“Look, Johnny isn’t here. I want to crush him!… I want to break his foot,” UFC heavyweight contender Valter Walker said this week, calling out his elder half-brother for skipping his fight at the Karate Combat 59 event. Walker had just defeated legless wrestling phenom Zion Clark via rear-naked choke in a controversial, one-sided match. Now, just hours later, Johnny Walker has broken his silence after being absent from his brother’s grappling match.
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The Zion Clark vs. Valter Walker fight at Pit Submission Series 13 has sparked a heated debate across social media, mainly because the fighters differ so much in weight and size. Despite being born without legs from caudal regression syndrome, Zion Clark actively competes in wrestling and athletics. However, many fans criticized the matchup as a “freak show,” unwilling to watch a healthy 6’6 fighter face a 3’2 disabled wrestler. Johnny Walker also expressed his disapproval.
UFC star Johnny offers advice to Valter Walker after controversy
“I’m ashamed!” wrote Johnny Walker in a social media post. “He’s choking a defenseless guy, four times lighter than him and without a leg, very disrespectful. Pick someone your own size, you’re a disgrace to the Walker legacy @valterwalkerufc, that’s why I didn’t come to this fight, it wasn’t a fight, it was a … I can’t even give it a name, someone tell me what it was, please.”
Since mid-2024, Valter Walker has competed in the UFC’s heavyweight roster, compiling a 5-1 record. Along the way, he has successfully locked opponents like Louie Sutherland and Junior Tafa, destroying them with heel hooks. Valter Walker’s fight with Zion Clark, however, sparked questions among fans.
Before the fight, many wondered how a heel-lock specialist could face a legless fighter. Looking ahead, next month, Valter will face Marcin Tybura. Fans see him as an explosive knockout artist and a strong contender for the future heavyweight title.
🚨 Johnny Walker responde irmão, diz estar envergonhado e ignora desafio
O lutador do UFC, Johnny Walker, comentou publicamente a atuação do irmão, Valter Walker, após a luta contra Zion Clark, e afirmou estar “envergonhado” com o que viu.
Em publicação nas redes sociais,… pic.twitter.com/UdweTuAHlL
— Central do MMA (@acentraldomma) February 14, 2026
Still, his latest fight against a disabled opponent cast a shadow over his legacy, and his brother Johnny Walker also highlighted this, calling it a blow to Valter’s reputation.
Despite Valter calling out his elder brother, the duo has maintained a supportive relationship. Inspired by Johnny, ‘The Clean Monster‘ pursued a mixed martial arts career, even when Johnny protested in favor of him, even after Valter lost his first fight against Poland’s opponent at UFC Vegas 90.
Even though Johnny Walker currently disapproves of Valter’s latest fight, the younger Walker made it clear that he had felt scared before stepping into the cage against the legless opponent, Zion Clark.
Walker opens up about fear before the fight with Zion Clark
Who says UFC’s threatening heavyweight division fighters cannot be afraid? In Valter Walker’s case, the opposite is true. When Walker’s fight against Zion Clark was announced, it heated up the whole MMA world. Still, Clark, carrying just one win in MMA, did not show fear despite facing the 6’6″ heavyweight Walker.
Before the fight, Clark engaged in heavy back-and-forth wrestling and did not feel overwhelmed by the “pressure.” Meanwhile, Valter Walker carried insecurity going into the fight.
“Zion doesn’t have legs, and I don’t understand yet how I’m going to choke him because everything that I know how to do is choking people’s legs, I don’t know how to do anything else,” he told Bloody Elbow. “When you face an opponent like Zion, without legs, brother, I’m really scared because it’s the first time in my life where I don’t know what I really need to do.”
So, what’s your take on the mismatch fight between Valter Walker and Zion Clark? Drop your take below.