Johnny Walker will be back inside the octagon this weekend on May 13th as he takes on Anthony Smith in a three-round bout that is scheduled in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs Almeida. This highly awaited light heavyweight clash will take place at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Leading into this bout, the Brazilian light heavyweight is coming off a brutal first-round knockout win over Paul Craig at UFC 283. It is needless to say that Walker will look to add another big win under his belt and extend his streak to three consecutive wins. As we inch closer to this event, Johnny Walker is promoting the fight by speaking at a podcast.
While having a conversation, Walker said that he expects to get a title shot if he makes a statement by finishing Smith in the first round of their fight. “My goal is to become champion, so a win over Anthony will show at what level I am. I’m working really hard, man. I’m being very professional with my career. Super focused.”
“With this win, depending on my performance, I want my rematch with Jamahal. Jamahal was ranked No. 5 when he got the opportunity to fight for the belt, so it doesn’t need to be any different for me. I think everybody would like to watch this rematch because it would be a brawl.”
Even if the Brazilian fighter manages to produce an extraordinary performance, the likelihood of him getting a title shot is very low. Because the promotion is looking to book Jamahal Hill vs Jiri Prochazka next. And Magomed Ankalaev is waiting for an opportunity as he is #2 in the division.
What happened in the first fight between Johnny Walker and Jamahal Hill?
Johnny Walker squared off against Jamahal Hill in the main event of UFC Vegas 48. Both the light heavyweight contenders were highly touted prospects and were on a meteoric rise. However, the Brazilian light heavyweight was going through a rough patch as he suffered three losses in his last four fights prior to this main event clash.
To make matters worse, Jamahal Hill caught Walker with a powerful right hand to knock him out early in the first round. It was a stunning knockout as Johnny suffered a blow to the temple and fell backward on the ground. Following that fight, Hill went on to stop Thiago Santos and claimed a unanimous decision win over Glover Teixeira to win the vacant light heavyweight title.
Meanwhile, Johnny Walker has found his place back in the top spots as he finished his last two opponents. It would be fascinating to see how this fight between Walker and Smith plays out.
