For the first time in what feels like eternity, Valter Walker faces a matchup without his most terrifying weapon. The UFC heavyweight has earned a reputation for doing one thing faster and cleaner than virtually anyone else in his division: grabbing a heel hook and finishing the fight before it really begins. Now, the internet is staring at a bout in which that entire identity gets flipped on its head.

The younger half-brother of UFC’s very own Johnny Walker is set to go one-on-one against Zion Clark in a grappling match at Karate Combat 59 on February 13, and the unique nature of the matchup is causing all the buzz. Clark, a renowned wrestler and MMA fighter, was born without legs. That single truth has transformed what could have been a niche grappling competition into a viral thought experiment that fans can’t stop poking at.

Valter Walker’s next grappling matchup has the internet spiraling

Valter Walker’s rise to fame has been ruthlessly easy. Four consecutive first-round heel hook finishes in the UFC heavyweight division, and opponents tapping almost on cue, is now a spoiler for his fights. It’s been so consistent that “heel hook” has essentially become a synonym for his name. That’s why this matchup feels surreal: for the first time in over three years, ‘The Clean Monster’ must win without using the move that made him famous.

The reactions didn’t take long to arrive, and they all revolved around the same question. “So… heel hook?” asked one fan. Another attempted to visualize the impossible: “OK, if he heel hooks him, I’ll be impressed.” Others accepted reality with sarcasm. “No heel hook for Walker this time,” one said, and another joked, “Valter Walker heel hooking himself.”

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After the novelty wore off, fans began to doubt the pairing itself. “I’m crying, man; they fr picked the one guy he couldn’t heel hook,” one comment read. Another put it bluntly: “Heel hook merchant vs. man with no legs—interesting matchmaking here.” Some were not amused at all. “This is dumber than Jake Paul’s fights. I hope this fails.”

The discourse then took a darker, more unsettling turn as fans speculated about rules and boundaries. “Not joking, can’t he just head kick easily in MMA?” one commented, followed by confusion: “His knees aren’t touching the ground.” Would it be legal just to kick him in the face? Others attempted to shut that line of thought down. “I feel like in this case, since he has no knees, he’d be considered a grounded opponent no matter what.”

Even without the jokes, the matchup feels odd by design. The 28-year-old and Zion Clark have a history, trading words since October, with Clark even releasing messages in which Valter Walker allegedly agreed to a jiu-jitsu match and threatened to choke him out. That tension is what made this a reality.

However, as the fun wears off, the core realization remains: this, in all likelihood, is a one-sided clash, and fans are torn between laughing, questioning, and simply watching out of curiosity. And while the result still remains unknown, one thing is certain: Valter Walker’s heel hook run has ended, at least for one night. But at least he still managed to grab three of them in just one year.

Walker’s hat trick of heel hooks in 2025

Valter Walker isn’t just losing access to a submission; he’s leaving behind the very thing that defined his rise. In 2025 alone, he transformed the heel hook into a recurring nightmare for the heavyweight division, something no one in that weight class was supposed to be able to weaponize consistently, let alone create a runaround.

The streak began in February at UFC Fight Night 251, when ‘The Clean Monster’ dragged Don’Tale Mayes down and forced him to tap in 77 seconds. He followed up in July at UFC Nashville, where he dropped to his back against Kennedy Nzechukwu and locked up another heel hook in 54 seconds.

Each finish was faster than the last, confirming the notion that this wasn’t luck, just refinement. That momentum continued over to October’s UFC 321, where Valter Walker submitted Louie Sutherland via heel hook 1:24 into the first round, making it four in a row overall.

Add in the original leg-lock statement against Junior Tafa at UFC 305 the year prior, and the picture becomes clear. The 28-year-old has created an identity with this trick. Now, for one night, that identity pauses. However, the division already knows what he will bring when he comes back.