Magomed Ankalaev knocks out Johnny Walker in 2nd round of rematch،
Any controversy between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker came to an end on Saturday, as Ankalaev scored a vicious knockout over Walker at the UFC's Apex facility in Las Vegas.
Ankalaev (19-1-1) knocked out Walker (21-8) with a pair of right hands at 2:42 of the second round Saturday, in a rematch of a fight that ended in a no contest in october. That first encounter was canceled in the first round when Ankalaev injured Walker with an accidental and illegal knee. The inconclusive result led the UFC to rebook the 205-pound matchup to headline its first UFC Fight Night of 2024.
Ankalaev of Russia made a statement during the rematch. He dropped Walker with a right hand midway through the second round and followed it with a devastating follow-up shot that quickly brought referee Marc Goddard in for the stoppage.
“I was prepared for this fight for a long time,” Ankalaev said through a Russian interpreter. “I was ready for this response [at UFC 294 in October], and I wanted revenge right away. But that's not what's important. The most important thing is that I am ready for the title. Give me the title fight now.”
It's been a strange journey for Ankalaev in recent years, as he is now undefeated in 11 straight fights in the UFC but has not held a championship. He fought former champion Jan Blachowicz to a split draw in a fight for the vacant title in 2022. His only appearance in 2023 was the no contest against Walker, meaning he didn't actually win of ground towards a UFC championship despite not suffering a defeat.
He certainly looked like a UFC title challenger on Saturday. Walker, originally from Brazil and training in Conor McGregor's gym at SBG Ireland, showed some threats early on with his unpredictability and explosiveness, but Ankalaev had more or less controlled the entire fight. He trailed Walker only in total strikes, 39 to 30, according to UFC stats, but he regularly took center stage in the Octagon and forced Walker to fight at his preferred pace and distance .
His follow-up right hand shot after the knockdown had devastating results. Walker's nose appeared to be badly damaged as a result of the fight.
Ankalaev's UFC record improves to 10-1-1. His only loss came via submission in the final second of a fight against Paul Craig in his UFC debut in 2018 – a fight he had dominated up to that point. Walker, 31, suffers his first defeat since his February 2022 fight against former champion Jamahal Hill. As of now, current light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has not booked his next title defense.
