Johnny Walker eyes backup role for UFC 334 heavyweight title fight after debut knockout

Johnny Walker earned a first-round knockout of Waldo Cortes-Acosta with a head kick and punches at the Meta APEX event, becoming the first fighter to finish the Brazilian in MMA. After stepping in on eight days’ notice to replace a cancelled bout at UFC Vegas 124, Walker said he is prepared to travel to Madison Square Garden as a backup for the heavyweight title fight between Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit at UFC 334 on Nov. 12, provided the organization covers his travel costs.

"It just showed my potential, right? These are facts. I wasn’t 100 percent trained, but I was more or less in shape. It just showed that I’m ready for anything. If someone drops out of the title fight next week or gets injured, they can put me in there too," Walker told MMA Fighting.

Walker, who trains at Porrada Training Center in Las Vegas, said he sustained only minor swelling from the fight and is not seriously injured. He expressed interest in returning to competition in early 2027 if the backup role does not materialise, aiming for a bout in February or March, potentially against Hokit.

"If it’s for the title, I’ll do something crazy and fight [next week] anyway, but ideally, I’d fight around February or March. Hokit could be an option, right? If Hokit loses, that would be a wonderful scenario for me," Walker added.

Analyzing Hokit’s skill set, Walker noted the challenger’s wrestling is solid but questioned his jiu-jitsu and striking, suggesting he could exploit those areas with his own grappling and knockout power. Walker highlighted his 2-0 start in the heavyweight division, both wins coming by knockout, and referenced that top-ranked fighters such as Sergei Pavlovich, Alexander Volkov and Curtis Blaydes had previously faced Cortes-Acosta without finishing him.

"I knew it was going to be tough. He had never been knocked out, but I was going to find a way to finish that fight. I felt his hands were heavy, but not explosive. Explosive punches land and knock you out. I didn’t feel his power," Walker said.

The UFC has not confirmed Walker’s status as an official backup, but the fighter remains ready to step in if needed.