When you see the name Johnny Walker on the fight card, your first thought is probably to make a Scotch joke, but if you had to picture the athlete in your head, chances are you’re not envisioning a six-foot-five Brazilian, are you?
Having spent time fighting at both heavyweight and light heavyweight, the 26-year-old newcomer is pulling a “reverse Darren Till” in his organization debut, as he was born in Rio de Janeiro, but currently fights out of Southampton, England, the inverse of the welterweight contender, who was raised in Liverpool, but was still based in Brazil when he stepped into the Octagon for the first time.
Another graduate of the Contender Series, Walker earned his opportunity to compete on the biggest stage in the sport by collecting a unanimous decision win over six-fight UFC veteran Henrique da Silva this summer on the all-Brazilian edition of the organization’s in-house talent search series. The victory extended his winning streak to six overall and landed Walker a chance to make an instant impression in a main card showdown with former TUF finalist Khalil Rountree Jr. this weekend in Argentina.
The 28-year-old Las Vegas resident Rountree has rebounded from an 0-2 start to his UFC career by going unbeaten in his last four fights, and he enters Saturday’s contest off a dramatic 96-second knockout victory over kickboxing legend Gokhan Saki.
If Walker can saunter into the Octagon and turn back Rountree right out of the gate, he’ll establish himself as one to watch in the always in flux light heavyweight division heading into the new year.
