Las Vegas, NV – UFC light-heavyweight Johnny Walker believes the illegal knee that ended his first fight against Magomed Ankalaev was intentional.
“Was probably 100% intentional because you never throw nothing without intention when you fight,” Walker told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.
“Then the referee come, the doctor comes, and as I said on the other interviews…we have fight. It’s very tough. We don’t care if you broke a arm, if you get punched in the face, if you’re bleeding. You want to keep fighting.”
Walker (21-7) fought Ankalaev at UFC 294 last October in a fight that ended in a ‘No Contest’ after the latter landed an illegal knee which set off a series of events in which the doctor ruled Walker could not continue.
“Let me fight, let me fight, because a lot of investment. A lot of good quality time that you lost with your family. A lot of commitment and discipline that you put so much hard work for that moment,” Walker said.
The doctor drew the fans ire for that stoppage and some others on the card that night. Walker believes the doctor had good intentions.
“The doctors there to have that smart decision for us because we don’t want to think…if I could keep going I’m going to be (at a) disadvantage. One week after the fight I feel a lot of my neck was locked. I couldn’t really move you know,” he said.
“I absorbed all of the energy (from) the knee on my jaw. I think the fans should understand a little bit.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Johnny Walker above. He takes on Magomed Ankalaev on Saturday night.
