Johnny Walker hopes to see his nemesis win the UFC light heavyweight title next.
The Brazilian talent came up short in a rematch with Magomed Ankalaev in the main event of UFC Vegas 84 this past Saturday in Las Vegas, losing via second-round knockout, and said he’s now hoping to see the Russian talent claim the gold.
“It is what it is,” Walker said on a social media post. “We fight the best in the world, I’m one of the best in the world. I’m gonna face the best in the world. Could be me, could be him. He have a better night than me, congratulations to him, Magomed Ankalaev. Hope he get the belt now.”
Walker’s countryman Alex Pereira currently holds the 205-pound championship in the UFC, and Ankalaev called for his shot following Saturday’s main event bout at the UFC APEX.
As for his return, Walker said he’s feeling good, “just a little scratch on my nose” after the stoppage defeat. The SBG Ireland product said he will re-watch the bout “to see what I did wrong” and fix his mistakes before his next assignment.
“And I’m gonna keep grinding, keep going forward and keep going upward,” Walker said. “Thank everybody for the support. I’m gonna take a few days off and come back to the gym, come back better.”
The defeat dropped Walker’s octagon record to 7-5 with one no-contest, snapping a three-fight winning streak over Ion Cutelaba, Paul Craig and Anthony Smith.