Valter Walker Archives - Cageside Press

Heel Hook Incoming? Valter Walker Draws Marcin Tybura at UFC Seattle

Jay Anderson — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 22:17:37 +0000

Heel hook machine Valter Walker has joined the upcoming UFC Seattle Fight Night card.

Heavyweight Walker (15-1), who has won his last four bouts inside the octagon via heel hook submission, will take on veteran Marcin Tybura (27-10) at the event, set for the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington on March 28, 2026.

News of the booking was first reported by MMA Mania.

Walker, known as “The Clean Monster,” may want to rebrand himself the “Heel Monster.” He holds the record for both consecutive heel hook submissions and overall submissions of that type (tied with Rousimar Phalares) in the UFC, which has earned him a step up in competition in the form of Tybura.

Ranked #10 in the weight class per the UFC’s official rankings (Valter Walker himself is at #14), Tybura is 2-2 in his last four bouts and coming off a loss to Ante Delija. The Polish star, a former M-1 heavyweight champ, will hit a decade with the UFC as of April, and has shared the octagon with some of the best, including Fabricio Werdum, Andre Arlovski, Derrick Lewis, Alexander Volkov, and current UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.

UFC Seattle does not yet have a main event officially announced, but the following match-ups are attached to the card:

Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber
Valter Walker vs. Marcin Tybura
Casey O’Neill vs. Gabriella Fernandes
Nicolle Caliari vs. Caroline Foro
Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Yousri Belgaroui

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UFC 321: Valter Walker Wants Six Heel Hooks, Responds to Abdelwahab

Dave Noseworthy and Jay Anderson — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 02:35:47 +0000

Abu Dhabi — His nickname is “The Clean Monster,” but perhaps it should be the “Heel Monster,” because as of UFC 321, Valter Walker has four straight wins inside the octagon via heel hook.

That unheard of feet is a promotional record, and the latest victim was newcomer Louie Sutherland.

“I don’t know if I’m very happy, or a little bit upset. Because now everybody thinks I can only do jiu-jitsu,” Walker (15-1) said following the fight, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press.

Ultimately, he’s happy. Probably more so given the performance earned a $50,000 post-fight bonus, though Walker hadn’t yet been made aware while speaking to reporters in Abu Dhabi. Either way, it’s four down, two to go.

“I’m very happy because I did this again. And I want to do this two more times. I want to bring six heels hooks,” stated Walker. “My country, we have five world titles, and I want to bring six feet to Brazil. Six heel hooks. But I already made history. It’s the first time in history, four submissions in the heavyweight division, and four heel hooks in a row.”

Why stop at six? Because Walker knows that eventually, someone will catch wise and make him pay. “I told my coach already, somebody’s going to ground n’ pound me and turn me off. But I’m not scared of this. I know who’s my coach, who’s my family. I know if something bad happens, there’ll be few changes in my private life.”

After his own win on Saturday, heavyweight Hamdy Abdelwahab called out Walker, though he suggested a grappling match. Walker, however, wants a fight, preferably in Doha, Qatar.

“Let us fight MMA, in Doha, November. If you’re ready and calling my name, let’s fight MMA,” exclaimed Walker. “I’m an MMA fighter, bro. MMA. My team is GOR MMA. GOR MMA, it’s not GOR Grappling. MMA. I’m an MMA fighter. Let’s go fight MMA. I’m ready.”

Watch the full UFC 321 post-fight press conference with Valter Walker above.

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Vicious Salkilld Head Kick, Walker’s History-Making Heel Hook Lead UFC 321 Bonuses

Jay Anderson — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 22:30:48 +0000

A couple of huge finishes collected the Performance bonuses at UFC 321 on Saturday, and with only three fights on the card ending inside the distance (discounting a No Contest in the main event), it’s a good thing they were as big as they were.

Quillan Salkilld was among the two Performance of the Night bonus-winners, care of a vicious, stunning head kick KO of Nasrat Haqparast. The kick landed clean on Haqparast, sailing over the lightweight’s arm and connecting flush with the side of the head. Haqparast wound up face down, legs twitching, and did not regain consciousness for several minutes — a scene Salkilld later admitted was “scary.”

Part of the job description, however, and most certainly enough to claim a $50,000 Performance bonus.

The other Performance of the Night bonus went to Valter Walker, who made history by breaking his own record for consecutive heel hooks in the UFC. His fourth straight submission of that variety came early against UFC newcomer Louie Sutherland. After the bout, he called out Hamdy Abdelwahab for a fight at UFC Qatar next month; Abdelwahab, for his part, appeared open to the match-up.

Fight of the Night at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi went to L’udovit Klein vs. Mateusz Rebecki. After three rounds, Rebecki was bloodied, and Klein left unable to stand due to an injured ankle — though he did come away with the victory.

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UFC 321: Valter Walker Makes History Again, Subs Louie Sutherland with Heel Hook

Shawn Bitter — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 16:30:31 +0000

Just two weeks ago, Valter Walker’s chance to fight at home as part of UFC Rio was dashed when Mohammed Usman pulled out of their fight two days prior to the event.

As luck would have it, the UFC was able to get him on UFC 321, pairing him up with English heavyweight newcomer Louie Sutherland.

Valker came into the fight with an unheard of three straight heel hook submission wins, while Sutherland had won four straight, all for Levels Fight League. Very quickly, Walker had extended his already impressive heel hook record.

Round one started, and Valter Walker was aggressive, coming out with several kicks. Sutherland landed a big overhand right, but Walker timed it well and got the takedown.

Everyone knew it was coming, and it came. Walker postured up, then dropped and rolled for the ankle. He got the position and finished with the outside heel hook, and Sutherland tried to roll with it, before long he had tapped.

An absolutely insane four straight heel hooks for Valter Walker, who has a signature move like no other. An obvious candidate for Performance of the Night, and somewhere, Mohammed Usman might actually be thankful his fight didn’t go through as planned.

Official Result: Valter Walker def. Louie Sutherland by submission (heel hook), Round 1, 1:24

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Valter Walker Quickly Rebooked, Gets Newcomer at UFC 321

Jay Anderson — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 15:33:49 +0000

Valter Walker was supposed to have fought at UFC Rio this past weekend, only for opponent Mohammed Usman to pull out last minute.

Now, heavyweight Walker (14-1) will instead fight two weeks later at UFC 321, where he meets promotional newcomer Louie Sutherland (10-3).

Journalist Laerte Viana was first to report the news, with Walker later confirming the match-up. UFC 321 takes place in Abu Dhabi, UAE on October 25, 2025. The card is headlined by a heavyweight title fight between champ Tom Aspinall, and former interim champ Ciryl Gane.

Prior to Usman dropping out this past weekend, Walker had won three straight fights inside the UFC octagon. All three have come via heel hook submission, an unprecedented stretch that has seen him tap Junior Tafa, Don’Tale Mayes, and Kennedy Nzechukwu.

Southerland is a former PFL and Bellator MMA fighter who recently became the Levels Fight League heavyweight champ. He’ll enter the UFC on a four-fight win streak.

UFC 321 currently features the following reported match-ups:

Tom Aspinall (c) vs. Ciryl Gane – for the UFC heavyweight championship
Virna Jandiroba vs. Mackenzie Dern – for the vacant UFC women’s strawweight championship
Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Mario Bautista
Alexander Volkov vs. Jailton Almeida
Aleksandar Rakić vs. Azamat Murzakanov
Ľudovít Klein vs. Mateusz Rębecki
Ikram Aliskerov vs. Park Jun-yong
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs. Matheus Camilo
Nathaniel Wood vs. Jose Miguel Delgado
Hamdy Abdelwahab vs. Chris Barnett
Azat Maksum vs. Mitch Raposo
Jaqueline Amorim vs. Mizuki Inoue
Valter Walker vs. Louie Sutherland

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UFC Rio Hit by Late Change as Mohammad Usman Withdraws from Fight with Valter Walker

Eddie Law — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 03:10:11 +0000

The anticipated clash between Valter Walker and Mohammad Usman, set for UFC Rio this Saturday night, has been scrapped after Usman suffered an injury, forcing him out of the bout.

The cancellation removes one of the card’s most intriguing heavyweight matchups, leaving Walker without an opponent just days before fight night.

It’s unclear what the injury was that took Usman (11-4) out of the fight. The younger brother of former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman was coming off a decision victory over Hamdy Abdelwahab at UFC Baku.

Walker (14-1) may lose some momentum with the cancellation. The surging heavyweight has won and finished his last three fights, all by heel hook, one of the most difficult submissions to execute in MMA.

Without that bout UFC Rio looks as follows:

#4 Charles Oliveira vs. #8 Mateusz Gamrot
#6 Deiveson Figueiredo vs. #15 Montel Jackson
Vicente Luque vs. Joel Alvarez
Jhonata Diniz vs. Mario Pinto
Ricardo Ramos vs. Kaan Ofli
Lucas Almeida vs. Michael Aswell Jr.
Jafel Filho vs. Clayton Carpenter
Vitor Petrino vs. Thomas Petersen
Bia Mesquita vs. Irina Alekseeva
Lucas Rocha vs. Stewart Nicoll
Julia Polastri vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
Saimon Oliveira vs. Luan Lacerda

UFC Rio takes place this Saturday Oct. 11 from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

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Walker vs. Usman, Ramos vs. Ofli Among Additions to UFC Rio

Jay Anderson — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 23:46:46 +0000

It was a busy Thursday for fight announcements in the UFC, with a total of seven bouts officially announced for UFC Rio and UFC Vancouver by the promotion.

Among the Rio additions, heavyweight action will see Valter Walker (14-1), whose brother Johnny just had a triumphant night in Shanghai, take on one half of another UFC sibling duo in Mohammed Usman (11-4). Ricardo Ramos (17-7), meanwhile, will face Kaan Ofli (11-4-1) at featherweight.

In another promising booking, welterweight action has Gabriel Bonfim (18-1) paired up with Randy Brown (20-6). Lucas Almeida (15-4) gets Michael Aswell (10-3) in another featherweight addition to the UFC Rio card.

Thanks to the frankly barren landscape at heavyweight in the UFC, Valter Walker is already ranked #14 in the weight class. Usman (brother of ex-welterweight champ Kamaru) is not ranked. None of the remaining aforementioned fighters are currently ranked in their divisions, though for names like Brown, that’s more a matter of depth.

UFC Rio takes place on October 11, 2025 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at the Farmasi Arena. Charles Oliveira and Rafael Fiziev headline, with the following match-ups reported for the card to date:

Charles Oliveira vs. Rafael Fiziev
Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Montel Jackson
Vicente Luque vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
Jhonata Diniz vs. Mário Pinto
Vitor Petrino vs. Thomas Petersen
Jafel Filho vs. Clayton Carpenter
Lucas Rocha vs. Stewart Nicoll
Julia Polastri vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
Beatriz Mesquita vs. Irina Alekseeva
Lucas Almeida vs. Michael Aswell
Valter Walker vs. Mohammed Usman
Gabriel Bonfim vs. Randy Brown
Ricardo Ramos vs. Kaan Ofli

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Four Bonuses Awarded at UFC Nashville, but None for Knockout King

Jay Anderson — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 07:12:57 +0000

Derrick Lewis might be the UFC‘s “Knockout King,” but royalty or no, he was left out of the post-fight bonuses at UFC Nashville on Saturday.

Lewis made short work of Tallison Teixeira in a wild but brief slugfest that saw him swinging for the fences after absorbing a Teixeira punch that appeared to blur the heavyweight behemoth’s vision. Still, when Lewis connects clean, it’s often lights out, and Teixeira did hit the canvas – though he would make it back up, thanks to a blatant fence grab. The ref, however, would stop the bout on the feet.

There wasn’t too much controversy in the end, given how hard Teixeira went down, but perhaps that was enough to shun Lewis come bonus time. Instead, Fatima Kline, who finished off Melissa Martinez with a head kick, and Valter Walker, who landed his third(!) straight heel hook submission, earned Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC Nashville.

Fight of the Night went to Morgan Charriere and Nate Landwehr, who put on a thrilling battle for two rounds before France’s Charriere finally connected early in round three. Swinging with wild, looping hooks, Charriere connected, Landwehr slumped down against the fence, and that was all she wrote.

All four bonus-winners at UFC Nashville will pocket $50,000 U.S. for their efforts, on top of their regular purse, outfitting pay, and any other discretionary bonuses.

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Valter Walker Scores Third Straight Heel Hook Finish

Eddie Law — Sat, 12 Jul 2025 23:32:16 +0000

The first of three heavyweight bouts at UFC Nashville set Kennedy Nzechukwu and Valter Walker fighting to make it up to the rankings on Saturday night.

Nzechukwu (14-5) came into the fight in Nashville off two consecutive victories on pay-per-view cards. Violent finishes over Chris Barnett and Lukasz Brzeski set up a date with Walker on Saturday night.

Walker (13-1) also enjoyed a two-fight win streak with finishes over Junior Tafa and Don’Tale Mayes. The brother of light heavyweight Johnny Walker he’s won his last two bouts via heel hook.

With the heavyweight division wide open Nzechukwu and Walker could make a statement with a definitive finish at UFC Nashville.

Round 1 Walker came out like a man possessed looking to land bombs on Nzechukwu. Nzechukwu had a smile on his face like he expected this, but he found himself defending a takedown pretty quickly.

Walker played like he wanted the back take, slipped off and right into a heel hook which he torqued hard and forced Nzechukwu tapped.

Another one for the UFC’s heavyweight heel hook king Valter Walker. He took the mic from Daniel Cormier and gave his post-fight interview in three languages. What a character.

Official Result: Valter Walker def. Kennedy Nzechukwu via R1 SUB (Heel Hook), 0:54

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UFC Vegas 102: Valter Walker Has Two More Heel Hook Variations to Show

Eddie Law and Jay Anderson — Sun, 16 Feb 2025 20:05:40 +0000

Las Vegas — Valter Walker entered UFC Vegas 102 much lighter, and admitted he’d made a “whole life change,” mixing things up in everything from his training to his life at home.

The heavyweight, brother of UFC star Johnny Walker, earned his second straight heel hook submission win when he put away Don’Tale Mayes in the opening round of their preliminary card fight on Saturday. It appears, with that in mind, that making changes has truly paid off.

“When I lost my first fight in the UFC, I quickly changed everything. It was like so much for me, the loss,” Walker (13-1) told media outlets including Cageside Press following his win at the UFC Apex. Walker lost to Lukasz Brzeski last April, in what remains his only defeat as a pro. “Because I feel I disappointed my brother, I disappointed my coach, I disappointed my wife. I went home, I felt very upset.”

After going on vacation following that fight, he called his wife in tears, and realized that he needed to change his life.

“And it changed very quickly. First it was hard, now already it’s started being easy. After one year living like this, already it’s easy. First six months were so hard. But it’s the price. If you want to become a good fighter, if you want to become a champion, you need to pay the price. If you’re not ready to pay the price, you can’t be competitive in this business.”

Echoing a sentiment held by many fighters, Walker added that “in the UFC, I see it’s another level. Another level of fights, it’s another level of people. Everything is another level. You need to sacrifice if you want to be into the top. It’s really true. You think this is like Instagram bullsh*t, but it’s not Instagram bullsh*t. If you want to go to the top, you need to really sacrifice. It’s not bullsh*t, it’s true.”

Inspirational advice aside, Walker also let slip that the heel hook submissions he’s pulled off in the UFC thus far represent just one of three variants of the move that he has in his bakc pocket. Promising with a laugh not to teach anyone present to defend the submission, he added that only those who work with him in the gym get that information.

“I have like three variations from the leg. I use in the UFC only one. I have two, three more variations. What they [do to defend] from the heel hook, what they do, only in the gym. Only if you’re training with me, they know what to do for that. If you defend that, I’m ready for the variation. If you defend, I go to the other leg, another variation. I’m ready.”

“I don’t show yet brother. It’s secret. I have more variations,” Valter Walker added. A statement that should have his fellow UFC heavyweights looking to protect their legs.

Watch the full UFC Vegas 102 post-fight appearance by Valter Walker above.

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