Johnny Walker: UFC Brasilia Loss ‘Revealed the Holes in My Game’

Approximately one year ago, Johnny Walker was one of the hottest prospects in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

At the time, the Brazilian light heavyweight was coming off a 38-second stoppage of Misha Cirkunov at UFC 235 for his third consecutive first-round finish within the Las Vegas-based promotion. Since then, however, the hype on Walker has diminished following two consecutive defeats.

After a first-round technical knockout loss to 205-pound contender Corey Anderson at UFC 244, Walker dropped a lackluster decision to Nikita Krylov at UFC Fight Night 170 this past Saturday. In his most recent bout, Walker was unable to mount much offense as Krylov grounded him repeatedly over the course of three rounds.

Walker recently released a statement on his Instagram account where he vowed to learn from his latest defeat.

“I have been thinking and reflecting since Saturday night. I [learned] a lot,” Walker wrote. “I feel proud that I went three rounds against a great fighter. But it revealed the holes in my game. For this, I'm thankful because its shown me what I need to work on. So back to the drawing board. My dream is still the same. I'm still focused. I didn't win, but I learned.”

Walker earned a UFC contract on the Brazilian version of Dana White’s Contender Series and began his promotional tenure with triumphs over Khalil Rountree, Justin Ledet and Cirkunov. He is 17-5 over the course of professional career that began in 2013.

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"A única vez que você perde alguma coisa é quando não aprende com essa experiência" Eu tenho pensado e refletido desde sábado à noite. Eu aprendi muito Sinto-me orgulhoso por ter disputado três rounds contra um grande lutador. Mas revelou os buracos no meu jogo. Por isso, sou grato porque me mostrou o que preciso trabalhar. Então, de volta à prancheta. Meu sonho ainda é o mesmo. Eu ainda estou focado. Não ganhei, mas aprendi. "The only time you lose at something is when you don't learn from that Experience" I have been thinking and reflecting since Saturday night. I learnt a lot. I feel proud that I went three rounds against a great fighter. But it revealed the holes in my game. For this, I'm thankful because its shown me what I need to work on. So back to the drawing board. My dream is still the same. I'm still focused. I didn't win, but I learned. #ufc #illbeback #stronger #and #improved #vou #voltar #melhor #e #mais #forte #obrigado #Deus #evoluçao

A post shared by Johnny Walker (@johnnywalker) on Mar 16, 2020 at 2:02pm PDT