Johnny Walker vows to exact revenge on Volkan Oezdemir on behalf of his teammate at UFC Saudi Arabia: "It's gonna be a surprise"
Ahead of their clash at UFC Saudi Arabia, Johnny Walker is confident he will get the job done against Volkan Oezdemir and avenge his teammate, Bogdan Guskov. Oezdemir defeated Gusgov via first-round submission in September last year.
Talking to Red Corner MMA, the Brazilian star stated his desire for revenge this Saturday:
“Now it’s time for revenge. I’m gonna avenge my friend Bogdan. Bogdan, that’s for you my friend. It’s gonna be a surprise. Let’s go.”
The SBG Ireland alumni has had an erratic career up until this point. When the 6'6" light heavyweight joined the UFC, it was believed that he would fight for the title one day as he was knocking people out left and right.
The former Samurai FC heavyweight champion was thrown directly to the wolves as his first three fights included Khalil Rountree Jr., Justin Ledet, and Misha Cirkunov, all of whom he beat by knockout.
The 32-year-old lost his next two fights, before a blistering knockout win over Ryan Spann. Before he could rake up more victories, Walker was flattened by former champion Jamahal Hill.
Walker subsequently earned three more victories, which led him to locking horns with the No.2-ranked light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev. A frustrating no-contest gave way to a rematch where he was knocked out by Ankalaev.
When Johnny Walker called Abu Dhabi "a desert"
When Johnny Walker was hit by an illegal knee by Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 294, the doctor asked him where he was as a test. When the Brazilian replied, "I'm in a desert," the doctor inferred that he was not good to continue the fight.
This resulted in a no-contest, which caused an outrage among fans as the doctor had already stopped one bout that same evening.
The rematch happened at the UFC's first event of 2024, where Ankalaev's right hand neatly positioned him for a title shot.
When Walker meets Volkan Oezdemir this Saturday, he will have a chance to not only get back in the win column but also avenge his teammate's loss. The fight is part of the UFC's inaugural card in Saudi Arabia and it takes place in Riyadh on June 22.