The first event of this year, the UFC Vegas 84, didn’t fall short of fulfilling expectations. The main event of the night may have ended with a defeat for the noted UFC light heavyweight, Johnny Walker. But, his recent video reveals that he has taken his loss pretty sportingly. Walker went down after a right hook from his rival Magomed Ankalaev in the second round of their fight. But he vowed to keep working and make a strong comeback.
A noted MMA covering Instagram account named ‘Parry Punch’ highlighted a recent video from the Brazilian where he talked about his post-fight condition. Walker showcased his injuries but didn’t showcase any signs of disappointment after the loss. He intended to take some time off and come back as an improved fighter. However, he also expressed a positive wish for his rival, Ankalaev. Walker said:
“I’m one of the best in the world. I’m gonna face the best in the world. Could be me. Could be him. So, he had a better night than me. Congratulations to him, Magomed Ankalaev. Hope he gets the belt now. And I’m gonna keep grinding. Keep going forward and keep going upward. Thank you everybody for the support. I’m gonna take a few days off and come back to the gym. Come back better.”
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Walker may wish the best for his rival, Ankalaev. But a look at the current scenario of the UFC’s light heavyweight division will reveal that the current champion already has a fight booked. But things may get even more complicated for Ankalaev before getting a shot at the title.
Alex Pereira may decide to fight Israel Adesanya after Jamahal Hill instead of Magomed Ankalaev
Most fans may remember that the first fighter whom Alex Pereira called out after earning the UFC light heavyweight title was none other than his archrival, Israel Adesanya. The UFC authorities may have scheduled his next title fight against Jamahal Hill.
But Pereira’s callout reveals that he wants to fight ‘Izzy’ once again. On the other hand, ‘The Last Stylebender’ had also mentioned that he would accept another fight against ‘Poatan’ only if he managed to grab the light heavyweight title.
Now that ‘Izzy’s’ condition has been fulfilled, it’s quite apparent that Pereira will choose to fight him instead of Ankalaev if he manages to defend the title against ‘Sweet Dreams’ Hill.
This would only mean a longer period of wait for Ankalaev to get his title shot. However, if ‘Poatan’ loses his fight against the former UFC light heavyweight champ, Ankalaev may get a shot at the title as Hill’s first title defense rival. But only time has the answer to which way will his fate take him.
