5 blockbuster fights to book in the UFC light heavyweight division
![Light heavyweight contender Paul Craig [Image via @bet365 on Twitter]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/03/90ab5-16477800281881-1920.jpg?w=500)
Since Jon Jones vacated the UFC light heavyweight title in 2020, the status quo and pecking order at 205 pounds has been incessantly changing. Jan Blachowicz won the vacant belt and defended it against middleweight king Israel Adesanya. At UFC 267 last year, the Polish champ was choked out by MMA veteran Glover Teixeira, who currently holds the belt.
Teixeira is reportedly set to defend his title against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 275 later this year. Whether the Brazilian titleholder retains his belt or Prochazka becomes the new champion, there isn't much clarity as to who the next title challenger will be.
Top contenders Jan Blachowicz and Alexander Rakic are also slated to lock horns later this year after their originally scheduled clash in March was postponed. Over the last few weeks, a number of light heavyweight contenders have squared off against one another, further altering the rankings at 205 pounds.
Jamahal Hill and Johnny Walker headlined a UFC Fight Night in February, before Magomed Ankalaev and Thiago Santos did the same the following month. Additionally, Paul Craig and Nikita Krylov duked it out on the recent UFC London fight card. That said, we thought we'd look at five blockbuster matchups the UFC should consider booking in the light heavyweight division.
#5. Johnny Walker vs. Jimmy Crute
Johnny Walker has endured a horrific run of form of late. The flamboyant Brazilian has won just one fight since 2019 and is 1-4 in his last five bouts. Once touted as the man who could potentially dethrone Jon Jones, Walker's stock has plummeted in recent years.
After earning a UFC contract with a successful outing on Dana White's Contender Series, Walker went 3-0 in his first three fights in the promotion, all of which were first-round finishes. He then picked up back-to-back losses to Corey Anderson and Nikita Krylov before bouncing back with a win over Ryan Spann. Unfortunately, he failed to capitalize on the win and slipped to a unanimous decision loss to Thiago Santos in his next bout.
In his most recent appearance inside the octagon, Walker was viciously knocked out in the very first round of his fight against Jamahal Hill.
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At 29, Johnny Walker still has a long way to go in his career. Perhaps the back-to-back main event slots came a little too early for the Brazilian. Considering the nature of his KO loss to Jamahal Hill, it will likely be a while before he returns to the octagon. When he does return, a matchup against another one of Hill's victims, Jimmy Crute, makes a ton of sense.
Like Walker, Crute has also endured a tumultuous run since joining the UFC. He too joined the promotion off the back of an impressive showing on Dana White's Contender Series and went 4-1 in his first five fights. He looked set to break into the top 10 in 2021 when he took on former title challenger Anthony Smith at UFC 261.
Unfortunately for the Aussie, he suffered a leg injury in the first round and, as a result, the doctor called off the bout before the second. In his most recent outing, he was knocked out by Jamahal Hill in December last year. With both Walker and Crute desperate to return to winning ways and, more importantly, protect their place on the roster, this could be an extremely entertaining high-stakes matchup down the line.