Tag: Johnny Walker

Emotionless Johnny Walker will fight ‘like a robot’ at UFC Fight Night 234 to secure title shot

Johnny Walker vows to fight Magomed Ankalaev “with no emotion” and earn himself a title fight with Alex Pereira at UFC Fight Night 234.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] plans to enter Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 234 main event rematch against [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] with a clean mental slate.

The first matchup between the pair at UFC 294 in October ended in a no contest when Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) landed an illegal knee on Walker (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) that led to the end of the bout. The light heavyweight contenders are now set to run it back, but this time in a five-round headliner at the UFC Apex, which streams on ESPN+.

Although things were tense between them in the immediate aftermath of the first fight, Walker said the three months since the initial encounter have allowed him to transition into a state of zen. He said he will bring no anger into the octagon, because fighting intelligently is going to be a critical component to getting his hand raised.

“I’m not worried about nothing – I have no emotion,” Walker told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 234 media day. “I have no hate against him. Because emotion can maybe play against you if you have hate, maybe you’re going to make a mistake. No, I’m going to be very technical, very aggressive at the right moment, without emotion. Like a robot. Like a machine. This is how you have to be so you don’t commit mistakes.”

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Walker, 31, revealed he entered the first matchup against Ankalaev, 31, with “a little bit of an injury,” and that prevented him from fully executing the gameplan. Things are different this time, according to the Brazilian, because Walker said he had a smooth training camp where he was able to hone in on the strengths and weaknesses of his opponent.

“We know his pattern and what he likes to do, so we simulate these for many months, many weeks while sparring,” Walker said. “I’m ready for whatever he tries to do, if he takes me down, if he tries striking. I know his pattern and what he’s going to try to use against me. Nothing has changed much. Just prepare for the worst. I’m ready. Maybe I’ll put him down because you never saw him when he back is on the floor, his behavior.

“I’m pretty sure if any of my good shots land, he’s going to sleep. If I get his back, I’m going to make him sleep, too. I’m going to choke him. I always try to push and get the best of myself and to finish the fight as well. I don’t like the judges deciding the fight for me and too much hard work for someone to maybe make a wrong decision. I want to make sure I have the fight in my hands so I’m going to do my best to finish the fight.”

If Walker, No. 10 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie light heavyweight rankings, is able to upset No. 4-ranked Ankalaev, he would be on a five-fight unbeaten streak. With many of the other notable contenders in the division either booked, injured or coming off a loss, there is a real opportunity to stake a claim at the next title shot.

The champ Alex Pereira (9-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has teased a potential title defense at UFC 300 on April 13, and although that would be a quick turnaround, Walker said he’s confident he can position himself to get a chance at the belt.

“100 percent (the winner fights for the title),” Walker said. “I’m sure Ankalaev is the toughest guy now in the division. This fight is going to decide who is going to be the next champion: Me.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.

Video: ‘UFC Fight Night 234: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2’ media day interviews

Before UFC Fight Night 234 on Saturday, watch as the main card athletes speak to reporters at media day.

LAS VEGAS – UFC Fight Night 234, which takes place at the UFC Apex with a card that streams entirely on ESPN+, goes down Saturday.

Before fight night arrives, though, notable athletes from the main card spoke to reporters Wednesday at media day.

If you happen to miss any of the individual sessions on the live stream, check below for the archived videos of each media day.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.

Johnny Walker envisions scenario in which he beats Magomed Ankalaev and challenges Alex Pereira at UFC 300

Johnny Walker sees a win over Magomed Ankalaev lining him up for a title shot.

[autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] sees a win over [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] lining him up for a title shot.

Walker (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) and Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) will run things back in the UFC Fight Night 234 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The pair were rebooked after their UFC 294 fight ended in a controversial no contest in which Ankalaev struck Walker with an illegal knee to the head while he was a downed opponent.

If Walker gets past Ankalaev, he thinks he undoubtedly becomes the No. 1 contender.

“One hundred percent,” Walker told The Schmo. “I have some business to deal with (Ankalaev) because the last fight was not the way I expected it to be. I felt him already. I felt everything. I know his power and I have some very big surprises for him.”

UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) posted a cryptic “300” post on his Instagram, but later clarified that he wasn’t talking about moving up to heavyweight to challenge interim champ Tom Aspinall. But if “Poatan” does fight at UFC 300 on April 13, Walker is ready to step up.

“Maybe me,” Walker said of being the one to fight Pereira at UFC 300. “I just have to beat Ankalaev first. Whatever it takes, I’ll be ready.”

Walker is seeking revenge from Ankalaev. He casts doubts on Ankalaev’s intention when he threw the illegal knee that was deemed inadvertent.

“I can’t wait to put my hands on him and make him pay,” Walker said. “It’s going to be like a little revenge because he landed a bad, illegal knee in Abu Dhabi. He has control of the fight. He knows what he was doing. You can never land an unintentional knee. Your knee doesn’t go in somebody’s face unintentionally, so I’m going to get him. I’m going to get my revenge.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC fights announced in the past week (Nov. 13-19)

All the UFC fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Nov. 13-19.

UFC books Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker rematch to headline first event of 2024

Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker will run things back in a UFC Fight Night headliner after the bizarre conclusion to their first fight.

The UFC has booked the main event for its first card of 2024 – a fight we recently saw happen without a winner determined.

Light heavyweight contenders [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] and [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] will run things back in a five-round bout to headline UFC Fight Night on Jan. 13. MMA Junkie confirmed the booking with a person close to the situation Monday after Walker’s coach, SBG Ireland’s John Kavanagh, shared the news on “The MMA Hour.”

The UFC has yet to make an official announcement about the event, which is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) and Walker (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) fought to a controversial no contest last month at UFC 294. In the first round, Ankalaev hit Walker with an illegal knee to the head while he was down on the canvas. A timeout was called by referee Dan Movahedi, who brought in the cageside doctor to examine Walker. Despite Walker appearing OK and answering the doctor’s questions, the doctor advised to stop the fight, which he did officially at the 3:13 mark of Round 1.

Walker immediately protested the stoppage, which prompted a reaction from Ankalaev. The two men had to be restrained from each other as UFC CEO Dana White stepped in the cage to ensure the situation didn’t get out of hand.

Now Ankalaev, No. 2 in the official UFC light heavyweight rankings, and No. 7 Walker have a chance to get their hands on each other once again. The winner could stake his claim to a title shot against new champ Alex Pereira.

While Pereira, who claimed the vacant belt with a knockout of Jiri Prochazka this past Saturday at UFC 295, is expected to first defend against former champ Jamahal Hill, that could depend on the timeline of Hill’s return. Hill vacated the title in the summer after he tore his Achilles.

Also in the mix for the next title shot could be Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic, who will meet in a rematch Jan. 20 at UFC 297.

UFC 294 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Khamzat Chimaev gets $6,000 in return bout

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 294 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $237,000.

ABU DHABI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 294 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $237,000.

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 294 took place at Etihad Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN+ and YouTube.

The full UFC 294 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag]: $11,000
vs. [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ikram Aliskerov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Said Nurmagomedov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Muin Gafurov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Trevor Peek[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mohammad Yahya[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Javid Basharat[/autotag]: $4,500
vs. [autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Sedriques Dumas[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Abu Azaitar[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Mike Breeden[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Anshul Jubli[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Muhammad Naimov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Nathaniel Wood[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Viktoriia Dudakova[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jinh Yu Frey[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Shara Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag]: $6,000

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 $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,888,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $21,407,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

Dana White weighs in on questionable UFC 294 doctor stoppage after illegal knee to Johnny Walker

Dana White wasn’t as angry about the UFC 294 cageside doctor as you might expect.

ABU DHABI – The cageside doctor at UFC 294 was “inexperienced,” according to [autotag]Dana White[/autotag], which the UFC CEO attributed as the primary reason for his questionable decision making during Saturday’s event at Etihad Arena.

Perhaps the most bizarre moment of a card filled with fouls came during the featured bout between [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] and [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag]. After Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) hit a grounded Walker (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) with an illegal knee to the face in Round 1, referee Dan Movahedi called timeout and brought in the cageside doctor, who hasn’t been identified, to examine Walker.

The exchanges between Walker and the doctor weren’t clearly captured on the broadcast, but according to UFC roving reporter Megan Olivi, Walker’s coach, John Kavanagh, said his fighter was asked what country he was in. To which Walker responded with “the desert.”

Apparently that wasn’t a good enough answer for the doctor and well before the five minutes of allotted time to recover expired, Movahedi stopped the fight and ruled it a no contest on the advice of the doctor, which Walker immediately protested.

White, perhaps surprisingly, expressed a level of understanding under the circumstances.

“Listen, the guy’s inexperienced. He got up in there – I think there’s a lot of things that probably happened,” White said. “I guess he asked (Walker), ‘Where are you right now?’ And his response was, ‘I’m in the desert.’ He’s not wrong. I think there’s a big language barrier in there between the two of them. And he’s inexperienced. It sucks.

“It’s one of those things that happens sometimes. We’ll make it right, and we’ll fix it.”

Walker quickly became unruly in the cage and had to be restrained from Ankalaev, prompting White to intervene to ensure nothing got out of hand.

“That didn’t look like it was going in the right direction,” White said. “That’s all we needed. Yeah … yeah.”

White didn’t elaborate on how the UFC would make the situation right.

The cageside doctor was at the center of another bizarre scene earlier at UFC 294 after Victor Henry was on the receiving end of a hard kick to the groin from Javid Basharat. Henry dropped to the canvas and writhed in pain for about two minutes before the doctor stepped in to check on him.

The doctor told Henry “it wasn’t your balls” in reference to where Basharat’s kick landed.

“Oh no, it was all d*ck and balls,” Henry responded. “My d*ck was the most.”

Henry didn’t recover in time to continue fighting. It was revealed later on the UFC 294 broadcast that Henry was transported to a hospital where he vomited as a result of the groin kick.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

UFC 294 results: Dana White enters cage as Johnny Walker, Magomed Anakalev restrained after doctor stoppage

All hell broke loose due to a highly controversial call by the doctor – so much so Dana White entered the fray.

In a card populated by fouls and controversial regulatory decision-making, perhaps the most bizarre moment of UFC 294 took place during the featured light heavyweight bout between [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] and [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag].

After kick-filled exchanges on the feet, Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC)  got Walker (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) to the canvas at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. As the struggle for position and footing played out, Ankalaev kneed his grounded opponent in the head. A timeout was called.

The bout was called off by referee Dan Movahedi at 3:13 of Round 1 at the advice of the cageside physician, who already was part of a separate controversial moment earlier in the event. That’s when all hell broke loose.

Walker shoved referee Rich Mitchell and signaled for the bout to continue as more commission and promotion officials entered the fight surface. Anakalev was game, and he, too, moved toward Walker.

That’s when UFC CEO Dana White entered the fray and attempted to calm his fighters in an expletive-filled manner. Eventually, things simmered down enough for the official decision reading, which was not well-received by those in attendance.

It’s unclear if a rematch will result from Saturday’s controversy, but Ankalaev vs. Walker was an important fight for the light heavyweight division. Ankalaev hadn’t competed since a vacant title fight draw with Jan Blachowicz at UFC 282 in December. Walker looked to extend a three-fight winning streak to four.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 294 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker no contest at UFC 294: Best photos from Abu Dhabi

Check out the best photos from Magomed Ankalaev’s no contest from an accidental foul against Johnny Walker at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag]’s no contest from an accidental foul against [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] at UFC 294 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. (Photos by Craig Kidwell, USA TODAY Sports; MMA Junkie; and UFC)

UFC 294: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC 294 odds between Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 3-round light heavyweight bout on the main card, Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker meet Saturday at UFC 294 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s around the UFC 294: Ankalaev vs. Walker odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims can be viewed on ESPN+ starting at 10 a.m. ET with the main card following on Pay-Per-View (PPV) at 2 p.m. ET.

Records: Ankalaev (18-1-1) | Walker (21-7-0)

Ankalaev fought to a draw against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 282 in Dec. 2022 in a title fight. The 31-year-old saw his 9-bout win streak snapped, although he hasn’t been beaten since losing to Paul Craig via submission in his UFC debut.

The Russian light heavyweight has finished inside the distance 6 of his 11 fights at the UFC level, including 5 KO/TKO victories, including a 2nd-round knockout of Anthony Smith at UFC 277 in July 2022.

Walker bounced back nicely after a 2-bout losing streak against Thiago Santos and Jamahal Hill, posting 3 straight victories over the aforementioned Smith, Paul Craig and Ion Cutelaba. He has done it a number of ways, too, showing his versatility, fighting to a unanimous decision against Smith, knocking out Craig in the 1st Round, while submitting Cutelaba, also in the 1st Round.

Walker holds an amazing 7-inch reach advantage, which shouldn’t be discounted. He also has a super slim 3.85-to-3.55 significant strikes landed per minute advantage, with Ankalaev slightly accurate at 62.91% to 61.48% for Walker. On the ground, Walker has the better numbers, posting a 1.03 submission average.

Watch  this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC 294: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 6:14 p.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Ankalaev -335 (bet $335 to win $100) | Walker +270 (bet $100 to win $270)
  • Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over -154 | Under +120)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +152 | No -200)

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UFC 294: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

Call me crazy, but I don’t discount the 7-inch reach advantage WALKER (+270) holds in this fight. That’s a tremendous advantage, and one which will allow the Brazilian fighter to pull Ankalaev (-335) in and out at his choosing. The Russian won’t be able to get close to Walker, frustrating him.

I like the fact that Walker can win a fight in a multitude of ways. Just in his past 3 fights alone he has shown his tremendous versatility, and his ability to end fights quickly, too.

I also feel Ankalaev pushes a little too hard in this one, and might walk into a potential knockout. He fought to a draw last time out against Blachowicz, and the fight was panned by fans and Dana White for being rather boring. He might try to do things he isn’t comfortable with, getting himself into trouble in the process.

If you’re not comfortable playing the underdog, but still want action, look to KO/TKO (-140) for the “How fight will end” method of victory. That’s your best bet, regardless of the winner, although playing WALKER BY KO/TKO (+600) is worth playing lightly for a potential chance to multiply up by 6 times. Again, remember that 7-inch reach advantage, which will serve him well.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-154) isn’t a terrible play, as Ankalaev obviously went the distance last time out. While Walker has not made it into the 2nd round in 3 of his past 4 fights, this is a giant step up in competition, too, and he won’t get the quick finish.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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