to the canvas. Ankalaev moved in and landed an absolutely vicious follow-up right that appeared to instantly break Walker’s nose.

That was enough for the referee to rush in and call for the stoppage, saving Walker from any further damage.

Official Result: Magomed Ankalaev def. Johnny Walker via KO (right hook) at 2:42 of Round 2.

Check Out Highlights From Johnny Walker vs. Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Vegas 84:

Johnny Walker echoes calls for ‘Fun’ fight with Alex Pereira at UFC 300: ‘Someone will get knocked out’

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Ahead of his return to the Octagon at UFC Vegas 84 this weekend, Brazilian contender, Johnny Walker has laid out his plans to compete for light heavyweight gold against compatriot, Alex Pereira at UFC 300 – show he dispatch Magomed Ankalaev in the pair’s rematch on Satuday.

Walker, the current number seven ranked light heavyweight contender, has been sidelined since he featured at UFC 294 back in October, fighting to an official ‘No Contest’ against Russian former title chaser, Ankalaev – after finding himself on the receiving end of an illegal knee strike in the first round.

As for Pereira, the Sao Paulo knockout artist minted himself as the undisputed light heavyweight champion at UFC 295 back in November at Madison Square Garden, turning in a second round TKO win over Jiri Prochazka in the pair’s vacant title clash.

Johnny Walker echoes calls for UFC 300 title tilt with Alex Pereira

And ahead of his high-stakes clash with former vacant title challenger, Ankalaev at UFC Vegas 84 this weekend, Walker claimed that if Pereira is somehow standing opposite him at UFC 300, one of them will be finished with devastating strikes.

“We have to fight smart,” Johnny Walker said of a fight between himself and Alex Pereira during an interview with MMA Fighting. “The first to connect, [the other guy] goes down. It’s going to be an interesting fight if it happens – and I hope it does. I’m excited because the division is heating up again.”

“There are plenty of interesting fights to book,” Johnny Walker explained. “I think it’s going to be a fun fight and everybody will enjoy watching. For sure, someone will get knocked out, so it’s going to be fun.” 

Over the course of his light heavyweight tenure with the UFC, Walker has turned in notable victories over the likes of Khalil Rountree, Ryan Spann, Paul Craig, and most recently, former title challenger, Anthony Smith. 

Who wins in a future UFC title fight: Alex Pereira or Johnny Walker?