Julius Walker surprised he's not that big of an underdog vs. Alonzo Menifield at UFC Fight Night 252
SEATTLE – Julius Walker thought the odds for his UFC debut would be a lot more lopsided.
Walker (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) draws ranked light heavyweight Alonzo Menifield (15-5-1 MMA, 8-5-1 UFC) right off the bat in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 252 (ESPN+) main card opener at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
According to DraftKings, Walker is a +200 underdog against Menifield, who’s a -245 favorite. Considering the level of competition Menifield has fought, Walker is pleasantly surprised.
“Honestly, to be completely real with you, the fact that I’ve been a pro for less than two years, and I’ve got six fights, and I’m fighting the No. 15-ranked guy in the world, and I think I’m like +170 or something,” Walker told reporters at Wednesday’s media day.
“I thought they were going to have me at +300 or +400, something wide like that. But I guess in the light heavyweight division, it’s probably pretty tough to put anybody any more than like -200.”
Walker, who has finished all six of his professional fights, is entering his first UFC fight full of excitement.
“I’m definitely not too proud to admit the fact that I’m seeing a lot of these guys, and I’m almost fanboying out a little bit,” Walker said. “I’m seeing some of these names that I’ve been watching since I was in high school, and it’s definitely a really cool experience. But at the end of the day, if I don’t get the victory here – that’s the big goal here. I need to get this started off on the right foot.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 252.