Flying knees and spinning backfists! A closer look at UFC Vegas 84’s wildcard meme fighter Johnny Walker

Mild Heavyweight wildcard, Johnny Walker, will face off as soon as once more with Dagestani wrestler, Magomed Ankalaev, this Saturday (Jan. 13, 2024) at UFC Vegas 84 from UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The rebirth of affected person Johnny Walker appears to be working after some preliminary hiccups. His first bout versus Ankalaev ended too early due to a “No Contest” to attract any actual conclusions, however his prior three-fight win streak was vital. It proved viability in Walker’s method, and the truth that he completed two of these three wins was a optimistic signal as effectively. Whether or not or not the adjustment is sufficient to rating him a coveted UFC title shot? That is still to be seen, however Walker would have a powerful case if victorious right here.

Let’s take a better take a look at his talent set:

Hanging

Walker’s standup is understood for a few issues. He’ll strive wild offense and has a present for timing these connections — like this text’s namesake flying knees and spinning backfists — however he’ll now additionally cling again and attempt to drive a decrease quantity distance kickboxing battle.

The shift to the latter technique started towards Thiago Santos and noticed Walker trying to maximise his vary. The Mild Heavyweight stands at 6’6” with an 82-inch attain, in order that’s not a horrible concept by any means. Fairly than do huge injury with bounce knees, nevertheless, Walker was extraordinarily content material to hold again behind his kicks. Principally, he labored with the within low kick and entrance kick. Any time the 2 engaged, Walker was in search of his verify hook.

There have been definitely rising pains. On this bout, Walker was a bit predictable and reluctant to tug the set off. In 2023, nevertheless, he confirmed off the improved model towards Anthony Smith. He was in a position to constantly injury the veteran’s calf, and subsequently, felt extra assured in his punches when the 2 did work within the pocket.

Traditionally, Walker is a fighter who explodes at vary and within the clinch, avoiding that center vary. General, Walker has but to point out a lot depth in the best way of a conventional boxing sport. He’ll often stick out a significantly onerous jab or fireplace off an overhand, however largely, Walker doesn’t pursue exchanges together with his opponents.

As an alternative, Walker desires to struggle from his kickboxing distance, which is often longer than his opponent’s. At this vary, Walker has lots of weapons. He can blast lengthy spherical kicks with the very best of them, however Walker can even look to stomp his foe’s knee with low facet kicks. He’s additionally performed round with leaping kicks and labored some trickery that entails chambering the knee then firing to completely different instructions.

It is a huge man, so all these kicks harm. Hang around at distance with Walker for too lengthy, and a bounce knee could finish the evening (GIF).

In reality, Walker does his very best work as his foes attempt to shut the gap in a technique or one other. It’s very true that Walker shouldn’t be the toughest to hit as he fades away from exchanges, however he nearly at all times lands himself too. As Walker’s foe presses ahead, the Brazilian will look to time him with a switch-stance verify hook, bounce knee, or spinning backfist.

In fact, opponents know that Walker is trying to counter any over-aggression or rushed cost. Walker nonetheless manages to drive this response usually although, and a part of that’s as a result of aforementioned effectiveness of his kicks. As well as, Walker can actually throw opponents off together with his complicated actions.

Walker will make humorous faces and different shows of bravado. At instances, he’ll begin frantically feinting, bobbing and weaving and shifting his shoulders like a toddler overdosed on sweets. This off-beat, unusual motion can freeze his opponents or persuade them to lunge ahead with a giant punch — precisely what Walker desires!

Maybe essentially the most clear double-edged sword in Walker’s arsenal is his response to being pressed off kicks. A number of instances in his quick UFC profession, opponents have managed to stun Walker by passing his kick to the facet then stepping by with an influence punch. Future Walker foes can be well-advised, nevertheless, to maintain their non-punching hand glues to their chin, as a result of Walker likes to spin right into a backfist/elbow when opponents try this technique.

A technique or one other, somebody might be getting harm (GIF).

Whether or not he initiates or is defending a grappling try, Walker is positively violent in shut quarters exchanges. He actually excels at doing huge injury given even small alternatives, and his Muay Thai expertise usually shines by.

Walker made his UFC debut in model due to his clinch abilities. After gorgeous Khalil Rountree with a excessive kick, Walker instantly latched onto the double-collar tie. Rountree tried to punch his manner out, however Walker countered by actually cranking on his opponent’s neck and preserving tight strain.

Caught within the Muay Thai plum, Rountree confirmed a little bit of inexperience from that place. Fairly than reaching outdoors of Walker’s grip and grabbing the top — most likely the commonest protection to a single- or double-collar tie — Rountree saved his arm low to dam the potential knee and tried to shuck off the grip together with his elbow. Consequently, there was nothing stopping Walker from winding up an elbow and delivering it on to the facet of Rountree’s cranium (GIF).

In his final bout versus Ankalaev, Walker did present one attention-grabbing look towards the Southpaw. Copying Jan Blachowicz, he was properly attacking the inside calf of his opponent, however bare low kicks aren’t the most secure weapon. To maintain Ankalaev from dashing him, he was firing his proper hand whereas reseting his stance, and at the very least a few these crosses linked as Ankalaev appeared to strain by his kicks.

Wrestling

Walker shouldn’t be identified for his offensive wrestling, however he has scored a current pair of takedowns towards Anthony Smith and Ion Cutelaba. In each instances, his opponent initiated the wrestling, however Walker was in a position to reverse alongside the fence and achieve high place within the course of.

Takedown protection is traditionally a hit-or-miss matter with Walker. He’s defended a good variety of photographs, however getting outwrestled was the reason for consecutive losses in 2019/2020. Towards Corey Anderson, Walker was at the very least rocked previous to getting wrestled, however Nikita Krylov was far more simple in his grinding wrestling technique. Early on, Walker did effectively to make use of to the fence, spreading out his base and combating palms. Nevertheless, his use of the Travis Browne-style elbows to counter takedowns is one other double-edged sword second for the Brazilian. On one hand, he was in a position to knock out Ryan Spann in a struggle he was in any other case shedding. Towards Krylov, nevertheless, the powerful Ukranian endured the elbows and used his foe’s motion as a possibility to lock his palms and full double leg takedowns.

Generally, Walker’s protection deteriorated additional as he fatigued. Early within the struggle, Krylov actually couldn’t drag his foe down, whereas within the second half of the bout, Krylov’s journeys and single legs labored far more successfully.

Outlasting Cutelaba is one factor, however Ankalaev’s wrestling assault over 5 rounds will likely be a severe problem for the Brazilian.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

A jiu-jitsu brown belt, Walker definitely has mat abilities, even when they don’t usually come into play. He did rating his first UFC tapout win just lately towards Cutelaba, nevertheless, so let’s break that down.

Walker was taken down early, however he managed to flee out the again door throughout a scramble. As Cutelaba stood up, Walker retained a lock round his waist, then slammed him to the ground with a giant carry. In that second of influence, Walker threw each hooks in to safe again mount.

With Walker on his again, Cutelaba tried to achieve down and struggle the ft to flee — a dangerous technique. All the identical, Walker did effectively to keep up management as his opponent tried to blow up, shifting his physique and hips to keep up good chest-to-back connection. It was really a handful of punches that opened up the neck, permitting Walker to drive a palm-to-palm strangle.

Within the matches the place he’s been outwrestled, Walker has really proven some good guard work! When in a position to safe full guard, the Brazilian was lively in throwing up his legs in pursuit of armbars and triangles, the latter of which was at the very least pretty tight at one level within the bout towards Krylov. Sadly, it’s actually onerous to hold onto the triangle choke when drained and sweaty. Maybe Walker’s finest second from his again was a pleasant reversal from half guard, which took place by kicking off the fence at an opportune time.

Walker did run into a pair issues on the mat vs. “Miner.” For one, he didn’t discover a good reply to the leg triangle, spending giant parts of the struggle together with his legs wrapped up by Krylov’s. Moreover, within the couple moments the place Walker did handle to achieve high place in scrambles, his deal with leaping the again instantly or touchdown huge photographs allowed Krylov to hustle his manner again into high place.

Conclusion

Walker stays an unimaginable gifted athlete at 205 kilos. If he his sport can absolutely synthesize to reap the benefits of his presents with out placing himself in unhealthy place, there’s nonetheless an opportunity that Walker can threaten even the very best Mild Heavyweights on the roster.

Andrew Richardson, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, is an expert fighter who trains at Staff Alpha Male in Sacramento, California. Along with studying alongside world-class expertise, Andrew has scouted opponents and developed profitable methods for a number of of the game’s most elite fighters.

Keep in mind that MMAmania.com will ship LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow protection of all the UFC Vegas 84 struggle card proper right here, beginning with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, that are scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining most important card steadiness (additionally on ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.

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