"I’ll make him pay for illegal knee" - Johnny Walker reacts after rematch against Magomed Ankalaev set for UFC event in January 2024

After an uninspiring end to their first fight, light heavyweight contenders Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker will face each other again in a five-round main event.

Walker earlier took to social media to react following the first fight, bashing Ankalaev for trying to 'take advantage' with the strike. After the rematch was announced, Walker tweeted:

"Unfinished business, I'll make him pay for illegal knee"

Magomed Ankalaev did not directly respond to Walker but did also post a tweet regarding the fight. The Russian's focus, however, did not seem to be on his current opponent.

Ankalaev tweeted:

"Have to finish my business with Johnny, and Poatan next."

Ankalaev appears to have his attention on UFC 295 main event winner Alex Pereira, who recently claimed the vacant light heavyweight belt.

The original meeting between Ankalaev and Walker at UFC 294 ended just three minutes into the fight with a referee stoppage due to an illegal knee from Ankalaev. Once the doctor came in to check on Walker, the fight was inexplicably called off and declared a no-contest. Now, however, the 'unfinished business' will be settled.

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What did Johnny Walker say?

Immediately after the no-contest at UFC 294, Johnny Walker nearly started an in-cage brawl that would have only rivalled UFC 229.

Walker's reaction forced Dana White to intervene, and Walker continued his rant on social media to call out the actions of both the referees and Magomed Ankalaev.

Two days after UFC 294, Walker tweeted:

"It should be DQ"

Continuing his disagreement, Johnny Walker also tweeted on the same day:

"Why should I follow a rule if it has no punishment if I break it? If he can do illegal things to take advantage. Then I can too & get a NC next time... If you kill somebody, no worries. It's just no contest."

The Ankalaev and Walker rematch will be headlining the main event of the UFC Fight Night event on January 13, 2024.