Johnny Walker will look to make an instant impact in the heavyweight division in his next bout.
In February, Valter Walker called his brother Johnny out for a UFC fight after his sibling didn’t attend his grappling match in Karate Combat.
The two Brazilians’ personalities led many to assume that this was simply a joke being exchanged between them, but Johnny’s response suggested that the rivalry is real.
Any chance of them actually facing each other seemed unlikely due to them competing in different weight classes, however, reports suggest that this will change in the coming months.
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Johnny Walker reportedly set to face Ante Delija in UFC heavyweight debut in Belgrade
Ahead of his recent fight in Miami, Johnny Walker said that he’s confident he’d be better at heavyweight because of how restricting the diet he has to stick to in order to make 205 pounds is.
A frustrating loss to Dominick Reyes led to Walker suggesting that he will make the move up a division, though he hadn’t completely committed to this decision.
The Brazilian’s mind appears to have been made up following a report from Alex Behunin that the long-time light heavyweight will be taking on Ante Delija at heavyweight on August 1 in Belgrade, Serbia.
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Delija has gone 1-2 in the heavyweight division since debuting last September and currently holds the #10-spot in the division’s rankings.
Despite his four-fight win streak, with each win coming via heel hook submission, Valter Walker isn’t in the top 15.
Whether the fight makes sense after August 1 or not, having the two brothers compete in a grudge match, if the bad blood between them is genuine, would certainly add some excitement at heavyweight.
Moving to heavyweight ends Johnny’s run of 16 consecutive UFC bouts at light heavyweight, where he amassed a record of 8-7-1.