Tag: Johnny Walker

UFC books Johnny Walker vs. Azamat Murzakanov

UFC light heavyweight contenders will collide.

Ranked light heavyweights will collide on May 17.

At a UFC Fight Night event, [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] and [autotag]Azamat Murzakanov[/autotag]  will square off in a three-round battle. Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

The event has been publicly rumored by some fighters and their management groups to be slated for Qatar, though the promotion has yet to announce the card or its location.

Walker (21-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) aims to snap a two-fight skid that consists of knockout losses to current UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev and perennial contender Volkan Oezdemir.

Murzakanov (14-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) returns from a six-month drug test suspension that knocked him out of a UFC 309 showdown vs. Nikita Krylov in November. UFC antidoping program CSAD determined the positive drug test was due to a dietary supplement that did not have the banned substance listed on the label. Murzakanov enters the bout with UFC wins over Tafon Nchukwi, Devin Clark, Dustin Jacoby, and Alonzo Menifield.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for May 17 includes:

  • Johnny Walker vs. Azamat Murzakanov
  • Ismail Naurdiev vs. Jun Yong Park
  • Shamil Gaziev vs. Serghei Spivac
  • Hamdy Abdelwahab vs. Mohammed Usman

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030788]

7 potential Chargers draft targets on defense to watch at the East-West Shrine Bowl

The Chargers need to upgrade a few positions on the defensive side of the ball, so here are seven players that they could have on their radar.

Draft season kicks into high gear, with the East-West Shrine Bowl set to start this week. This event is the beginning of the pre-draft process for NFL teams as they continue their evaluations of prospects.

Here are seven defensive players to watch for the Chargers in Frisco, TX.

DL Kenneth Grant, Michigan

The Chargers need to upgrade the interior part of the defensive line, and they could do so as early as the first round with Grant, who is familiar with head coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. A member of The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s Freak List, Grant offers the overall size, strength, explosiveness, and disruptiveness to wreak havoc in opposing backfields.

DL Jordan Phillips, Maryland

Another member of the Freak List, Phillips is a trench-bound nightmare for offensive centers and guards, possessing the power and heavy hands that enable him to knock blockers back and the anchor strength when defending the run, as he is not easily moved off the ball. At only 20 years of age, his best football is still ahead of him.

EDGE Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr., Virginia Tech

The future of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack with the Chargers remains to be seen. But regardless of whether they’re back or not, the team needs to add more pass-rush juice to the positional room. Powell finished this season with 16 sacks (second-most in the nation) and three forced fumbles after 9.5 sacks and three fumbles in 2023. Despite being a little undersized at 6-foot-3 and 252 pounds, he is explosive off the snap with an excellent first step, great bend, and active hands.

EDGE Johnny Walker, Missouri

Walker was a standout for the Tigers this season, finishing the season with 42 quarterback pressures, 9.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. Walker’s explosiveness off the ball is what stands out. He has good bend and flexibility, allowing him to get around tackles and to the quarterback. He has the makings of a solid designated pass rusher for the Chargers early in his career.

CB Zy Alexander, LSU

Asante Samuel Jr. and Kristian Fulton are both set to be free agents. Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still (who attended last year’s East-West Shrine Bowl) showed they could be starters, but the position room would benefit from depth behind them. At 6-foot-2 and 194 pounds, Alexander possesses great size and length, ball skills, long speed, and physicality in run support that is coveted at the position. During his college career, Alexander intercepted 13 passes.

CB Mello Dotson, Kansas

Kansas has two cornerbacks attending the Shrine Bowl, and it’s been Dotson’s teammate, Cobee Bryant, who’s earned more of the attention. But Dotson should not be slept on. Dotson is the first AP All-American defensive back from Kansas since Aqib Talib. An experienced player, Dotson started 46 games for the Jayhawks. A ballhawk in the secondary with great anticipatory instincts, he totaled 12 career interceptions, four of which were returned for touchdowns, and 25 passes defended.

S Shamari Simmons, Arizona State

The Chargers’ safety group was one of their strongest positions this past season. But with Elijah Molden slated to hit the free agency market and Alohi Gilman’s contract expiring at the end of next season, they could afford to add more playmakers on the back end. Simmons was the Sun Devils’ Nickel in 2024, but he has plenty of experience playing the deep parts of the field, too. Simmons can make plays all over with his FBI/instincts, twitch, and violent demeanor.

Johnny Walker details injury that forced him out of UFC 311, recent camp change

Withdrawing from UFC 311 was a tough pill to swallow for Johnny Walker.

Withdrawing from UFC 311 was a tough pill to swallow for [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag].

Walker (21-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) was seeking new life ahead of his light heavyweight matchup against Bogdan Guskov this past Saturday at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., but he was forced out due to a “bad injury.”

Walker was in the midst of a big life change after deciding to leave Dublin, Ireland for the U.S. and bring his family with him. So when he could no longer compete, it weighed heavily on him.

“Yeah, that was really hard for me,” Walker told MMA Junkie in an interview facilitated by OnlyFans. “It was a lot for me because I just moved from Ireland. I spent the last four years in Ireland training at SBG under John Kavanagh. Then I moved country, I brought my wife, my baby, and my dog to a new country, a new house. I had to finish the house, make a lot of bags and aside of that, I started a training camp in a new environment with new coaching and new training partners. It was a lot.

“I was so committed to training. I went to Gilroy, trained with DC, did a lot of sparring with Strickland in Vegas at Xtreme Couture, trained with Eric, a new coach. I put a lot of effort into making this fight happen. It was a lot of stress, mentally and physically. I put a lot of myself into this camp. Around all of this situation, I invested a lot of money. Then something happened. I was very upset because I put so much effort and money and time to make this happen, but we cannot control.”

Walker revealed that it was a rib injury that forced UFC doctors to pull him from the fight.

“It was nothing stupid,” Walker said. “I was doing the last sparring, very technical, timing. I wasn’t trying to hurt anybody. It was hard sparring, but very conscious. I was trying to get out of a jiu-jitsu position and throw myself, like a normal thing, and then I felt my ribs pop. I said, ‘OK, stop, stop, stop.’ I think something happened to my ribs. Then I tried to keep fighting, I stood up again, started moving. I was like, ‘Wait, something’s wrong.’ Then I had to stop to check what happened so it doesn’t get worse.

“Then I got an X-ray the next day. The UFC got the results, and then they pulled me out after that. They knew how bad the injury was. I got the notice and was devastated because I was trying so hard. So much effort and so much timing. …I’m doing a lot of physiotherapy to heal. You can’t do much with rib injuries. You just have to stop, wait, and let it heal. It takes time, four to six weeks, and I’ll be back on track. It is what it is. I’ve never hurt my ribs before.”

Walker, who’s targeting a return in April or May, is grateful for the time he spent training under John Kavanagh at SBG. However, he explained why he didn’t feel like the training environment was suited for him.

“We had the best coach there. John was a very high-level coach,” Walker said. “He did the best for me. He improved my game a lot, but I just had one or two training partners. The last fight against (Volkan) Oezdemir, I was adapting myself to get ready as best as I could for the fight. I was doing boxing sparring in the ring. … In the fight, you can see I brought him close to the fence, which was wrong because I was sparring in the ring. You can’t spar in the ring and fight in the octagon. It’s totally different. In the octagon, if you step close to the fence, the guy is going to take you down, or the guy is going to knock you out because when you’re close to the fence, it’s the worst place to be. The guy (Oezdemir) knocked me out because I brought him to the fence.

“This is the worst thing you can do in MMA. The environment wasn’t perfect for MMA. At SBG, I had just one training partner. Here in Vegas, I have the UFC PI for strength and conditioning, for nutrition, for recovery. At Xtreme Couture, I have high-level guys between top 10 and top 15. Light heavyweight and heavyweight, and Sean Strickland. Every day I have a high-level guy to train with. You need challenges, and now at Xtreme, I have that challenge. …I have everything now for recovery, for nutrition, for training, coaching. Now the light heavyweights are in trouble. Now you’re going to have the best version of Johnny Walker because I’m just going to be better. Now my career is going to fly.”

[lawrence-related id=2799282,2751017,2642798]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

Johnny Walker out of UFC 311 vs. Bogdan Guskov with ‘bad injury’

UFC 311 has lost its featured preliminary-card bout one week from the event after Johnny Walker sustained a “bad” injury.

With just one week until the event, the UFC 311 lineup has taken a hit.

Light heavyweight veteran [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] has sustained a “bad injury” that will prevent him from meeting [autotag]Bogdan Guskov[/autotag] on the Jan. 18 card at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+)

The matchup was scheduled to serve as the featured preliminary contest on the UFC’s first numbered event of the year, but Walker (21-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) said he could not proceed with stepping into the octagon after his injury, and offered an apology to Guskov (16-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) after announcing his withdrawal on Saturday.

“I’ve been pulled out by a bad injury,” Walker said in a video on social media. “So I’m not going to be competing, and I’m devastated. A lot of hard work I put in over a few months of training a lot. We want to come back and do a show, but not this time. I wish Bogdan good luck. Hopefully he can find an opponent.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/DErWLjjRRIM

It is unknown at this time if the organization will secure a replacement opponent to face Guskov on just seven days’ notice.

The latest UFC 311 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan – for lightweight title
  • Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov – for bantamweight title
  • Jamahal Hill vs. Jiri Prochazka
  • Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano
  • Kevin Holland vs. Reinier de Ridder

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Bogdan Guskov vs. opponent TBA
  • Raoni Barcelos vs. Payton Talbott
  • Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac
  • Sedriques Dumas vs. Zach Reese

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Grant Dawson vs. Diego Ferreira
  • Ailin Perez vs. Karol Rosa
  • Muin Gafurov vs. Rinya Nakamura
  • Bernardo Sopaj vs. Ricky Turcios
  • Clayton Carpenter vs. Tagir Ulanbekov

[lawrence-related id=2796825,2796508,2796504]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

NFL Preseason Week 1: Can the Ravens defend the Eagles passing game?

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 reacts to brutal knockout loss at UFC on ABC 6: ‘I’m going to have to figure out’

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 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Ikram Aliskerov gets $4,000 in main event save

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:

* * * *

[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Ikram Aliskerov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Shara Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Antonio Trocoli[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Felipe Lima[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Muhammad Naimov[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Rinat Fakhretdinov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Nicolas Dalby[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Muin Gafurov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kyung Ho Kang[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Magomed Gadzhiyasulov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brendson Ribeiro[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]ChangHo Lee[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Xiao Long[/autotag]: $4,000

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:

Year-to-date total: $3,637,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $26,374,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 6.

UFC on ABC 6 results: Volkan Oezdemir leaves Johnny Walker stiff after terrifying knockout

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:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 6.

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Johnny Walker prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ABC 6

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 confident he’ll eventually fight for UFC title: ‘My time is coming’

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.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030788]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 6.