Tag: Johnny Walker

UFC Vegas 38 Highlights: Thiago Santos Outlasts Johnny Walker

Thiago Santos vs. Johnny Walker delivered in the main event spot.  The two fighters met in a bout on Saturday night (October 2, 2021) at the UFC Vegas 38 event from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility. The first round saw little to no action aside from leg kicks. In the second round, […]

Continue Reading UFC Vegas 38 Highlights: Thiago Santos Outlasts Johnny Walker at MMA News.

Thiago Santos vs. Johnny Walker delivered in the main event spot. 

The two fighters met in a bout on Saturday night (October 2, 2021) at the UFC Vegas 38 event from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility. The first round saw little to no action aside from leg kicks. In the second round, Santos went for a takedown, but it was stuffed and they both threw some head when getting up. Santos was staying patient and picking his shots. 

In the third round, Walker started to become more loose and let his hands and kicks go. He did crack Santos with a right hook only for Santos to fire back with a right hook. Walker had the advantage in the fourth round. Santos cracked him with a big right hand in the fifth round.  This wasn’t the greatest fight you’ll ever see. The judges gave the win to Santos by decision. 

Peep the highlights of the fight courtesy of the UFC’s official Twitter account:

Santos’ most recent downfall started when he dropped a split decision loss to then-UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones at the UFC 239 pay-per-view event in July 2019. Before that, Santos had been on a four fight winning streak over the likes of Kevin Holland, Eryk Anders, Jimi Manuwa, and Jan B?achowicz. Since that Jones fight, he had lost to Glover Teixeira via submission in November 2020 and then a decision defeat to Aleksandar Raki? at UFC 259. 

Walker had been undefeated during his time with the Las Vegas-based promotion, but that changed when he was finished by Corey Anderson at the UFC 244 pay-per-view event from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. He previously picked up KO wins over the likes of Khalil Rountree Jr. and Justin Ledet, as well as Misha Cirkunov on March 2, 2019, at UFC 235 via TKO in the first round. He dropped a decision loss to Nikita Krylov in March 2020, but rebounded with a KO win over Ryan Spann in September 2020. 

UFC Vegas 38 Results: Thiago Santos vs. Johnny Walker, Kyle Daukaus vs. Kevin Holland

MMA News has you covered with results, highlights, and post-fight tidbits from UFC Vegas . Be sure to keep checking the homepage for the latest news.

Continue Reading UFC Vegas 38 Highlights: Thiago Santos Outlasts Johnny Walker at MMA News.

UFC Vegas 38 Weigh-In Results & Preview, Ladd/Chiasson Scratched

The weigh-in results are in for UFC Vegas 38, and we’ve got the details for you below! Although the main event between Thiago Santos and Johnny Walker is locked and loaded, there were three issues during today’s weigh-ins, including one fight cancellation. Unfortunately, the rebooked bantamweight bout between Aspen Ladd and Macy Chiasson has been […]

Continue Reading UFC Vegas 38 Weigh-In Results & Preview, Ladd/Chiasson Scratched at MMA News.

The weigh-in results are in for UFC Vegas 38, and we’ve got the details for you below!

Although the main event between Thiago Santos and Johnny Walker is locked and loaded, there were three issues during today’s weigh-ins, including one fight cancellation. Unfortunately, the rebooked bantamweight bout between Aspen Ladd and Macy Chiasson has been canceled after Ladd experienced health issues during the weigh-in.

Additionally, Bethe Correia and Mike Breedon missed weight for their respective bouts against Karol Rosa and Alexander Hernandez. Correia and Breedon will each be fined 20% of their purses, but both fights will proceed as scheduled.

You can find the full weigh-in results below, courtesy of UFC.com.

MAIN CARD (7:00 PM ET, ESPN+)

Main Event – Light Heavyweight Bout: Thiago Santos (206) vs Johnny Walker (204.5)

Co-Main Event – Middleweight Bout: Kevin Holland (183.5) vs Kyle Daukaus (185.5)

Welterweight Bout: Alex Oliveira (169.5) vs Niko Price (170.5)

Middleweight Bout: Misha Cirkunov (185.5) vs Krzysztof Jotko (185.5)

Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Aspen Ladd (137)* vs Macy Chiasson (136)

Lightweight Bout: Alexander Hernandez (154.5) vs Mike Breeden (158.5)*

PRELIMS (4:00 PM, ESPN+)

Lightweight Bout: Joe Solecki (155.5) vs Jared Gordon (155)

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Antonina Shevchenko (125.5) vs Casey O’Neill (125)

Women’s Bantamweight: Bethe Correia (138.5)* vs Karol Rosa (135.5)

Lightweight Bout: Devonte Smith (155.5) vs Jamie Mullarkey (155.5)

Bantamweight Bout: Douglas Silva de Andrade (135) vs Gaetano Pirrello (134.5)

Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Stephanie Egger (135) vs Shanna Young (134.5)

Bantamweight Bout: Alejandro Perez (136) vs Johnny Eduardo (135.5)

UFC Vegas 38 Preview

The main event kicks off with Alexander Hernandez taking on Mike Breeden. This will be Breeden’s UFC debut, and Hernandez will look to claw himself back into the rankings with a win here. Hernandez has lost two of his last three fights, so he’ll try to avoid making that three of four.

MMA News caught up with Hernandez prior to this fight. You can find the full interview here and also read up on his idea for what could possibly replace ring girls in the future.

Also on tap tomorrow night is UFC vets Misha Cirkunov and Krzysztof Jotko  competing, as well as a bout between the always exciting welterweights Niko Price and Alex Oliveira, who may be the favorites for Fight of the Night honors.

The co-main event will see Kevin Holland looking to avoid dropping three straight fights when he faces the 28-year-old Kyle Daukaus. Holland has recently signed a new contract with the UFC and has spoken up in defense of the promotion regarding widespread fighter pay criticism.

Holland has also taken aside time to roast fellow middleweight Luke Rockhold for unretiring due to being “broke.” If Holland wants to keep those satisfactory UFC checks rolling in, he’ll have to start winning again, beginning with handing Daukaus his second consecutive loss tomorrow night. Here is the face-off between the two from earlier today.

In the main event, top-10 light heavyweights Thiago Santos and Johnny Walker will tangle in a bout that is as close to being a guaranteed banger as any combination of fights you can put together on the UFC roster. Santos has proven himself to be one of the greatest KO artists in UFC history, and Johnny Walker’s reputation as a flashy light-shutter has been on since his promotional debut in 2018.

Today, Walker sees himself as a future UFC double-champion who is prepared to defeat a light heavyweight champion in Jan Blachowicz, whom he considers to be overrated.

You can find our very own Doug Murray’s preview of the main event right here and the face-off between the two main eventers below!

Be sure to keep it locked right here on MMANews.com tomorrow for all the live results, updates, and highlights on UFC Vegas 38!

Continue Reading UFC Vegas 38 Weigh-In Results & Preview, Ladd/Chiasson Scratched at MMA News.

Johnny Walker Wants To Be a Two Division Champion

UFC light heavyweight Johnny Walker has big plans for his fighting career. Johnny Walker is preparing for his next fight in the Octagon this upcoming weekend at UFC Vegas 38, but that is not stopping him from looking into the future. Walker has only been in the UFC since 2018, but since he arrived he […]

Continue Reading Johnny Walker Wants To Be a Two Division Champion at MMA News.

UFC light heavyweight Johnny Walker has big plans for his fighting career.

Johnny Walker is preparing for his next fight in the Octagon this upcoming weekend at UFC Vegas 38, but that is not stopping him from looking into the future. Walker has only been in the UFC since 2018, but since he arrived he has been turning heads. With three crazy KO finishes to begin his UFC career, Walker shot up the rankings. Like most fighters, getting the belt is the goal, but Walker is not willing to stop there.

Walker sat down for a chat with MMA Fighting’s podcast Trocação Franca to discuss his future.

“When I get the belt [on my shoulder], I’ll want one on the other side as well,” Walker said. “I’ll defend it once, twice, and move up to heavyweight to make history. After I take off, brother, I’ll burn all the fuel until I see how far my rocket can fly.”

On Saturday night Walker will be taking on Thiago Santos in his first UFC headlining fight. If all goes according to plan, he will be on his way towards a title fight soon. Currently sitting in the number ten spot in the rankings, a win over Santos could rocket him into the top five. However, time is of the essence of Walker.

“My window, it’s in my prime right now,” he explained. “I have enough experience and I’m still young, so I’m in my prime. I’m starting my prime. I think an athlete’s prime depends a lot on the quality of their life, genetics, but I think I’ve started my prime now. I’m 29 and I think I’ll fight at a high level until I’m 35.”

Walker is coming off a very impressive KO victory over Ryan Spann in September of last year. He has been out since dealing with an injury. Santos is coming into this bout having lost his last three. He has not won a fight since his title shot loss to Jon Jones two years ago.

Do you think Johnny Walker will ever be a UFC champion?

Continue Reading Johnny Walker Wants To Be a Two Division Champion at MMA News.

TGIFighting: Bantamweight Barnburners, Jon Jones, Johnny Walker and More

Welcome back to TGIFighting, where we talk to top fighters, preview the weekend’s combat sports action and make crotchety observations about the combat sports news of the day. Ready? Let’s proceed…

Welcome back to TGIFighting, where we talk to top fighters, preview the weekend’s combat sports action and make crotchety observations about the combat sports news of the day. Ready? Let’s proceed…

UFC Vegas 38: Santos vs. Walker Preview/Prediction

A pair of light heavyweight gunslingers take center stage at UFC Vegas 38 and will vie for a spot among the gauntlet of contenders sitting atop the 205-pound weight class. Thiago Santos will return in a quest for redemption after losing his last three fights. After moving up from middleweight, the Brazilian realized success at […]

Continue Reading UFC Vegas 38: Santos vs. Walker Preview/Prediction at MMA News.

A pair of light heavyweight gunslingers take center stage at UFC Vegas 38 and will vie for a spot among the gauntlet of contenders sitting atop the 205-pound weight class.

Thiago Santos will return in a quest for redemption after losing his last three fights. After moving up from middleweight, the Brazilian realized success at light heavyweight. The 37-year-old took his first fight at 205-pounds in 2018 against Eryk Anders. The performance earned the dangerous striker a $50K bonus for ‘Fight of the Night’ and he won the bout by TKO after the referee ended the contest.

Following his successful debut at 205 pounds, “Marreta” fired off two more finishes before UFC brass saw enough and granted him a title shot against Jon Jones. Unfortunately, the Brazilian challenger would not only lose but have his knees destroyed in the process.

After surgeries on both knees, Santos returned, though many feared he would not perform at 100% capacity. Seemingly those worries turned out to be true, and the former title challenger lost his next two fights when paired against Glover Teixeira who is challenging for the title soon, and the #3-ranked Aleksandar Raki?.

As the age of forty rears its head for Thiago Santos, a striker’s delight match-up between Johnny Walker is the ideal showcase fight for the veteran to get back to his winning ways.

Will Johnny Walker’s Nomadic Lifestyle Assist Him At UFC Vegas 38?

It’s no secret Walker has dabbled with multiple training camps during his 3-year UFC tenure. At one point, the flashy light heavyweight was living in Taiwan and training with his coach. Then, after his loss to Corey Anderson by knockout, it was the last straw and the 29-year old took his services to the famous Tristar gym, coached by Firas Zahabi.

Once again, the nomad moved on like a wandering samurai and is now training at Conor McGregor’s camp, SBG Ireland under the tutelage of John Kavanagh. In September of 2020, Walker rebounded after back-to-back losses to Anderson and Nikita Krylov with a blistering finish against Ryan Spann.

While Walker has continued to test out different camps, at times the instability may hinder his ability to grow steadily as an MMA fighter. Having notched a finish in his last fight against “Superman” perhaps the change in camps is helping after all. With UFC Vegas 38 in his sights, unquestionably, his next test against Thiago Santos will be telling and has huge implications on his burgeoning UFC career.

Santos holds a finish win over the currently reigning 205-pound champ Jan B?achowicz. With his back against the wall, the former title challenger will need to take a fluid approach in order to fend off a striker as dynamic as Walker.

All four UFC contests that Walker was successful in were finished due to strikes. In contrast, during the long career of Thiago Santos, the Brazilian has an overall record of 21-9 with fifteen of those fights being finished with his striking toolbox.

On Saturday, Thiago Santos will fight down in the rankings to cement his stay among the elite at light heavyweight. The upside for Walker is huge because if he is victorious, he rockets into the top five of the division overnight. Johnny Walker’s tendency to move camps will be put to the test, and if there are discrepancies in his MMA game, someone as seasoned as “Marreta” will find those weaknesses and aim to exploit them. The fight promises to be all-action as the two create carnage in every Octagon appearance.

Prediction: Johnny Walker def. Thiago Santos via round 1 (knockout)

Who are you picking to win this weekend at UFC Vegas 38?

Continue Reading UFC Vegas 38: Santos vs. Walker Preview/Prediction at MMA News.

Johnny Walker: ‘I Can Beat Jan Blachowicz 100 Percent’

Johnny Walker is quite confident in his ability to take out light heavyweight champ Jan Blachowicz. Walker has had an up-and-down run in the UFC up to this point. While he made a big splash in his early fights in the promotion, winning his first three bouts by brutal knockout, he lost two in a […]

Continue Reading Johnny Walker: ‘I Can Beat Jan Blachowicz 100 Percent’ at MMA News.

Johnny Walker is quite confident in his ability to take out light heavyweight champ Jan Blachowicz.

Walker has had an up-and-down run in the UFC up to this point. While he made a big splash in his early fights in the promotion, winning his first three bouts by brutal knockout, he lost two in a row to Corey Anderson and Nikita Krylov, which temporarily put a damper on his rise to the top.

Despite not having fought in over a year, getting back on track by beating Ryan Spann in September of 2020, Johnny is still confident in his ability to be a future champ. Ahead of his return to action against Thiago Santos this weekend, he spoke on the MMA Hour about champ Jan Blachowicz, saying that he feels like he could easily take out the Polish fighter.

“Jan, he’s tough. He’s good, he’s the champion but I can beat him 100 percent. He’s not really skillful. He’s strong, he’s tough. I respect him, he’s a champion, right? He beat Adesanya, he got the belt. He’s doing great, but I can do better,” Walker said (h/t MiddleEasy).

It is certainly not out of the realm of possibility for Johnny Walker to eventually make his way back towards the top of the 205lb division, and a win over number five ranked Thiago Santos would certainly do a lot to propel him there. With that in mind, there have been some proven holes in his game that were put on display in those back to back losses, so it will be interesting to see what improvements he has made to his game in the year he has had off.

There is a bit of a line at the top of the light heavyweight division, with Jan Blachowicz set to take on top contender Glover Teixeira, with Ji?í Procházka and Alexander Rakic not far behind. Perhaps Johnny can get a big win on Saturday night, and with one more after that, be right there with the other top contenders.

Continue Reading Johnny Walker: ‘I Can Beat Jan Blachowicz 100 Percent’ at MMA News.