Хүнд жингийн ангилалд шилжсэн Жонни Уокерын гайхалтай өөрчлөлт болон шинэ түвшинд гарсан тоглолт

I have been watching Johnny Walker compete for a long time.

I remember when the lanky Brazilian burst onto the scene in 2018, jump-starting his UFC career with a trio of first round knockout wins. Walker scored those early knockouts via elbow, backfist and jump knee. He flew a little too close to the sun though, injuring his shoulder while doing the worm (seriously) and then getting smashed by Corey Anderson in a would-be title eliminator.

For years afterward, Walker struggled to find consistency or build momentum. By 2022, a Light Heavyweight title shot was out of reach, and I advocated for Walker to move up to Heavyweight. Prior to his UFC debut, Walker was ranked as the top 205-pounder and Heavyweight on the Brazilian regional scene.

There was precedent for his success among the big men, so why not switch it up?

Unfortunately, Walker persisted at Light Heavyweight, and the knockout losses began to add up. Not only was he far removed from the title picture, but Walker appeared increasingly fragile. He’s never reacted particularly well to getting hit, but Walker was chicken-dancing or collapsing stiffly, like a tree in a hurricane. Consecutive knockout losses in 2024 seemed to signal that the end was near, and by the time his 2026 Heavyweight move arrived, it felt too late.

I’m quite pleased to be wrong.

Walker destroyed the well-regarded Mick Parkin with a jump knee last month to successfully introduce himself to the Heavyweight ranks. That’s a good win and bought Walker some breathing room, but it also didn’t prove much about his place in the new division. It just demonstrated that the 6’5” Brazilian could still hurt opponents with his wild strikes, which most everyone already assumed to be the case.

Last night’s UFC Vegas 124 main event victory over Waldo Cortes-Acosta was a different story. He did not simply erase “Salsa Boy” with his first wacky strike of the night. That would have been impressive, but Walker’s career is filled with such stoppages. It’s not full, however, of Walker taking monster shots and living to tell the tale.

Walker ate Cortes-Acosta right hands that looked like fastballs, and though he was rocked on a couple of occasions, he didn’t bust out any dance moves. He actually stayed fairly composed (by Walker standards), using half guard or the clinch to recover and fight on. By remaining in the fight, Walker allowed the attritional damage from his low and body kicks to add up, producing a slower “Salsa Boy” who eventually walked into a backfist counter. Just like that, Walker is the first man to knock out Cortes-Acosta, who previously survived hitters like Sergei Pavlovich and Robelis Despaigne.

I’m not trying to declare Walker a future Heavyweight champion. He’s still more likely to throw a backfist than a jab, to run away from a punch rather than block it. The complete lack of fundamental boxing is a problem that no weight cut (or lack thereof) can fix.

At the same time, the Heavyweight move is already an undeniable success. Walker fought with confidence and his own version of strategy, and he didn’t allow hard shots to deter him from his approach. He just stopped an established contender and will probably steal Cortes-Acosta’s No. 6 position when the rankings update. The division is so barren that Walker just might find his way to a title eliminator matchup — it’s not so hard to imagine him catching Curtis Blaydes with a jump knee and continuing to climb the ranks.

Just a couple years ago, the prognosis for Walker’s future was grim. Now, opportunity abounds for the big Brazilian, who rides his best wave of momentum since that initial Octagon surge.

For complete UFC Vegas 124 results and play-by-play, click here.