A light heavyweight clash on the main card of UFC 327 sees former title challenger Dominick Reyes take on the unpredictable Johnny Walker in a fight that screams violence.
Reyes (15-5) entered the UFC in 2017 and quickly put together an impressive six-fight win streak, including four finishes and a TKO victory over former champion Chris Weidman. That run earned him a title shot against former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, which he lost by decision.
Since then, Reyes has gone 3-5 and enters this fight coming off a loss to headliner Carlos Ulberg, but an impressive finish of Walker could put him in position for a rematch later this year.
Walker (22-9) came into the fight off a victory over Mingyang Zhang last August in China. The victory stopped a two-fight skid, and Walker rode the momentum into a main card matchup with Reyes.
Round 1 – Walker opened the fight targeting the lead leg with kicks, while Reyes fired an early head kick that was blocked. Fighting out of the southpaw stance, Reyes allowed Walker to continue working the inside leg kicks with consistency.
Reyes remained patient, searching for openings, but threw multiple head kicks without much setup. Walker answered with a head kick of his own, which was also blocked, and continued to find success attacking the lead leg as Reyes made few adjustments defensively.
Reyes did land a clean left hand as Walker closed the distance, but Walker returned to the leg kicks and attempted to follow with combinations, most of which were blocked.
The round closed with Walker pressing forward, finishing his attack with a right hand.
Round 2 – Walker continued to circle away from Reyes’ power side, using kicks and lateral movement to stay out of danger.
For much of the second round, the fight had the feel of a sparring session, with both men taking turns initiating offense without fully committing.
Walker mixed in a body kick, slipped a left hand, and shot for a takedown, but Reyes defended it well.
The round ended to boos from the crowd.
Round 3 – The third round followed a similar pattern, with Walker continuing to move well while Reyes repeatedly threw head kicks without much setup.
Reyes mixed in leg kicks in an effort to slow Walker’s movement, but the fight maintained a sparring-like feel, with both fighters taking turns initiating offense rather than fully committing.
Reyes walked away with a split-decision, but even the commentary team wasn’t sure about that fight.
Official Result: Dominick Reyes def. Johnny Walker via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
