Johnny Walker is walking a tightrope between praise and mockery with fans after his latest knockout win.
Former light-heavyweight contender Walker decided earlier this year to make the jump to heavyweight, and knocked out Mick Parkin in his divisional debut just last month. He was then given a short-notice opportunity to headline UFC Vegas 124 tonight, and did the same again to Waldo Cortes-Acosta.
How far will Johnny Walker go at heavyweight?
The 6ft 6in Brazilian debuted in the division with a big knockout win at UFC 332
The pair’s three rounds were fought at a relatively slow pace, with both breathing heavily by the second. Midway through the third having proven the durability of his oft-questioned chin, Walker landed a right hand out of nowhere on the button that ended the night.
Johnny Walker vs Waldo Cortes-Acosta UFC Vegas 124 result
The hastily-arranged main event of UFC Vegas 124 allowed Johnny Walker the chance to return to action just 35 days after his last outing. However, he was now being asked to fight over five rounds at a new weight, with minimal time to prepare.
It began to look early on as though both Walker and Waldo Cortes-Acosta might struggle with their gas tanks as they both started breathing hard in the second. The key takeaway from the Brazilian’s performance, though, was his chin.
After being regularly knocked out in vicious fashion at light-heavyweight, there was a belief that Walker’s chin might be done for. However, he proved the naysayers wrong as he rose from the canvas after being dropped and took a number of very big shots from a man just under 30lb heavier.
In the third, with Cortes-Acosta seemingly in the ascendancy, Walker emerged from seemingly no man’s land to score a beautiful right hook that floored his rival. After some ground and pound, the fight was stopped and he had secured another win at heavyweight.
Fan reaction divided over ‘goofy’ UFC Vegas 124 headliner
Social media was split when it came to assessing tonight’s action from the Meta Apex. Some viewers were impressed by Walker’s new-found ability to take a punch, while others felt the entire fight was simply farcical.
Who leaves UFC 334 as the heavyweight champion? 👑
Popular YouTuber MMA Guru wrote: “Heavyweight Johnny Walker is a new mythical fighter. I never thought I’d see Walker eat clean powerful shots and not get chinned. Looney tunes ahh fight, wild finish!”
Others were similarly jovial about the matchup, with many branding the contest ‘goofy’ given how neither man seemed to have much in the tank from early.
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