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Johnny Walker believes that Israel Adesanya will be the next light heavyweight champion after beating current titleholder Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259.
The Brazilian giant, standing at 6-foot-6, made his way into the UFC through the Dana White Contender's Series when he defeated Henrique da Silva in 2018.
Now sitting at No. 10 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings, Johnny Walker has a deeper understanding of the division. In an exclusive talk with Sportskeeda, he examined the next dispute for the 205 lb gold.
"You know, people that want to understand fighting, they are going to see how much stronger natural light heavyweights are. And if [Jan Blachowicz] hits, probably he [is going to] knock [Israel] Adesanya out. But, on the other side, you have, like, a skinny and tall guy - strong, with knockout power as well, and who has a good movement. So, he has a lot of chances of knocking Blachowicz out. So, it's like 50/50, you know," Johnny Walker analyzed. (H/T Sportskeeda for quotes.)
Even though Blachowicz can finish the fight with one well-connected strike, Johnny Walker still gives Adesanya the edge in their duel.
"I think Adesanya has more chances of winning than Blachowicz because Adesanya moves so well, and he has a lot of skills. He is more skillful than Blachowicz. But Blachowicz has the power. So, I think Adesanya has the advantage of moving well, you know. He has a lot of skills, and I think he is going to win this fight," Johnny Walker said.
Coming off of a loss and a win in 2020, the Brazilian mixed martial artist is recovering from a chest injury while anxiously awaiting his next bout.
Johnny Walker's championship intentions
The thought of one day fighting Israel Adesanya for the 205 lb championship does not really pass through Johnny Walker's mind at the moment.
"I don't know if he wants to keep [competing at] light heavyweight because he's not a natural light heavyweight, you know. But whatever he's doing, I don't really care because I'm not after the belt right now," Johnny Walker declared.
Whoever keeps the light heavyweight gold after UFC 259 will not disturb Johnny Walker's peace of mind. He favors directing his energy into his upcoming fights rather than wasting time thinking of possible champions.
"I need to focus on my next two fights. Then I have to start worrying about who will have the belt, who is the champion, who I am going to face. But I have to focus just step by step right now. I cannot look too much forward because I cannot lose focus, so my focus now is on my next two fights. Then I'm going to think about the belt," Johnny Walker said.
