Johnny Walker (fighter) explained

Johnny Walker
Birth Date:30 March 1992
Birth Name:Walker Johnny da Silva Barra de Souza
Birth Place:Belford Roxo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Residence:Dublin, Ireland
Weight:205lb
Weight Class:Heavyweight
Light Heavyweight
Reach:82 in[1]
Fighting Out Of:Dublin, Ireland
Team:Tristar Gym (2020)[2]
SBG Ireland (2020–present)[3]
Rank:Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[4]
Years Active:2013–present
Mma Kowin:16
Mma Subwin:3
Mma Decwin:2
Mma Koloss:6
Mma Subloss:1
Mma Decloss:2
Mma Nc:1
Sherdog:170203

Walker Johnny da Silva Barra de Souza[5] (born March 30, 1992), known as Johnny Walker, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2013, Walker gained entrance into the UFC by competing on Dana White's Contender Series and also previously competed for Jungle Fight in his native Brazil. As of November 26, 2024, he is #10 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings.[6]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Walker made his professional MMA debut in December 2013. Over the next four years, he fought in his native Brazil and earned a record of ten wins against three losses with all of his wins coming via stoppages.

Walker ended up receiving an offer from a Scottish businessman to train there and moved to Scotland. However, after a month he received no pay and left.[7] In early 2018, Walker made the move to England where he fought for various promotions and added 3 more wins to his record and earned a spot on Dana White's Contender Series in August 2018. Although from Brazil, Walker chose to represent England as he felt that is where he was able to reach his potential.

Dana White's Contender Series

Walker made his Dana White's Contender Series debut on August 11, 2018. He faced Henrique da Silva and won the fight via unanimous decision. The win earned Walker a spot on the UFC's roster.[8] [9]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In his UFC promotional debut, Walker faced Khalil Rountree Jr. on November 17, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 140. He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[10] The win earned Walker his first Performance of the Night bonus award.[11]

In his next fight, Walker faced Justin Ledet on February 2, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 144.[12] He won the fight via knockout just 15 seconds into the first round.[13] The win earned Walker his second consecutive Performance of the Night bonus award.[14]

In a quick turnaround, Walker replaced an injured Ovince Saint Preux to face Misha Cirkunov on March 2, 2019, at UFC 235.[15] He won the fight via TKO in the first round. Post-fight, Walker stated he dislocated his shoulder during his celebration. The win also earned Walker his third consecutive Performance of the Night bonus award.[16]

Walker faced Corey Anderson on November 2, 2019, at UFC 244.[17] He lost the fight via technical knockout in the first round.[18]

Walker faced Nikita Krylov on March 14, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 170.[19] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[20]

Walker was initially scheduled to face Ryan Spann at UFC Fight Night 176 on September 5, 2020.[21] However, Walker tested positive for COVID-19 and the bout was postponed to September 19, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 178.[22] After being knocked down twice by Spann, Walker won the fight by knockout in the first round.[23]

Walker was scheduled to face Jimmy Crute on March 27, 2021, at UFC 260.[24] However, Walker pulled out of the fight in early February citing a chest injury.[25]

Walker faced Thiago Santos on October 2, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 193.[26] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[27]

As the first bout of his new six-fight contract, Walker faced Jamahal Hill on February 19, 2022, in the main event at UFC Fight Night 201.[28] He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.[29]

Walker faced Ion Cuțelaba on September 10, 2022, at UFC 279.[30] He won the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the first round.[31] This win earned Walker his fourth Performance of the Night bonus award.[32]

Walker faced Paul Craig on January 21, 2023, at UFC 283.[33] He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.[34]

Walker faced Anthony Smith on May 13, 2023, at UFC on ABC 4.[35] He won the bout via unanimous decision.[36]

Walker faced Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 294 on October 21, 2023.[37] The fight ended in a no-contest after an illegal knee by Ankalaev, as the cage-side doctor controversially deemed Walker was unable to continue the fight.[38] Due to the controversial ending, the bout with Ankalaev was rebooked for the main event at UFC Fight Night 234 on January 13, 2024.[39] Walker lost the fight via knockout in the second round.[40]

Walker faced Volkan Oezdemir on June 22, 2024, at UFC on ABC 6.[41] He lost the fight by knockout in the first round.[42]

Walker is scheduled to face Bogdan Guskov on January 18, 2025 at UFC 311.[43]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

|-|Loss|align=center||Volkan Oezdemir|KO (punch)| | |align=center|1|align=center|2:28|Riyadh, Saudi Arabia||-|Loss|align=center||Magomed Ankalaev|KO (punches)|||align=center|2|align=center|2:42|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States ||-|NC|align=center|21–7 (1)|Magomed Ankalaev|NC (illegal knee)|UFC 294||align=center|1|align=center|3:13|Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates ||-|Win|align=center|21–7|Anthony Smith|Decision (unanimous) |||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Charlotte, North Carolina, United States||-|Win|align=center|20–7|Paul Craig|TKO (punches)|UFC 283||align=center|1|align=center|2:16|Rio de Janeiro, Brazil||-|Win|align=center|19–7|Ion Cuțelaba|Submission (rear-naked choke)|UFC 279||align=center|1|align=center|4:37|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Loss|align=center|18–7|Jamahal Hill|KO (punch)|||align=center|1|align=center|2:55|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Loss|align=center|18–6|Thiago Santos|Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|5|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Win|align=center|18–5|Ryan Spann|KO (elbows and punches)|||align=center|1|align=center|2:43|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Loss|align=center|17–5|Nikita Krylov|Decision (unanimous)| ||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Brasília, Brazil||-|Loss|align=center|17–4|Corey Anderson|TKO (punches)|UFC 244 ||align=center|1|align=center|2:07|New York City, New York, United States||-|Win|align=center|17–3|Misha Cirkunov|TKO (flying knee and punches)|UFC 235||align=center|1|align=center|0:38|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Win|align=center|16–3|Justin Ledet|TKO (spinning backfist and punches)|||align=center|1|align=center|0:15|Fortaleza, Brazil||-|Win|align=center|15–3|Khalil Rountree Jr.|KO (elbow)|||align=center|1|align=center|1:57|Buenos Aires, Argentina||-|Win|align=center|14–3|Henrique da Silva|Decision (unanimous)|Dana White's Contender Series Brazil 2||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Win|align=center|13–3|Cheick Kone|TKO (punches)|European Beatdown 3||align=center|1|align=center|3:04|Mons, Belgium||-|Win|align=center|12–3|Jędrzej Maćkowiak|KO (knee and punches)|Krwawy Sport 1||align=center|2|align=center|2:42|Southampton, England||-|Win|align=center|11–3|Stuart Austin|KO (knee)|Ultimate Challenge MMA 54||align=center|1|align=center|2:44|London, England||-|Win|align=center|10–3|Rodrigo Jesus|TKO (punches)|Brave CF 8: The Rise of Champions||align=center|1|align=center|2:18|Curitiba, Brazil||-|Win|align=center|9–3|Luis Guilherme de Andrade|Submission (guillotine choke)|Katana Fight: Gold Edition||align=center|1|align=center|0:29|Colombo, Brazil||-|Loss|align=center|8–3|Henrique Silva Lopes|KO (punches)|Jungle Fight 88||align=center|1|align=center|0:18|Poços de Caldas, Brazil||-|Win|align=center|8–2|Fábio Vasconcelos|TKO (punches)|Imortal FC 4: Dynamite||align=center|1|align=center|4:10|São José dos Pinhais, Brazil||-|Loss|align=center|7–2|Klidson Abreu|Submission (rear-naked choke)|Samurai FC 12: Hearts on Fire||align=center|2|align=center|3:10|Curitiba, Brazil||-|Win|align=center|7–1|Murilo Grittz|TKO (punches)|PRVT: Garuva Top Fight||align=center|1|align=center|0:56|Garuva, Brazil||-|Win|align=center|6–1|Marck Polimeno|Submission (rear-naked choke)|PRVT: Afonso Pena Top Fight 3||align=center|1|align=center|0:38|São José dos Pinhais, Brazil||-|Win|align=center|5–1|Ricardo Pandora|TKO (punches)|Imortal FC 1: The Invasion||align=center|1|align=center|3:20|São José dos Pinhais, Brazil||-|Win|align=center|4–1|Andrew Flores Smith|TKO (punches)|Peru FC 21||align=center|3|align=center|0:28|Lima, Peru||-|Loss|align=center|3–1|Wagner Prado|TKO (punches)|Circuito Team Nogueira MMA Beach 1||align=center|2|align=center|3:40|Rio de Janeiro, Brazil||-|Win|align=center|3–0|João Vitor Lopes da Silva|TKO (punches)|Gigante Fight MMA 2||align=center|1|align=center|N/A|Rio de Janeiro, Brazil||-|Win|align=center|2–0|Vitor Casanova|TKO (punches)|Ubá Fight 5||align=center|1|align=center|4:38|Ubá, Brazil||-|Win|align=center|1–0|Francisco Francisco|TKO (knees and punches)|Circuito Invictus de MMA 2||align=center|1|align=center|0:49|Rio de Janeiro, Brazil||}[45]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Johnny Walker UFC/MMA record: In depth stats, videos & predictions. mmaformguide.com. 2019-03-01. 2019-07-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20190710225820/https://www.mmaformguide.com/johnny-walker/. dead.
  2. Web site: Johnny Walker headed to Tristar, blames loss to Corey Anderson on former coach. Ryan Harkness. January 12, 2020. mmamania.com.
  3. Web site: Johnny Walker vs. Ryan Spann added to UFC 253. Ryan Harkness. July 26, 2020. mmamania.com.
  4. News: Johnny Walker on controversial PED Instagram post, growing up in Brazil. fansided.com. Sebastian Rodriguez. December 5, 2018.
  5. Web site: Get to know light heavyweight Johnny Walker ahead of UFC Fortaleza. 2019-01-30. MMA Junkie. en. 2019-09-13.
  6. Web site: UFC Rankings - The Official UFC App - UFC.com . 2024-11-26 . www.ufc.com.
  7. Web site: Johnny Walker not impressed by Khalil Rountree's KO of Gokhan Saki: 'It's easy to beat someone that can't fight MMA'. 17 November 2018 . MMAFighting.com. February 3, 2019.
  8. Web site: Johnny Walker explains why he didn't wear Brazil kit in impressive UFC debut. 19 November 2018 . MMAFighting.com. February 3, 2019.
  9. Web site: Dana White's Contender Series Brazil 2 results: Three more contracts awarded. mmajunkie.com. John Morgan. 2018-08-31. 2018-09-02.
  10. News: UFC Argentina results: Johnny Walker rocks Khalil Rountree in first-round KO. 2018-11-18. MMAjunkie. 2018-11-18. en-US.
  11. News: UFC Argentina bonuses: Two Argentine natives cash $50,000 checks. mmajunkie.com. Staff. 2018-11-18. 2018-11-18.
  12. News: Justin Ledet vs. Johnny Walker booked for UFC on ESPN+ 2 in Brazil. mmajunkie.com. Staff. 2018-12-09. 2018-12-09.
  13. Web site: UFC Fortaleza results: Johnny Walker rocks Justin Ledet, earns 15-second win. 2019-02-03. MMAjunkie. en. 2019-02-03.
  14. Web site: UFC on ESPN+ 2 bonuses: Marlon Moraes, Jose Aldo among $50,000 winners in Fortaleza. 2019-02-03. mmajunkie. Staff. 2019-02-03.
  15. Web site: Johnny Walker replaces Ovince Saint Preux vs. Misha Cirkunov at UFC 235. mmafighting.com. Guilherme Cruz. 2019-02-12. 2019-02-12.
  16. Web site: UFC 235 bonuses: Johnny Walker, Diego Sanchez among $50,000 winners. mmajunkie.com. Staff. 2019-03-03. 2019-03-03.
  17. Web site: Corey Anderson vs. Johnny Walker on tap for UFC 244 in New York. Mike Bohn. 2019-08-05. mmajunkie.com. 2019-08-05.
  18. Web site: UFC 244 Results: Corey Anderson Makes Huge Statement With First-Round KO. Doherty. Dan. 2019-11-02. Cageside Press. en-US. 2019-11-03.
  19. Web site: Johnny Walker faces Nikita Krylov at UFC Fight Night Brasilia. fightful.com. David Tees. 2019-12-04. 2019-12-04.
  20. Web site: UFC Brasilia Results: Nikita Krylov's Ground Game the Difference Against Johnny Walker. Anderson. Jay. 2020-03-14. Cageside Press. en-US. 2020-03-15.
  21. Web site: Johnny Walker had to postpone return to UFC Vegas 11 after COVID-19 positive test. Guilherme Cruz. mmafighting.com. September 16, 2020.
  22. Web site: 2020-08-18. Johnny Walker vs. Ryan Spann remains on Sept. 19 event despite UFC 253 moving one week later. 2020-08-18. mmafighting.com. Guilherme Cruz, Damon Martin and Mike Heck. en-US.
  23. Web site: McClory. Mike. 2020-09-19. UFC Vegas 11 Results: Johnny Walker Stops Ryan Spann in Wild Brawl. 2020-09-20. Cageside Press. en-US.
  24. Web site: Marcel Dorff. 2021-01-02. Johnny Walker treft Jimmy Crute tijdens UFC evenement op 27 maart. 2022-01-08. MMA DNA. nl.
  25. Web site: Torn pectoral muscle forces Johnny Walker out of UFC 260 fight vs. Jimmy Crute. mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Farah Hannoun. 2021-02-09. 2021-02-09.
  26. Web site: Thiago Santos vs. Johnny Walker pushed back a week, now headlines Oct. 2 UFC event. mmafighting.com. Guilherme Cruz. 2021-06-15. 2021-06-15.
  27. Web site: Evanoff. Josh. 2021-10-02. UFC Vegas 38 Results: Thiago Santos Edges Out Johnny Walker. 2021-10-03. Cageside Press. en-US.
  28. Web site: Marcel Dorff. 2022-01-03. Johnny Walker vs. Jamahal Hill toegevoegd aan UFC evenement op 19 februari in Las Vegas. 2022-01-08. MMA DNA. nl.
  29. Web site: Prawdzik. Chris. 2022-02-19. UFC Vegas 48: Jamahal Hill Drops Johnny Walker In Highlight Reel Finish. 2022-02-20. Cageside Press. en-US.
  30. Web site: Johnny Walker vs. Ion Cutelaba on tap for UFC 279. mma fighting.com. Dinks Heck. 2022-07-21. 2022-07-21.
  31. Web site: Doherty . Dan . 2022-09-10 . UFC 279: Johnny Walker Quickly Submits Ion Cutelaba in First Round . 2022-09-11 . Cageside Press . en-US.
  32. Web site: UFC 279 bonuses: Nate Diaz banks $50K with first finish since 2016. mmamania.com. Dan Hiergesell. 2022-09-11. 2022-09-11.
  33. Web site: Harkness . Ryan . 2022-10-09 . Johnny Walker vs. Paul Craig scrap set for UFC 283 in Brazil . 2022-10-10 . MMAmania.com . en.
  34. Web site: UFC 283: Johnny Walker stops Paul Craig, breaks out the worm. Cageside Press. Dylan Rush. 2023-01-21. 2023-01-22.
  35. Web site: Anthony Smith vs. Johnny Walker headlines UFC event on May 13. mmafighting.com. Damon Martin. 2023-02-10. 2023-02-10.
  36. Web site: Martin . Damon . 2023-05-13 . UFC Charlotte results: Johnny Walker punishes Anthony Smith with leg kicks leading to unanimous decision win . 2023-05-13 . MMA Fighting . en.
  37. Web site: Anderson . Jay . 2023-08-01 . Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker Booked for UFC 294 . 2023-08-01 . Cageside Press . en.
  38. Web site: Dewar . Val . 2023-10-21 . UFC 294: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker Ends in Controversial No-Contest . 2023-10-21 . Cageside Press . en-US.
  39. Web site: 2023-11-13 . UFC books Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker rematch to headline first event of 2024 . 2023-11-14 . MMA Junkie . en-US.
  40. Web site: UFC Fight Night 234 results: Magomed Ankalaev floors Johnny Walker, makes case for title shot. mmajunkie.com. Matthew Wells. 2024-01-13. 2024-01-13.
  41. Web site: Martin . Damon . 2024-03-28 . Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker set as UFC Saudi Arabia main event, 4 more fights announced . 2024-03-28 . MMA Fighting . en.
  42. Web site: Hester . Bryson . 2024-06-22 . UFC Saudi Arabia: Volkan Oezdemir Wastes No Time, Flatlines Johnny Walker . 2024-06-22 . Cageside Press . en-US.
  43. Web site: Vindo de duas derrotas seguidas, Johnny Walker vai enfrentar promessa do UFC. 2024-10-11. 2024-10-12. superlutas.com.br. Luís Antonio Cardoso. es.
  44. Web site: MMAjunkie's 'Knockout of the Month' for February: A 15-second thriller. February 27, 2019. mmajunkie.com.
  45. Web site: Johnny Walker. Sherdog.com. Sherdog. 2019-11-03.

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