Baltimore Ravens rookie Nate Wiggins will tested by Philadelphia Eagles WR’s Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith in their upcoming exhibition game.
The Baltimore Ravens intentionally drafted to replenish their depth chart at the defensive back position earlier this spring. They’ll get a chance to see the implications of the 2024 NFL draft when they face the Philadelphia Eagles in their preseason opener tonight.
Ravens’ rookie Nate Wiggins will tested by Eagles’ rookie wide receivers, including Johnny Wilson and former Texas A&M speedster Ainias Smith. Earlier this spring, I suggested that the Ravens draft Smith because his upside makes him an asset in special teams even if he does not make the frequent rotation needed in the 11-man personnel on offense. Nevertheless, Wilson’s game is a little different from Smith’s. Standing six feet six inches tall, Wilson creates an offensive nightmare for defensive backs, and with Ravens’ rookie wide receiver Devontez Walker already terrorizing Wiggins at practice, Wilson may excel in week 1 of the NFL preseason.
For the Ravens, not much of an update has surfaced on Iowa State draftee defensive back T.J Tampa. Consequently, Ravens’ fans may see heavy playing time given to defensive back Jalyn Armour-Davis and 22-year-old safety Sanoussi Kane in the preseason debut.
Ultimately, it is presumptuous to assume the Ravens will be the same defensive powerhouse they were a season ago with zero evidence. In the preseason, veteran safety Eddie Jackson and defensive back Brandon Stephens may see extra reps to assist the second-string players with adjusting to the tenacity at the NFL level.
Johnny Walker showed off facial damage after his brutal knockout loss at UFC Saudi Arabia.
[autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] is back home, spending time with his family after a brutal knockout loss Saturday to Volkan Oezdemir at UFC on ABC 6 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The knockout loss was Walker’s second in as many appearances and he admits it has him rethinking what changes he can make so as to prevent a third-straight.
“I’m good. Just a little scratch on my lips,” Walker said in a video posted to his Intagram account on Sunday. “… I just arrived at home with my little champ. It wasn’t a really good night for me. I don’t know what happened. I’m going to have to figure out and watch the fights again and see what I did. I don’t think I feel my head in the right place for the fight. I was feeling amazing. (I had) a really good camp. I felt really strong. Everything was good.
“The (weight) cut was a little bit hard, but as always. I just didn’t find myself there in the fight. But the most important thing is here, my little baby. I came back safe for him. I’m going to look after him and come back stronger. I’ll take time with my family, enjoy my wife, my baby. … I’ll come back stronger.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8kPFnPNNh6/
Walker (21-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) was brutalized by a series of Oezdemir punches that ended the fight at 2:28 of Round 1. The final follow-up blow turned Walker stiff as a board. Walker sat on the stool for the final decision reading by Bruce Buffer, as his nose gushed blood.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 6.
UFC on ABC 6 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ABC 6 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $186,000.
The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.
UFC on ABC 6 took place Saturday at Kingdom Arena. The main card airs on ABC following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
The full UFC on ABC 6 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $40,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-40 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
“UFC on ABC 6: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov” – $186,000
UFC Saudi Arabia provided one of the scariest knockouts of the year, as Volkan Oezdemir left Johnny Walker stiff.
[autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]’s power was on full display once again Saturday as he savagely knocked out [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] in Round 1 of their UFC on ABC 6 bout.
The light heavyweight fight kicked off the main card at Kingdom Arena and ended at 2:28 after a pair of Oezdemir (20-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) punches to the dome of Walker (21-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC).
Walker was in semi-survival mode for much of the minute that led up to his demise. Oezdemir landed more throughout the sequence and Walker was unable to reset himself completely. A left-right combination folded Walker like a lawn chair. Already scrambled, Walker then absorbed a massive follow-up shot that stiffened his entire body.
With a busted nose, Walker was alert and sitting on the stool after the knockout but was not present for the final decision.
After the victory, Oezdemir mentioned Jan Blachowicz and Jamahal Hill as potential next opponents. Oezdemir has won back-to-back fights and three of his most recent four.
Walker has been knocked out in back-to-back fights and is winless in his most recent three.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ABC 6 results include:
Volkan Oezdemir def. Johnny Walker via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:28
Two powerful light heavyweights clash on the UFC on ABC 6 main card. Will Volkan Oezdemir or Johnny Walker get a stoppage?
[autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag] and [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ABC 6 from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Volkan Oezdemir vs. Johnny Walker UFC on ABC 6 preview
Oezdemir (19-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) will look to keep the momentum going after scoring an early finish in his last outing. “No Time” made quick work of Bogdan Guskov last September, finishing the fight by submission in the first round. Oezdemir will look to put together back-to-back wins for the first time since 2019. … Walker (21-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) was on the wrong end of a knockout in his previous fight. In January, Walker was stopped in the second round by Magomed Ankalaev, ending a run of three consecutive wins, aside from a no contest with Ankalaev last October.
Volkan Oezdemir vs. Johnny Walker UFC on ABC 6 expert pick, prediction
Considering that every fight under 185 pounds has been relegated to the prelims, one can only assume that the UFC matchmakers are just blatantly micturating on the memory of Joe Silva and his surefire method of kicking off main cards with lightweight or featherweight fights.
Nevertheless, this light heavyweight bout between Oezdemir and Walker should be weird for as long as it lasts.
Walker, who can be somewhat “Jekyll and Hyde” given his inconsistencies, has steadily steered toward more of a conservative route since joining forces with SBG Ireland.
On one hand, it’s nice to see Walker honing in on the fundamentals and trying to develop a process. On the other hand, it’s hard to get too excited given that the Brazilian’s staying power remains beyond suspect.
For that reason, I’ll semi-reluctantly side with Oezdemir to edge out the scorecards in a fight that only gets stranger down the stretch.
Volkan Oezdemir vs. Johnny Walker UFC on ABC 6 odds
The oddsmakers and the public believe this is a pick’em fight, listing Walker with a slight edge at -110 and Oezdemir at -106, via FanDuel.
Volkan Oezdemir vs. Johnny Walker UFC on ABC 6 start time, how to watch
As the opening bout on the main card, Oezdemir and Walker are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 3:10 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ABC and streams on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 6.
Johnny Walker is not giving up on his dreams of becoming a UFC champion.
Despite his most recent setback, [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] is not losing faith on his dream of becoming a UFC champion.
The UFC light heavyweight veteran believes he’s bound to fight for the light heavyweight bout, and on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, he’ll be taking his first step towards that goal. Walker (21-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) takes on Volkan Oezdemir (19-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) in the main card of UFC on ABC 6, which goes down at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
“Hopefully it puts me a little more up in the ranks, get one or two more wins, and then hopefully, you know, I’ve always been there talking about the title shot,” Walker told MMA Junkie. “My time is coming, my friend, and I’m going to keep moving forward till I get it.”
The Brazilian last fought in January, when he was knocked out by Magomed Ankalaev in their rematch. The defeat put an end to a three-fight unbeaten streak. Walker is not too concerned about the loss, and thinks it’s part of his path to becoming champion.
“Life is a journey that you have to go through with a brave heart in what you’re doing, learn from your mistakes and come back stronger, and let’s be f*cking going,” Walker said.
As far as the matchup itself, Walker is happy to have gotten Oezdemir. He believes this fight was bound to happen.
“One of the ones that I wanted to fight,” Walker said. “Everything plays out the way God writes it. Everything happens at the right time, and I’m happy with the matchup.”
For years, Valter Walker used the alias “Ignacio” to hinder comparisons to his brother Johnny. Now in the UFC, he’s using his real surname.
The story goes a tad differently depending on who you ask to tell it. One verbal account paints a picture – until the tale is interrupted halfway through when a detail is disputed.
“He kicked my face,” [autotag]Valter Walker[/autotag] interjected, as his brother [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] halted his recollection of their first-ever professional training experience together.
Johnny, with a big grin, tried to push back a little, “It was just boxing.”
“No,” Valter said, also smiling. “… This guy kicked my face. … My first training with professional guys, he came in to do sparring. He kicked my face. I started to cry. Bro, I don’t know. I don’t want to cry. I started to cry and I ran to the cage. I ran to the toilet and started to cry. He went in the toilet and said, ‘Stop crying. Come back to the sparring.’ Bro. I had five rounds of sparring, crying. What the f*ck?”
It’s all in good fun, of course.
In the mid-2010s, Johnny and Valter lived in England. Johnny was on the brink of a Dana White’s Contender Series opportunity that would skyrocket his popularity. Conversely, Valter was going to law school and working in a restaurant. MMA was not the intention.
As Valter’s weight gained, Johnny convinced him to enter the training room in a full-on capacity. Valter had experience in amateur muay Thai and trained for exercise, but hadn’t actually trained to fight.
The fateful and emotional beating he took from his brother on Day 1 changed the course of his life, though it’s all laughs now. Fast forward a few years to the present, and Valter (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is days out from his debut at UFC Fight Night 240 against Lukasz Brzeski (8-4-1 MMA, 0-3 UFC).
“All these years, (Johnny) took care of me,” Valter said. “I live in Russia. We don’t live together, but we talk every day. He takes care of me. He helps me with my financials. I don’t make very big money. I make money just now. … He gives me advice in my training, my preparation, my everything. … In this moment, I’m more mature. It’s the moment I come out from the shadows.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CvtorQ3IBmv/
Though their bickering is constant and sometimes breaks out into playful grappling and pro-wrestling-esque choreographed striking exchanges, occasionally in public places with an increased level of intensity that worries bystanders, the brotherly love is palpable.
Valter is six years younger than Johnny. Half-brothers, they grew up in separate homes in Brazil. They shared the same father but not the same mother.
Despite the age gap and location gap, Valter always admired Johnny. On their off-days from school, Johnny would come over and the two would hang out.
“He was strong and fast,” Valter said. “He was six years older than me. It was like a kid to a teenager. My brother is a bigger teenager, and he was f*cking strong and fast. He can do a lot of stuff, like cool stuff. I saw this, and I was like, ‘Wow, I want to be like my brother. I want to be stronger. I want to know how to fight.’ He said, ‘You’re fat. You need training.’ I started training workouts, like gym training. After this, I was like, ‘I want to train all the time very hard to show my brother. Now, I’m more strong. I want to show results for him.’
“… My father and my mother didn’t want me to follow my brother. Sometimes, I’d come with my black eye, or I’d hurt something, and they don’t want me following my brother. Other times, they’d push me for studying, not for training. But all the time, my brother tried to motivate me, saying, ‘We need you training. This sport is for you because you’re very big.'”
Then the fateful beatdown in England transpired, but things only got better from there for Valter, who joined his brother in travels along the world. They lived in England together, then Thailand. They trained, ate, and hung out together. It was exactly what Valter dreamt of, as he grew up.
During their stint in Thailand, Valter met coach Gor Azizyan, another instrumental influence in the trajectory of his career. Valter later joined Azizyan’s GOR MMA in Moscow, where he now trains alongside fellow UFC fighters Shara Magomedov and Bogdan Guskov.
The two Walkers officially separated their training, as Valter went to Russia and Johnny went back to Brazil, then Ireland. Johnny burst into the international spotlight in late 2018 and captivated the MMA world with a series of nasty knockouts to start his UFC tenure.
Meanwhile, Valter turned professional in 2020 – under an alias. Rather than Valter Walker, he went by Valter “Ignacio.” The Walker surname was known globally due to his brother’s fame, and Valter didn’t want the extra attention and expectations.
“I was (feeling) all the time big pressure because everyone know Johnny’s my big brother,” Valter said. “There was big pressure. Then, I preferred to hide into the shadows. But now it’s time for me to come out from the shadows. … Now it’s my time to make the name bigger. It’s time for my brother to come into my shadow. Now is my time to take aim.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ct_5podA7ZR/
Should Valter handle business as he plans Saturday at the UFC Apex, the brothers like the idea of his next scrap being on the same card as Johnny (21-8, 7-5 UFC), who is scheduled to fight June 22 vs. Volkan Oezdemir (19-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) in Saudi Arabia.
“I think it’d be cool, no?” Johnny said, with a glance toward Valter. “Maybe we’ll fight in Brazil once, our home country, or America. Any place in the world.”
Valter concurred, “If I don’t hurt nothing on this fight Saturday, I want to fight in Saudi Arabia with my brother. It would be very interesting for me to fight on the same card as my brother in Saudi Arabia. … I can make the first fight on the preliminaries. I train every day, bro. My camp is every day. This is my work. I’m ready. After this fight, if I can open the preliminaries in Saudi Arabia, I’ll be happy.”
The UFC is headed to Saudi Arabia and the lineup (which will air on ABC) is stacked thus far.
The UFC will debut in Saudi Arabia this summer, and it’s bringing a major middleweight headliner with it.
Former champion [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] will take on [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] in a five-round main event on June 22, UFC CEO Dana White announced Thursday.
White added the bout’s winner will earn a crack at title gold and announced the main card will air on ABC.
Other fights on the card include [autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag], [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag], [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag], [autotag]Shara Magomedov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ihor Potieria[/autotag].
BOOOOOOM!!!!!!
UFC is heading to Saudi Arabia for the first time with a BAD ASS card, headlined by Whittaker vs Chimaev LIVE and FREE on ABC on June 22nd pic.twitter.com/2OZW2AEmLH
Whittaker (25-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC), No. 4 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie middleweight rankings, looks to continue the momentum from a unanimous decision victory over Paulo Costa in February. The win was his second in three fights and bounced him back into the win column after a loss to Dricus Du Plessis.
Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) returns for the first time since September 2022, when he defeated former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman by majority decision. The No. 8 middleweight’s other UFC victories include Gilbert Burns and Kevin Holland among others.
Check out the 12 longest reaches in UFC history – with a newcomer set to break the record by 2.5 inches.
As much as skill and technique play into how MMA fights unfold, intangibles can present insurmountable obstacles for even the most well-equipped combatant.
Long reaches, and how a fighter utilizes them, can pose a myriad of problems for opponents when they struggled to get inside. In UFC history, few fighters’ biological builds have surpassed 80 inches – and fewer have creeped toward 90 inches. But it’s happened.
At Saturday’s UFC 299, the all-time record for the longest reach will be broken – by 2.5 inches.
The 12 fighters have a combined professional MMA record of 210-74-2, including a combined UFC record of 85-47.
Check out the dozen fighters listed below who were able to touch up their opponents with punches from a farther distance than any others in history, using data from database Tapology.
Johnny Walker won’t give up on his title hopes after UFC Fight Night 234.
[autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] won’t give up on his title hopes after UFC Fight Night 234.
Walker (21-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) was knocked out by [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) in Round 2 of their main event Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
“I’m good, just a little scratch on my nose,” Walker said. “I’m going to watch my fight and see what mistakes I did later on. … It is what it is. We fight the best in the world. I’m one of the best in the world and I’m going to face the best in the world. It could be me, could be him. So he had a better night than me, and congratulations to him, Magomed Ankalaev. Hope he gets the belt now and I’m going to keep grinding, keep going forward, and keep going upwards.”
“Win or learn right @coach , fighting the best in the world, one little mistake cost the win 🥇, you don’t make make so you can’t brake me, you didn’t build me so you can’t kill me! Let’s keep climbing.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2GaXGyvqHb/
Prior to back-to-back fights with Ankalaev, Walker picked up three straight wins over Ion Cuțelaba, Paul Craig, and former title challenger Anthony Smith.
