Johnny Walker Confident Of Earning Light Heavyweight Title Shot By 2021
Dynamic Brazillian standout Johnny Walker is confident of working his way back into title contention despite suffering his first UFC defeat against Corey Anderson last time out.
Speaking about his comeback fight agianst Nikita Krylov at UFC Brasilia this weekend to MMA Junkie Walker said. “It’s a very important fight for me. My goal is to resume my journey towards the top of the division. I’m much more focused and prepared this time. Regardless of what Nikita Krylov brings on fight night, I’ll be ready for him. If he wants to bang it out, which is his preference, that’s fine. In the end, I see my hand raised.
“I don’t care if I have to knock him out or submit him to do it. It’s going to happen in the first round. My errors won’t be repeated. Each day is a new learning experience. I’ll use that knowledge in my future fights. I’m striving for perfection.”
The Brazilian is treating his first UFC loss against Corey Anderson as a wake up call after letting issues outside of fighting negatively impact his performance in the octagon.
“That fight was a big learning experience for me,” Walker said. “My mistake was bringing personal problems into the octagon. It’s something I’ll never do again. There are some stresses during fight week – things that had been bothering me for months. I fought without any focus. I don’t want to take anything away from Corey Anderson, of course. He’s a great fighter. I’m confident I could have had a much better performance. I know I’ll keep climbing the rankings, so I expect we’ll run into each other again. Things will be very different.”
Before his loss to Anderson, Walker was on the verge of earning a shot at champion Jon Jones. Despite defeat he remains confident a title shot is in his not too distant future and he will earn it over the next year.
“I want to keep climbing the rankings until I’m No. 1. I’m glad to be No. 11 in the (official UFC rankings). But I’m not about to stop. I’m going to make my country proud.”
“With another win, I might consider moving to Las Vegas, so I can have access to the UFC Performance Institute,” Walker said. “Everything I need is there. Plus, the cost of living isn’t too high. I will work very hard to hopefully get a title shot no later than next year. The entirety of my focus is on this. I know fighting careers are short. So I’m 100 percent dedicated and invested in becoming the best in the sport.”
Will Johnny Walker be able to earn a 205lb title shot in by 2021?
