A pair of top 10 ranked UFC light heavyweights will collide in September in what could produce absolute fireworks.
Raphael Marinho of Combate was the first to report that No. 4 ranked light heavyweight Thiago Santos will fight No. 10 Johnny Walker on September 25 at a yet-to-be-announced UFC event.
Santos (21-9) is on a three-fight losing streak, which has never occurred in his 11-year career. He returned from a 16-month layoff last November, after having torn his left ACL, PCL, MCL, and meniscus against Jon Jones. “Marreta” faced Glover Teixiera in his return fight but lost via third-round submission. He would get back in action four months later at UFC 259 against Aleksandar Rakić. The Brazilan would lose a lackluster unanimous decision.
Walker (18-5) snapped the first two-fight losing streak of his career last September at UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Woodley against Ryan Spann. He survived a wild exchange in which he was dropped, only to come back and TKO Spann with elbows. With that TKO, Walker kept his first-round 100% finish rate inside the UFC. Before this recent victory, he would suffer his first UFC loss to Corey Anderson and lost a unanimous decision to Nikita Krylov at the last UFC event before the sports world shut down in 2020.
No location, venue, or broadcast details have yet to be announced by the promotion for UFC’s September 25 event. No other fights besides Thiago Santos vs. Johnny Walker have been reported.
