Johnny Walker’s withdrawal from UFC 311 was a hard blow for the Brazilian light heavyweight fighter, who was gearing up for a highly anticipated matchup against Bogdan Guskov this past Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Unfortunately, Johnny Walker was side-lined due to a rib injury, forcing UFC doctors to pull him from the fight.
In an emotional interview with MMA Junkie, Johnny Walker opened up about the difficulties he faced surrounding the withdrawal and the personal challenges he had been navigating leading up to the event.
A Life-Altering Transition For Johnny Walker
The timing of the injury was especially frustrating for Walker, who had recently moved from Ireland to the United States, bringing his family with him. He had spent the last four years training at SBG under coach John Kavanagh but decided it was time to make a change. In addition to settling in a new country, Walker had to adjust to a new house, new training environment, and new coaching staff. Talking about this Johnny Walker said;
“It was a lot for me because I just moved from Ireland. I spent the last four years in Ireland training at SBG under John Kavanagh. Then I moved country, I brought my wife, my baby, and my dog to a new country, a new house,”
“I had to finish the house, make a lot of bags, and start a training camp in a new environment with new coaching and new training partners. It was a lot.”
Despite the overwhelming nature of the transition, Walker remained fully committed to his fight camp, travelling to train with high-level fighters and coaches. He spent time in Gilroy working with Daniel Cormier, sparred with Sean Strickland in Las Vegas at Xtreme Couture, and trained with new coach Eric, putting in significant time and effort. However, despite all his hard work, the rib injury left him devastated.
“I was so committed to training. I went to Gilroy, trained with DC, did a lot of sparring with Strickland in Vegas at Xtreme Couture, and trained with Eric, a new coach. I put a lot of effort into making this fight happen. It was a lot of stress, mentally and physically,”
“I invested a lot of money, time, and energy into this camp. And then something happened. I was very upset because I put so much effort and money into it, but we cannot control everything.”
The Injury: A Setback in Sparring
The injury occurred during a sparring session, where Walker was focused on technical timing rather than trying to land a hard shot. He explained how the injury happened and how he immediately knew something was wrong. Explaining this Johnny Walker said;
“It was nothing stupid. I was doing the last sparring, very technical, timing. I wasn’t trying to hurt anybody. It was hard sparring, but very conscious,”
“I was trying to get out of a jiu-jitsu position and throw myself, like a normal thing, and then I felt my ribs pop. I said, ‘OK, stop, stop, stop.’ I think something happened to my ribs. Then I tried to keep fighting, I stood up again and started moving, but I knew something was wrong. I had to stop and check what happened so it doesn’t get worse.”
The injury was later confirmed through an X-ray, which revealed the severity of the damage. Walker was forced to pull out of the fight and focus on healing. He emphasised the difficulty of dealing with rib injuries, noting that they require patience and time to fully recover.
“I’m doing a lot of physiotherapy to heal. You can’t do much with rib injuries. You just have to stop, wait, and let it heal. It takes time, four to six weeks, and I’ll be back on track. It is what it is. I’ve never hurt my ribs before,” he said.
Johnny Walker Reflecting on His Training Journey and Future Plans
Looking ahead, Walker remains optimistic about his future in the UFC. He is targeting a return to the octagon in April or May. While he holds a deep appreciation for the training he received in Ireland under John Kavanagh, he acknowledged that the environment at SBG wasn’t perfect for his growth.
“We had the best coach there. John was a very high-level coach,”
“He did the best for me. He improved my game a lot, but I just had one or two training partners. The environment wasn’t perfect for MMA. At SBG, I had just one training partner. Here in Vegas, I have the UFC PI for strength and conditioning, nutrition, and recovery, and at Xtreme Couture, I have high-level guys between the top 10 and top 15 in both light heavyweight and heavyweight classes. Every day I have a high-level guy to train with. You need challenges, and now at Xtreme, I have that challenge.”
The new training environment has already made a noticeable difference for Johnny Walker. He believes that the challenges posed by high-level sparring partners and a more comprehensive support system will, bring out the best in him, and he is determined to show his true potential in his upcoming fight.
“Now my career is going to fly,” Walker concluded. “The light heavyweights are in trouble because I’m going to be the best version of myself. I’m just going to get better.”
With his sights set on a return to the octagon later this year, Johnny Walker remains focused on his recovery and his evolution as a fighter. Fans can expect a more refined and determined version of the Brazilian when he returns to action.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
