Thiago Santos vs. Johnny Walker Targeted for UFC Event on Sept. 25

A matchup of Brazilian light heavyweights has been targeted for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Sept. 25.

Former 205-pound title challenger Thiago Santos is expected to lock horns with Johnny Walker on the card, which hasn’t been official announced by the promotion. While verbal agreements are in place for the fight, contracts have not been signed. Combate was first to report the booking. The event doesn’t have an official location or headliner at this time.

Santos will look to end a three-bout losing streak when he squares off against Walker. After fallling to then champion Jon Jones in a competitive split decision at UFC 239, “Marreta” returned from multiple knee surgeries to drop back-to-back fights against Glover Teixeira and Aleksandar Rakic. The 37-year-old Brazilian was victorious in eight of nine Octagon appearances from February 2017 to February 2019.

Walker, meanwhile, snapped a two-fight skid with a first-round knockout of Ryan Spann at UFC Fight Night 178 in September 2020. The former Brazilian Contender Series competitor began his promotional tenure with three straight first round finishes before coming back down to earth in losses against Corey Anderson and Nikita Krylov.