The first meeting between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker ended in a chaotic scene.
The light heavyweight pair were still in the opening round of their three-round affair at UFC 294 last October when Ankalaev connected with an illegal knee. Walker appeared ready to continue, but a communication issue with officials led to a doctor’s stoppage and No Contest being declared.
At UFC Vegas 84, the pair would run it back, this time with a full five rounds if necessary to settle their business.
Johnny Walker opened with a wide stance, and a number of kicks, low, to the midsection, and high. The Brazilian continued that approach, going after Ankalaev’s lead leg with abandon. Perhaps caught off-guard, Ankalaev finally began to fire back, but Walker fired off a question mark kick.
Ankalaev regrouped at center, with the taller, longer Walker continuing to walk him down. Johnny Walker would fan on a big spinning back fist, then another, while Ankalaev took a more orthodox approach. Ankalaev fired a straight, Walker spun again, missing with his third back fist. As the round went on, meanwhile, it was Magomed Ankalaev’s low kicks that began to take effect. Just as the momentum began to shift, however, Ankalaev connected with a low kick dead center on the cup. A hard warning from ref Marc Goddard ensured, delivered to Ankalaev via translator, and perhaps with the pair’s first fight in mind.
After a spirited start to the fight in round one, Ankalaev came out in round two with a crushing low kick. Walker returned in kind, and both men were showing damage to the legs. Things appeared to have slowed in the second frame, right up until they hadn’t. Ankalaev connected with a right hook that dropped Johnny Walker, potentially breaking his nose in the process. Walker hit the canvas, hit the cage, and was then hit again by an Ankalaev uppercut, which put an end to the fight!
Following the win, Ankalaev called for a title shot, saying he was ready to fight for the belt “right now!”
