{"id":41463,"date":"2026-11-05T03:14:48","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T03:14:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sherdog.com\/news\/news\/Johnny-Walker-wanted-to-take-it-slow-at-heavyweight-then-UFC-called-203502"},"modified":"2026-11-05T03:14:48","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T03:14:48","slug":"johnny-walker-wanted-to-take-it-slow-at-heavyweight-then-ufc-called","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/johnny-walker-wanted-to-take-it-slow-at-heavyweight-then-ufc-called\/","title":{"rendered":"Johnny Walker wanted to take it slow at heavyweight, then UFC called"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n

Johnny
\nWalker<\/a>\u2019s heavyweight run is going faster than he planned.<\/p>\n


\nUltimate Fighting Championship<\/a> welterweights Sean Brady<\/a>
\nand Gabriel
\nBonfim<\/a> were originally scheduled to headline
\nUFC Vegas 124<\/a> on Nov. 7 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas. However,
\nBrady pulled out because of a severe staph infection and the
\npromotion didn\u2019t book a replacement to keep Bonfim on the card.
\nWalker then accepted the headlining matchup against Waldo
\nCortes-Acosta<\/a> on nine days\u2019 notice.<\/p>\n

\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What a victory over Waldo Cortes-Acosta could mean for Johnny
\nWalker<\/h2>\n

Walker (23-10, 1 NC) made his heavyweight debut against Mick Parkin<\/a>
\nin October, scoring a bonus-winning first-round knockout. The
\nformer light heavyweight recently revealed he originally wanted to
\ntake things slow in his new weight class.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was thinking to take small steps and go slow in the division,\u201d
\nWalker said at media day ahead of UFC Vegas 124. \u201cSee how I feel at
\nheavyweight. That was my plan. God had different plans than me. God
\nhas better plans for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cortes-Acosta (17-4) was riding a three-fight win streak before
\nlosing to Alexander
\nVolkov<\/a> and Curtis
\nBlaydes<\/a> this year. A win over \u201cSalsa Boy\u201d will launch Walker
\ninto the heavyweight Top 10 in just his second appearance in the
\ndivision.<\/p>\n