UFC Fight Night 234: Magomed Ankalaev knocks out Johnny Walker

Magomed Ankalaev made no mistake in his rematch with Johnny Walker in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 234 main event.

Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC)’s first fight with Walker (21-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) at UFC 294 in October ended in a no contest due to an illegal knee, but the rematch at UFC Apex in Las Vegas was free of controversy.

Ankalaev and Walker had a brief animosity heading into UFC Vegas 84 after the former landed an illegal knee on the latter in their first fight at UFC 294. Walker was resolved to wreak revenge on Ankalaev for his error.

Meanwhile, Ankalaev hoped to overcome his current dismal skid. Despite not losing in the octagon since a 2018 stunner against Paul Craig, the surging Dagestani recently participated in a dubious draw against Jan Błachowicz and a no-contest versus Walker himself.

Magomed Ankalaev has extended his unbeaten record to 12 fights after knocking out Johnny Walker in the second round of their UFC Vegas 84 clash. Following a low kick miss, Walker attempted to readjust his posture during a pocket exchange. Instead, he ate a strong right hand from Ankalaev, which knocked him down against the fence. A second later, the Dagestani prodigy responded with a massive uppercut that smashed Walker’s nose for a TKO victory.

Magomedov took a more conservative approach early on, while Walker unleashed a barrage of spinning punches and clever kicks. Some landed, but nothing that might get Ankalaev in trouble. Ankalaev maintained his calm and began walking inside to take shots.

In the second round, he turned the pressure up and delivered a counter right hook, knocking Walker to the ground and into the cage. Ankalaev responded with a powerful right hand that hit flat on Walker’s nose, and that was it.

His victory against Walker in their rematch, on the other hand, indicates a return to form for a fighter who has long been viewed as a potential title challenger and even champion by some.

Magomed Ankalaev solidified his challenge for the light heavyweight championship by knocking out Johnny Walker. Seven bouts on the 11-fight bill, including the main event, ended in stoppages, while four bouts went to a decision. Six of the seven stoppage victories were via technical or knockout methods, while one came via submission. UFC Vegas 84, also known as UFC bout Night 234.

There was no bout of the night, but four fighters—Ankalaev, Jim Miller, Marcus McGhee, and Brunno Ferreira—went home with an additional USD50,000 in performance bonuses for their individual stoppage victories.