Things were expected to play out differently for a UFC contender once tipped to trouble Jon Jones inside of the Octagon.
Jones, the current UFC heavyweight champion, entered 2019 with the light heavyweight gold back in his possession.
At UFC 232, Jones knocked out Alexander Gustafsson to win the then-vacant crown at 205 pounds, commencing what would ultimately be his final reign in the weight class.
A few months later, Jones beat Anthony Smith in lopsided fashion at UFC 235, sparking discussion over who could possibly hold a candle to the Rochester native in the light heavyweight division.
At the time, one of the leading names in that debate was another big winner at UFC 235.
Johnny Walker dislocated his shoulder while celebrating victory on Jon Jones-headlined UFC 235 card
Before Jones made the walk to defend his title against ‘Lionheart’, attention in the light heavyweight class was on the latest assignment for Johnny Walker.
The flashy and charismatic striker entered the event on an eight-fight win streak that included a perfect 2-0 UFC record. Walker’s brutal elbow knockout against Khalil Rountree and 15-second finish versus Justin Ledet firmly put him on the fans’ radar.
And the Brazilian up-and-comer had the crowd on their feet again in his third Octagon appearance, when Walker flattened Misha Cirkunov with a flying knee in under a minute at UFC 235.
The bigger talking point to come from the fight, however, was Walker’s eyebrow-raising celebration.
After the stoppage, Walker attempted to perform the ‘worm’ dance move, but as he hit the ground, the Rio de Janeiro native dislocated his shoulder.
Walker’s pain as he headed backstage likely eased when he was awarded a third consecutive $50,000 performance bonus by UFC president Dana White.
Former UFC champion touted Johnny Walker to give Jon Jones trouble
The bizarre injury only helped to boost Walker’s prominence and did little to stop many from predicting big things for him in the UFC.
Among the Brazilian’s admirers was former middleweight champion Michael Bisping, who suggested Walker was the “biggest threat” to Jones during his Believe You Me podcast.
“I think the biggest threat right now to Jon Jones is Johnny Walker,” Bisping said. “I think Johnny Walker gives him a lot of problems, but I understand it from Jones’ perspective. He’s still not well-known enough to the average MMA fan.
“He’s had a big splash, he’s had a few big wins in very, very quick time. And in fact, he’s injured right now because he injured himself with his post-fight celebration. That’s the most damage he takes in his fights, in his own f–king celebrations.”
Unfortunately, things have played out much differently than predicted for Walker.
Since knocking out Cirkunov, the 33-year-old has lost six of 11 fights, including brutal knockout defeats against Corey Anderson, Jamahal Hill, and Magomed Ankalaev.
In his most recent fight, Walker was again rendered unconscious, this time by Volkan Oezdemir. The Brazilian is now winless in his three fights since May 2023.