In the world of mixed martial arts, a pair of successful brothers is a rarity cherished by fans and fighters alike. Over the past few decades, we’ve witnessed the rise of the Diaz Brothers, the Nogueira Brothers, the Pettis brothers, and perhaps one day, the Walker Brothers.
Well…kind of. Unbeknownst to many, UFC light heavyweight contender Johnny Walker has a younger brother who is an elite heavyweight prospect, touting an 11-0 record in under three years of pro experience. He goes by the name of Valter Ignacio, an intentional decision made to keep himself out of the shadow of his older brother.
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“I changed my name because I’m tired of people all asking me all the time if I’m really the brother of Johnny,” Ignacio said. “I’m his younger brother, so our family used to call me Valtinho because I was smaller, but now I’m the bigger one.”
Despite Ignacio’s desires to maintain a mixed martial arts identity separate from his brother, the two have kept a close bond.
“My relationship with Johnny is very good,” Ignacio said. “We talk everyday about training, about food, about focus in the fight, and we play video games almost every evening before sleeping.”
And while many pairs of legendary MMA brothers did their training together, Valter made the decision to train in Russia, away from Johnny, who fights out of SBG Ireland. But even though the two aren’t training partners, Valter still takes inspiration from his brother’s fighting style.
“I have a similar style to Johnny because he got me started in MMA. He got me started in the sport, but I believe I have more weapons than him,” Ignacio said.
Valter looks to improve to 12-0 at this weekend’s Titan FC 82 card and is proud of the career he’s put together at such a young age.
“I believe I’m going to win my fight and become 12-0,” Ignacio said. “I’m not scared to lose. I’ve only been training for four years, I’m 25 years old, and every day I’m training and learning in the gym. Whenever the UFC calls me, I’m ready to come.”
