Brazilian MMA fighter Johnny Walker, who competes in the UFC, is actively preparing for a fight against Russian Magomed Ankalaev. It will take place at the UFC 294 tournament on October 22, where many stars from the CIS will gather. And the main card will be headlined by a rematch between lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira.
Why did Walker eat a photograph of his Dagestani rival?
Walker is known for his eccentric behavior, but prefers positive trash talk. He doesn’t insult his opponents, but he hypes up fights. Before the fight with Ankalaev, he showed how he beats a boxing bag with a photo of the Dagestani attached.
And then he completely ate his photo, showing an animal grin:
Ankalaev is a former contender for the UFC light heavyweight belt. Many are sure that the fighter was robbed: he had a good fight against Jan Blachowicz, but the judges recorded a draw. With a fight against Walker, Ankalaev should return to the title race. At the same time, the promotion considers him boring: the Dagestani is timid and hardly speaks, so Walker himself pumps up the fight.
Walker’s case is different — he was a bright prospect and collected knockouts in the first round. He was considered a threat to Jon Jones, the UFC’s top fighter, but Walker lost two straight times and was considered a write-off.
Walker weighed fans and trained in Russia
Walker was able to restart his career: he moved to McGregor’s coach John Kavanagh and adapted to the new style. Now Walker is a much more cautious fighter and does not rush at his opponent from the first seconds, wisely using his knockout power. Despite this, Ankalaev is considered the favorite, because he is called the unofficial champion — he has few weak points.
This is not Walker’s first time performing the show — he once performed the “worm dance” after winning, but nearly knocked himself out when he hit his face on the flooring. The video went viral, and Walker became the author of perhaps the most ridiculous celebration in the UFC.
By the way, Walker visited Russia more than once, where he trained and even wanted to get a passport. The Brazilian trained at the Moscow Gor MMA gym and traveled to Dagestan, where he improved his wrestling.
Walker retains fond memories of Russia, but moved to Conor’s team in an attempt to regain his reputation in the UFC — now he has three wins in a row.