After injuring himself with a now infamous worm dance celebration, Johnny Walker is officially on the mend and still has his sights set on UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.
The incident occurred after yet another impressive win for Walker, stopping Misha Cirkunov in just 36 seconds. That victory made Walker 3-0 inside the octagon but in the end, his celebration had left him on the sidelines nonetheless. Walker (17-3) had in fact dislocated his shoulder, leaving him with an implanted screw and other improvements while healing as well.
“Very frustrating,” Walker admitted to MMA Junkie. “I’ve been very stressed for the past two months. I have to keep my mind busy. I don’t know, do some yoga and stretching, work with my legs and my lower body. But it’s still not enough. I’m still stressed. I want to be back soon.”
Appearing as a guest fighter at this past weekend’s UFC 237 event, Walker reminded MMA Junkie of his main intention too, “I want to beat Jon Jones,” he said.
First though, ‘Bones’ will take on Walker’s countryman Thiago ‘Marreta’ Santos at UFC 239. The headline bout of International Fight Week in Las Vegas, Jones will look to make it two defenses straight after reclaiming the 205 lbs crown in December 2018. If he does achieve that, it seems as though Walker intends to be one of his main challengers down the line.
Currently positioned 12th in the UFC’s Light Heavyweight rankings, Walker has scored three first-round knockouts since arriving via Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. He’s currently considered one of the division’s most exciting prospects and will look to build upon that reputation when he eventually returns. That date remains unclear but Walker is optimistic that it could be only two or three months away.
