Johnny Walker
Active 2018–present · rated in 4 editions · peak overall 81.0
Scouting report
Delivering three consecutive first-round knockouts totaling under three minutes of Octagon cage time made Johnny Walker a fast-rising contender. Born in Belford Roxo, Brazil, Walker uses flying knees, spinning backfists, and elbows to finish fights, reaching a top-ten spot with wins over Anthony Smith and Paul Craig, represented by an 88 Strength, 87 Kickboxing, 87 Boxing, and 81 Overall rating.
Peak ratings
By edition
Walker burst into the UFC with three consecutive first-round finishes between 2018 and 2019, knocking out Khalil Rountree with an elbow in Buenos Aires, Justin Ledet with a spinning back fist and punches in Fortaleza, and Misha Cirkunov with a flying knee and punches at UFC 235 in Las Vegas. His unpredictability and athleticism are reflected in an 86 Boxing and 86 Kickboxing.
Between 2020 and 2021, Walker knocked out Ryan Spann with elbows and punches in Las Vegas, before dropping a five-round decision to Thiago Santos at UFC Fight Night 193. His Muay Thai knees, elbows, and height advantage justify his 86 Boxing and 86 Kickboxing.
Walker authored a three-fight winning streak between 2022 and 2023, submitting Ion Cutelaba with a rear-naked choke at UFC 279, knocking out Paul Craig in round one in Rio at UFC 283, and outpointing Anthony Smith in Charlotte, before a no-contest with Magomed Ankalaev in Abu Dhabi and a knockout loss to him in Las Vegas. His striking power and length anchor his 87 Boxing and 87 Kickboxing.
Overall is an editorial rating. It can differ from a simple average of the attributes.
Johnny Walker, the Brazilian who chose England
Johnny Walker turned pro in 2013 and won ten of his first thirteen fights in Brazil, all by stoppage. After a failed move to Scotland he relocated to England and earned his spot through the Contender Series in August 2018. He knocked out Khalil Rountree in his big-promotion debut, then knocked out Justin Ledet in 15 seconds and stopped Misha Cirkunov in the first round. That gave him three straight Performance of the Night awards before he lost to Corey Anderson and Nikita Krylov.
Walker in eight parts
Boxing. Tied for his second best. His punches finished Ledet in 15 seconds in 2019.
Kickboxing. Tied for his second best. Leg kicks and punches beat Zhang Mingyang in round two in 2025.
Wrestling. His weakest area. He has rarely been the one taking a fight down.
BJJ. Better than expected. He choked Ion Cutelaba in round one in 2022.
Strength. His top rating. Rountree and Paul Craig both went down in round one.
Durability. A question. Jamahal Hill and Volkan Oezdemir both knocked him out in round one.
Cardio. Fine in short fights. Most of his wins come in the first round or two.
Fight IQ. Mixed. He won from a bad spot against Ryan Spann in 2020 after two knockdowns, and he has been finished several times in round one.
Strength at 88 shows in his bursts of power
The best number on his card matches a man whose wins end early: Rountree, Ledet, Cirkunov, Cutelaba, Craig. When his shots land, they often finish the fight. That makes him dangerous from the opening bell.
Wrestling at 74 leaves him exposed
It is the lowest of his ratings. Anderson stopped him in round one in 2019 and Krylov beat him on points in 2020. A wrestler who can take the fight down early takes away the chances he needs.
Keep exploring
Closest light heavyweight profiles to Johnny Walker, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Jimi Manuwabest boxing 89 · weakest bjj 70
- Volkan Oezdemirbest boxing 89 · weakest bjj 70
- Thiago Silvabest boxing 84 · weakest wrestling 76
- Thiago Santosbest boxing 90 · weakest bjj 76
- Light Heavyweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Johnny Walker's strongest attribute, Strength.
Draft Johnny Walker into your build
Johnny Walker enters the pool on any spin landing on light heavyweight between 2018 and present. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Johnny Walker is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Johnny Walker's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.