Johnny Walker

Walker's Shanghai main event showed the version of him that can break fights open fast, as he wore Zhang down and finished with leg kicks and punches in the second round. The stoppage gave him a needed bounce-back win and earned another performance bonus.

Key moments

• Stopped Zhang Mingyang at 2:37 of round two.
• The official method was TKO by leg kicks and punches.
• The win earned Walker a Performance of the Night bonus.

The rematch with Ankalaev ended more decisively than the first meeting, with Ankalaev finding the finish in round two once Walker was hurt. It was another reminder that Walker's dangerous offense can disappear quickly when elite opponents make him fight from a compromised position.

Key moments

• Was knocked out by Ankalaev at 2:42 of round two.
• The result settled the unfinished business from their 2023 no-contest.
• It marked Walker's first loss of 2024.

Walker's first meeting with Ankalaev ended abruptly when an accidental illegal knee rendered him unable to continue and forced the bout to be ruled a no-contest. The anticlimactic finish prevented any real conclusion and made the rematch unavoidable.

Key moments

• The bout was ruled a no-contest at 3:13 of round one.
• An accidental illegal knee ended the fight before the matchup could develop.
• The result led directly to the January 2024 rematch.

The fight started cautiously until Craig caught one of Walker's kicks and tried to turn it into offense. Instead, Walker uncorked a right hand while balancing on one leg, swarmed Craig with punches and backfists against the fence, and produced a fast first-round stoppage in Rio.

Key moments

• Both fighters spent the opening minute measuring range before Walker's leg kicks began to find the target.
• Craig caught Walker's leg, but Walker cracked him with a right hand while still hopping on one foot.
• Walker planted by the fence and finished the sequence with a flurry for the 2:16 first-round TKO.

Walker survived an aggressive opening from Cutelaba, who caught a kick and put him on his back early in the round. Once Walker scrambled free he climbed to the back, stayed attached through a scramble and squeeze, and closed out a much-needed submission win late in the first.

Key moments

• Cutelaba caught Walker's kick and scored an early takedown, but could not create much damage on top.
• Walker bucked free, jumped to the back during the scramble and even lifted and slammed Cutelaba while keeping control.
• He kept working the choke until Cutelaba tapped to a rear-naked choke at 4:37 of round one.

Walker tried to manage distance against Hill in the Apex main event, but Hill only needed one clean exchange to end it. As Walker stepped in behind a jab, Hill beat him to the target with a crushing right hand that left Walker stumbling into the fence before the follow-up finished the knockout.

Key moments

• Walker pressed Hill to the fence briefly early, but most of the fight played out at striking range in open space.
• Hill timed Walker's forward entry and landed a right hand to the temple that immediately hurt him.
• Walker crashed into the cage and Hill's follow-up right ended the fight at 2:55 of round one.

Walker's first UFC main event turned into a tense, tactical kickboxing match rather than the firefight many expected. Santos stayed just a little cleaner across the five rounds, and a heavy overhand left in the fifth helped him secure a unanimous decision in a close but cautious bout.

Key moments

• Both Brazilians spent long stretches feinting and kicking at range instead of forcing the pocket exchanges fans expected.
• The fight featured very little grappling, with the striking battle staying mostly in open space for all 25 minutes.
• All three judges scored it 48-47 for Santos after his stronger final-round moments, including a big overhand left.

Krylov forced Walker into a more measured fight than Walker wanted and won the cleaner minutes over three rounds in Brasilia. Walker had moments with his kicks and movement, but Krylov's steadier work and control of the pace handed Walker a second straight defeat.

Key moments

• Could not turn the fight into the kind of fast, chaotic battle that usually favors him.
• Krylov stayed more composed and banked the cleaner rounds over fifteen minutes.
• Walker lost a unanimous decision by scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice.

Anderson halted Walker's early-UFC surge by refusing to be intimidated by the chaos and beating him to the punch in close range.

Key moments

• Entered on a wave of highlight-reel stoppages, but Anderson immediately met him with cleaner boxing.
• Was hurt and swarmed once Anderson found the range in close exchanges.
• Dropped his first UFC fight by TKO at 2:07 of round one.

Walker announced himself as a real light-heavyweight attraction by flattening Cirkunov almost immediately with one of the division's most memorable flying-knee knockouts. The finish was explosive even by Walker standards and cemented how dangerous he could be before opponents had time to settle.

Key moments

• Needed only seconds to turn his first big UFC step up into a statement finish.
• Landed the flying knee that broke the fight open instantly.
• Finished Cirkunov in 38 seconds and earned another Performance of the Night bonus.

He spun immediately into the backfist, landed clean, and produced one of the fastest knockouts in light-heavyweight UFC history.

Key moments

• Ended the fight almost as soon as it started with a spinning backfist and follow-up punches.
• Recorded one of the fastest finishes ever logged in the UFC light-heavyweight division.
• Stopped Ledet in just 15 seconds.

Walker took a bigger regional swing in Curitiba by fighting Klidson Abreu for the vacant Samurai FC heavyweight title, but Abreu finished him in the second round.

Key moments

• Abreu submitted Walker with a rear-naked choke at 3:10 of round two.
• The bout was contested for the vacant Samurai FC heavyweight championship.
• Walker entered 7-1 and left 7-2 after the loss in Curitiba.