‘He Beat Up Jon Jones and Couldn’t Beat Me Up’- Johnny Walker Makes a Bizarre Comparison

Published 10/25/2021, 1:55 AM EDT

UFC light heavyweight Johnny Walker spoke to MMA Fighting a few weeks after his main event defeat to Thiago Santos. Walker and Santos went the distance in a fight that lacked the explosiveness that some fans had expected. Walker suffered a leg injury in the aftermath of the bout and is set to be on the sidelines for a meaningful period of time.

Walker reflected on his performance against ‘Marreta’ Santos and stood behind his effort in facing the former title challenger. Thiago Santos went toe-to-toe with Jon Jones back in 2019 and was able to extend ‘Bones’ who picked up a split decision win. Santos believes his performance against Santos was better when considering Jones faced more adversity back when he faced ‘Marreta’.

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“It was very good for me because I’ve gained a lot of experience. I fought five rounds with a guy that already fought Jon Jones. He beat up Jon Jones and couldn’t beat me up, so that shows my level. Right, brother? I stood in there with him. I’ll just go back to the gym and train and get better for [my] next [fight].”

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Johnny Walker: Can he make a big-time comeback?

At one point in the early days of his UFC run, Walker was looked at as the biggest threat to defeat then-champion Jon Jones. The Brazilian powerhouse started his UFC run with a 3-0 record and was extremely well sized for the division. However, it all fell apart once he was knocked out by Corey Anderson back at UFC 244.

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Walker is now 1-2 since losing to Anderson and his aspirations of being looked at as a major threat is diminishing. However, he has shown signs of being able to adapt his game to the ever-evolving sport of MMA under the tutelage of SBG’s John Kavanagh. Walker displayed some new techniques in his recent fight and was able to absorb some punishment as well.

Johnny Walker will have to head back to the drawing board and make sure he picks up a statement win in his next fight. At this point, he cannot afford any misstep.

Read this story: UFC Champions Who Never Successfully Defended Their Belts

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Darryl Pinto is a senior MMA writer at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his graduate degree in Mass Media (with a specialization in Journalism) out of Xavier’s College and has a year's experience in his current role. Darryl specializes in predictions, reporting, and covering UFC events live.

‘He Beat Up Jon Jones and Couldn’t Beat Me Up’- Johnny Walker Makes a Bizarre Comparison

Johnny Walker: Can he make a big-time comeback?

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