Johnny Walker ‘not scared to fight’ Francis Ngannou
Light heavyweight prospect Johnny Walker is open to all sorts of challenges in the UFC.
Fully recovered from a freak shoulder injury sustained during a post-fight dance celebration in March, light heavyweight prospect Johnny Walker is just eager to get back into the Octagon, no matter the opponent. Or even, it seems, the division.
“I’d like to impress the fans by beating Francis Ngannou. He’s a machine,” Walker said in a recent interview with MMA Fighting, suggesting he’d take a bout at heavyweight if the UFC needed him to. “He impressed so many people with his punching power, the way he finishes his fights. People is scared to fight him. I’m not scared to fight him. We have the same punching power. I did the test at the UFC Performance Institute. I was coming off a surgery and almost did the same number he did, so I have the same power or even more. I can definitely defeat him.”
However, if he could choose, the 27-year-old hopes to pursue his dream of being the one to end Jon Jones’ title reign. “He definitely has to do more against me,” Walker said of Jones’ recent controversial win over Thiago Santos, “otherwise I’ll knock him out in the first round.”
Unfortunately for Walker, ‘Bones’ brushed off the fast-rising newcomer as a possible title defense anytime in the near future. Jones took to Twitter, responding to fans with the claim that the Brazilian is too ‘unknown,’ and that he needs to beat a top 10 opponent first.
You guys want me to fight someone who is unknown to the general public and hasn’t even fought a top 10 opponent yet? Think about it. Besides if I beat him in December, what would everyone have to look forward to? https://t.co/tztRYKbvQE
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) July 8, 2019
In Walker’s opinion, however, all that means is that ‘Bones’ is afraid of losing his legacy to someone relatively unknown.
“‘Well, he’s right,’ Walker admitted. “I still haven’t done much (in the UFC). But there aren’t many guys who would give me a big challenge. I don’t have to beat a top 5. People talk too much crap, man. People say I don’t have jiu-jitsu, I don’t have wrestling. They say I have to fight a wrestler. The last wrestler I fought lasted five seconds. I’m ready for him and I know I’d be a big challenge. I think he’s afraid to lose to an unknown guy.”
In his last three outings, Johnny Walker (17-3) knocked out Khalil Rountree, Justin Ledet and most recently, on March 2, Misha Cirkunov. The 27-year-old hasn’t lost since a KO defeat to Henrique Lopes back in June 2016.