The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is scheduled to host its much-anticipated UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov in Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight cards are stacked with exciting fights across divisions and will be headlined by the former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and Ikram Aliskerov in a middleweight showdown. Johnny Walker and Volkan Oezdemir will also square off against each other on the main card of the event in a light heavyweight showdown.
Johnny Walker is a prominent face in the UFC. The Brazilian professional mixed martial artist made his debut on December 14, 2013, against Francisco Francisco at Circuito Invictus de MMA 2. He made quick work of Francisco in his professional debut and knocked him out in the first round to win the fight and start his career.
Johnny Walker competed in various fight promotions before making his way into the elite professional mixed martial arts promotion, the UFC. He made his promotional debut in the organization on November 17, 2018, against Khalil Rountree Jr. and defeated him by a first-round TKO. He is currently ranked as the No. 7 light heavyweight fighter in the UFC’s light heavyweight division.
Johnny Walker’s rival for his upcoming fight Volkan Oezdemir is an experienced professional mixed martial artist who has competed in 26 professional bouts so far. He made his professional mixed martial arts debut on September 4, 2010, against Martin Vath and defeated him by a first-round TKO to secure a win and start his professional career.
Volkan Oezdemir made his promotional debut in the UFC on February 4, 2017, against Orvince Saint Preux at UFC Fight Night: Benavidez vs. The Korean Zombie. He won the fight by a unanimous decision and since then has regularly fought in the UFC. Oezdemir is currently ranked as the No. 9 light heavyweight fighter in the UFC. On June 22, 2024, both Oezdemir and Walker will keep a convincing win in their scope to move forward in the division’s standings.
Johnny Walker vs. Volkan Oezdemir Tale of the Tape
| Stats | Johnny Walker | Volkan Oezdemir |
| Record | 21-8-1 | 19-7 |
| Championship | - | - |
| Age | 32 | 34 |
| Height | 6’5” / 1.96m. | 6’1 / 1.85m. |
| Division(s) | Light heavyweight | Light heavyweight |
| Reach | 82” | 75” |
| Win streak (active) | 0 | 3 |
| Stance | Orthodox | Orthodox |
| Professional Debut | 2013 | 2010 |
Johnny Walker’s Record
Johnny Walker has a professional mixed martial arts record of 21 wins, 8 losses, and 1 no-contest to his name as of June 2024.
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
| Loss | 21–8 (1) | Magomed Ankalaev | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2 | January 13, 2024 | 2 | 2:42 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| NC | 21–7 (1) | Magomed Ankalaev | No Contest (illegal knee) | UFC 294 | October 21, 2023 | 1 | 3:13 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | Accidental illegal knee rendered Walker unable to continue. |
| Win | 21–7 | Anthony Smith | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ABC: Rozenstruik vs. Almeida | May 13, 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | |
| Win | 20–7 | Paul Craig | TKO (punches) | UFC 283 | January 21, 2023 | 1 | 2:16 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 19–7 | Ion Cuțelaba | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 279 | September 10, 2022 | 1 | 4:37 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 18–7 | Jamahal Hill | KO (punch) | UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Hill | February 19, 2022 | 1 | 2:55 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 18–6 | Thiago Santos | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Walker | October 2, 2021 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 18–5 | Ryan Spann | KO (elbows and punches) | UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Woodley | September 19, 2020 | 1 | 2:43 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 17–5 | Nikita Krylov | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Lee vs. Oliveira | March 14, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Brasília, Brazil | |
| Loss | 17–4 | Corey Anderson | TKO (punches) | UFC 244 | November 2, 2019 | 1 | 2:07 | New York City, New York, United States | |
| Win | 17–3 | Misha Cirkunov | TKO (flying knee and punches) | UFC 235 | March 2, 2019 | 1 | 0:38 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 16–3 | Justin Ledet | TKO (spinning backfist and punches) | UFC Fight Night: Assunção vs. Moraes 2 | February 2, 2019 | 1 | 0:15 | Fortaleza, Brazil | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 15–3 | Khalil Rountree Jr. | KO (elbow) | UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Ponzinibbio | November 17, 2018 | 1 | 1:57 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 14–3 | Henrique da Silva | Decision (unanimous) | Dana White's Contender Series Brazil 2 | August 11, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 13–3 | Cheick Kone | TKO (punches) | European Beatdown 3 | March 17, 2018 | 1 | 3:04 | Mons, Belgium | Won the EBD Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 12–3 | Jędrzej Maćkowiak | KO (knee and punches) | Krwawy Sport 1: Southampton | March 11, 2018 | 2 | 2:42 | Southampton, England | Heavyweight bout. |
| Win | 11–3 | Stuart Austin | KO (knee) | Ultimate Challenge MMA 54 | February 10, 2018 | 1 | 2:44 | London, England | Won the UCMMA Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 10–3 | Rodrigo Jesus | TKO (punches) | Brave CF 8: The Rise of Champions | August 12, 2017 | 1 | 2:18 | Curitiba, Brazil | |
| Win | 9–3 | Luis Guilherme de Andrade | Submission (guillotine choke) | Katana Fight: Gold Edition | March 25, 2017 | 1 | 0:29 | Colombo, Brazil | Return to Light Heavyweight. |
| Loss | 8–3 | Henrique Silva Lopes | KO (punches) | Jungle Fight 88 | June 25, 2016 | 1 | 0:18 | Poços de Caldas, Brazil | |
| Win | 8–2 | Fábio Vasconcelos | TKO (punches) | Imortal FC 4: Dynamite | May 21, 2016 | 1 | 4:10 | São José dos Pinhais, Brazil | |
| Loss | 7–2 | Klidson Abreu | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Samurai FC 12: Hearts on Fire | October 10, 2015 | 2 | 3:10 | Curitiba, Brazil | Heavyweight debut. For the vacant Samurai FC Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 7–1 | Murilo Grittz | TKO (punches) | PRVT: Garuva Top Fight | August 16, 2015 | 1 | 0:56 | Garuva, Brazil | |
| Win | 6–1 | Marck Polimeno | Submission (rear-naked choke) | PRVT: Afonso Pena Top Fight 3 | June 28, 2015 | 1 | 0:38 | São José dos Pinhais, Brazil | |
| Win | 5–1 | Ricardo Pandora | TKO (punches) | Imortal FC 1: The Invasion | June 13, 2015 | 1 | 3:20 | São José dos Pinhais, Brazil | |
| Win | 4–1 | Andrew Flores Smith | TKO (punches) | Peru FC 21 | May 28, 2015 | 3 | 0:28 | Lima, Peru | |
| Loss | 3–1 | Wagner Prado | TKO (punches) | Circuito Team Nogueira MMA Beach 1 | November 29, 2014 | 2 | 3:40 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 3–0 | João Vitor Lopes da Silva | TKO (punches) | Gigante Fight MMA 2 | October 11, 2014 | 1 | N/A | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 2–0 | Vitor Casanova | TKO (punches) | Ubá Fight 5 | September 13, 2014 | 1 | 4:38 | Ubá, Brazil | |
| Win | 1–0 | Francisco Francisco | TKO (knees and punches) | Circuito Invictus de MMA 2 | December 14, 2013 | 1 | 0:49 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
Volkan Oezdemir’s Record
Volkan Oezdemir has a professional mixed martial arts record of 19 wins and 7 losses as of June 2024.
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
| Win | 19–7 | Bogdan Guskov | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Spivac | 02-Sep-23 | 1 | 3:46 | Paris, France | |
| Loss | 18–7 | Nikita Krylov | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 280 | 22-Oct-22 | 3 | 5:00 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| Win | 18–6 | Paul Craig | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Aspinall | 23-Jul-22 | 3 | 5:00 | London, England | |
| Loss | 17–6 | Magomed Ankalaev | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 267 | 30-Oct-21 | 3 | 5:00 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| Loss | 17–5 | Jiří Procházka | KO (punch) | UFC 251 | 12-Jul-20 | 2 | 0:49 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| Win | 17–4 | Aleksandar Rakić | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. The Korean Zombie | 21-Dec-19 | 3 | 5:00 | Busan, South Korea | |
| Win | 16–4 | Ilir Latifi | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Shevchenko vs. Carmouche 2 | 10-Aug-19 | 2 | 4:31 | Montevideo, Uruguay | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 15–4 | Dominick Reyes | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Till vs. Masvidal | 16-Mar-19 | 3 | 5:00 | London, England | |
| Loss | 15–3 | Anthony Smith | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Volkan vs. Smith | 27-Oct-18 | 3 | 4:26 | Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada | |
| Loss | 15–2 | Daniel Cormier | TKO (punches) | UFC 220 | 20-Jan-18 | 2 | 2:00 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | For the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 15–1 | Jimi Manuwa | KO (punches) | UFC 214 | 29-Jul-17 | 1 | 0:42 | Anaheim, California, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 14–1 | Misha Cirkunov | KO (punch) | UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Teixeira | 28-May-17 | 1 | 0:28 | Stockholm, Sweden | |
| Win | 13–1 | Ovince Saint Preux | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. The Korean Zombie | 04-Feb-17 | 3 | 5:00 | Houston, Texas, United States | Return to Light Heavyweight. |
| Win | 12–1 | Alihan Vahaev | Decision (unanimous) | WFCA 17: Grand Prix Akhmat | 09-Apr-16 | 3 | 5:00 | Grozny, Russia | WFCA Heavyweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal. |
| Win | 11–1 | Paco Estevez | TKO (punches) | SHC 10: Carvalho vs. Belo | 20-Sep-14 | 1 | N/A | Geneva, Switzerland | Heavyweight bout. |
| Loss | 10–1 | Kelly Anundson | Submission (neck crank) | Bellator 115 | 04-Apr-14 | 2 | 3:19 | Reno, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 10–0 | Josh Lanier | TKO (punches and elbows) | Bellator 105 | 25-Oct-13 | 1 | 3:13 | Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States | |
| Win | 9–0 | David Round | TKO (punches) | WKN Valhalla: Battle of the Vikings | 09-Mar-13 | 1 | N/A | Aarhus, Denmark | Won the WKN Valhalla: Battle of the Vikings Tournament. |
| Win | 8–0 | Angelier Benjamin | KO (punches) | WKN Valhalla: Battle of the Vikings | 09-Mar-13 | 1 | 0:45 | Aarhus, Denmark | |
| Win | 7–0 | Benyaich Mohamed | TKO (punches) | WKN Valhalla: Battle of the Vikings | 09-Mar-13 | 1 | 0:15 | Aarhus, Denmark | |
| Win | 6–0 | Mohamed Amidi | TKO (punches) | SHC 6: Belo vs. Rodriguez | 06-Oct-12 | 1 | 1:59 | Geneva, Switzerland | Heavyweight bout. |
| Win | 5–0 | Bruno Farias Grancheux | TKO (punches) | Lions Fighting Championship 4 | 15-Sep-12 | 1 | 1:54 | Itabuna, Brazil | |
| Win | 4–0 | Ronilson Santos | TKO (retirement) | Lions Fighting Championship 3 | 12-May-12 | 1 | 2:12 | Itabuna, Brazil | |
| Win | 3–0 | Mamadou Cisse | Submission (kimura) | 100% Fight 10: Supreme League Block C | 07-Apr-12 | 1 | 3:43 | Paris, France | |
| Win | 2–0 | Boubacar Baldé | Decision (unanimous) | Lions Fighting Championship | 15-Oct-11 | 3 | 5:00 | Neuchâtel, Switzerland | |
| Win | 1–0 | Martin Vath | TKO (punches) | Shooto: Switzerland 7 | 04-Sep-10 | 1 | 0:56 | Zürich, Switzerland | |
Johnny Walker’s Losses
Johnny Walker has lost eight professional fights in his career as of June 2024.
Johnny Walker vs. Wagner Prado
Johnny Walker and Wagner Prado squared off against each other on November 9, 2014. Prado defeated Walker by a second-round TKO and handed him his first professional defeat.
Johnny Walker vs. Klidson Abreu
Johnny Walker and Klidson Abreu locked horns with each other on October 10, 2015. Walker entered the fight with a four-fight winning streak, Abreu snapped his ongoing streak by defeating him by a second-round submission. The loss was Walker’s second professional defeat of his career.
Johnny Walker vs. Henrique Silva Lopes
Johnny Walker and Henrique Silva Lopes faced each other on June 25, 2016. Walker had recovered from an earlier loss by defeating his previous opponent before walking inside the cage against Lopes. Lopes made quick work of Walker in the fight and knocked him out in the first round to win the fight and hand him his third professional loss.
Johnny Walker vs. Corey Anderson
Johnny Walker and Corey Anderson locked horns with each other on November 2, 2019, at UFC 244. Anderson dispatched Walker in the first round by a TKO and won the fight. The loss was Walker’s fourth professional defeat of his career.
Johnny Walker vs. Nikita Krylov
Johnny Walker and Nikita Krylov faced each other on March 14, 2020. Krylov defeated Walker by a unanimous decision in the match and handed him his fifth professional defeat.
Johnny Walker vs. Thiago Santos
Johnny Walker and Thiago Santos locked horns with each other on October 2, 2021. Santos defeated him by a unanimous decision and handed him his sixth professional loss.
Johnny Walker vs. Jamahal Hill
Johnny Walker and the former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill went head-to-head against each other on February 19, 2022. Hill sent Walker into the shadow realm right in the first round with a devastating punch that knocked him cold. The loss was Walker’s seventh professional loss of his career.
Johnny Walker vs. Magomed Ankalaev
After their first meeting was ruled a no-contest after Magomed Ankalaev accidentally delivered an illegal knee to Johnny Walker, the duo squared off against each other on January 13, 2024; Ankalaev shut his lights off in the second round to pick up a second-round KO win. The loss is Walker’s eighth professional loss of his career.
FAQs on Johnny Walker vs Volkan Oezdemir
A. He has a professional MMA record of 21 wins, 8 losses, and 1 no-contest.
A. He has a professional MMA record of 19 wins and 7 losses.
A. He has a reach of 75 inches.
A. He has a reach of 75 inches.
A. He stands 6 feet and 5 inches tall.
