SUMMARY
- Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker will compete in the main event of UFC Vegas 84.
- Magomed Ankalaev, a Russian UFC fighter, made his UFC debut against Paul Craig in 2018.
Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker will compete in the main event of UFC Vegas 84. The UFC Apex facility will host this fight on January 13, 2024, and it will start at 7 p.m. ET. This will be a rematch of the UFC 294 PPV fight wherein Ankalaev landed an illegal knee on Walker, and the match was declared a no-contest when Johnny couldn’t continue further.
Magomed Ankalaev, a Russian UFC fighter, made his UFC debut against Paul Craig at UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov in 2018. After that, the Russian striker won the fight against Marcin Prachnio via a knockout in the third round. His last fight against Walker resulted in a no-contest, and his second last fight against Jan Blachowicz resulted in a draw.
We get to settle the score at #UFCVegas84!
Magomed Ankalaev vs Johnny Walker rematch this Saturday! pic.twitter.com/UDkAo1OJc6
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) January 9, 2024
Johnny Walker, a Brazilian UFC fighter, made his UFC debut on August 11, 2018, against Henrique da Silva and won the fight via unanimous decision. The Brazilian striker has won seven fights and lost four fights in the UFC. His last fight resulted in a controversial ‘No Contest’ result with Magomed using an illegal UFC move.
UFC Vegas 84: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker stats
Stats | Magomed Ankalaev | Johnny Walker |
Wins | 18 | 21 |
Losses | 1 | 7 |
Height | 6’3″ | 6’5″ |
Division | Light Heavyweight | Light Heavyweight |
Reach | 75″ | 82″ |
Age | 31 | 31 |
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker: Fight breakdown and prediction
Magomed Ankalaev has an impressive record of 18 victories, 1 no-contest, 1 draw, and only 1 defeat. He is known for his lethal punches, earning him 10 knockout victories. This will be his key in the fight against Walker on January 13. However, his submission moves and takedown accuracy are extremely weak, so Walker will try to capitalize on them.
Johnny Walker holds a record of 21 victories and 7 losses. The heavy punches of the Brazilian striker are a nightmare for fighters, earning him 16 knockout victories. Further, he has some strong submission moves in his arsenal, earning him three submission victories as well. Thus, his heavy punches and submission moves will be key in his fight against Ankalaev.
As for stats, Johnny Walker has a striking average of 3.87 and an accuracy rate of 56%, compared to Magomed Ankalaev’s striking average of 3.56 and accuracy of 53%. Further, Ankalaev has a takedown average of 1.07 per 15 minutes with 31% accuracy, compared to Walker’s 0.50 per 15-minute takedown average with 100% accuracy. However, he has a submission average of 0.99 per 15 minutes, whereas Ankalaev does not use any submission moves.
Comparing the stats, the fight seems like a bad match-up for the two fighters. Walker’s better striking abilities and submission moves give him the advantage going into this fight. Fans can expect some early lethal punches and submission attempts from him early in the fight. Also, with a higher striking average, takedown accuracy, and submission average, Johnny Walker will be the clear favorite going into the fight.