JOHNNY WALKER is on the cusp of fighting for UFC gold – and he admits it’d be an honour to bring the belt back to his adopted homeland.
The enigmatic and charismatic Brazilian moved to Ireland over three years ago to be with his now-wife Tara.
UFC light-heavyweight Johnny Walker moved to Ireland over three years ago to be with his now wife TaraINSTAGRAM@TARA_CAMPBELL_WALKER
INSTAGRAM@JOHNNYWALKERWalker now trains with SBG Ireland coach John Kavanagh in Dublin[/caption]
INSTAGRAM@JOHNNYWALKERWalker sees himself as ‘half Irish’ and has dreams of bringing the Emerald Isle its second UFC title[/caption]
Walker’s other half ended up introducing him to his current head coach John Kavanagh, who has helped oversee the light-heavyweight’s career resurgence.
Three wins on the bounce have put the well-travelled Walker on the cusp of fighting for the 205lbs title, which he could move within touching distance of with a win in his UFC Vegas 84 rematch with Magomed Ankalaev early on Sunday morning.
And the possibility of winning the Emerald Isle its second UFC title is something Walker is relishing.
He told SunSport: “It’s gonna mean a lot to me [to bring a title back to Ireland].
“A lot of people don’t know that I’m living in Ireland and don’t know much about my personal story there.
“I’ve been there for three years, I think. I’ve married an Irish girl and all of my Irish.
“I’ve lived there more than I live with my family and friends in Brazil. It’s my first home now.”
Walker also has aspirations of bringing the UFC back to Ireland for the first in nine years.
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GETTYJohnny Walker is currently on a three-fight win streak and on the cusp of a 205lbs title shot[/caption]
He added: “If I could bring the UFC back to Ireland and I could get a title shot there, people would recognise me more.
“Then I can get more sponsors and express more the Irish flag and the heart and culture of the country through me. Because I’m half Irish now.”
Walker credits his resurgence to his mentality and the ‘Win or Learn’ philosophy further instilled in him by SBG Ireland head coach Kavanagh.
He said: “I always believed in myself, I always believed I’m gonna be the champ and be at the top.
“And I still believe that and I’m going to keep on going. Nobody can f***king stop me.”
Walker has a score to settle with Russian wrecking machine Ankalaev following the controversial end to their first meeting last October.
Their Abu Dhabi dust-up ended in a No Contest following an illegal knee from the Dagestani in the first round.
Pandemonium ensued after a furious Walker protested the stoppage and the pair had to be separated by security and UFC president and CEO Dana White.
Recalling the heated post-fight madness, Walker said: “We were just trying to come back and fight.
“[We were like], ‘Let’s fight, bro. Let’s fight. We don’t finish [it like this]. We got upset that the fight was over.
GETTYJohnny Walker and Magomed Ankalaev had to be separated by security after the controversial end to their Abu Dhabi showdown[/caption]
GETTYUFC CEO Dana White had to jump into the octagon to calm down the situation[/caption]
“It was a big moment for us. And I knew the winner of this fight was going to be the next challenger for the title.
“It was a big decision and a big deal. So we just wanted to fight. I was like, ‘Let’s go, bro.’
“We didn’t want to listen to the referees, we just wanted to come back and fight.
“And then Dana White came in and because he came in, we stopped. If not, we were probably going to fight.”
Despite the fiery but anticlimactic end to the first meeting, Walker bears no ill will towards Ankalaev.
That being said, he can’t wait to stamp his claim for a title shot against champion Alex Pereira with a dominant display.
Walker said: “I’m very happy and very excited for my fight week. And I can’t wait to put my hands on this dirt c**t.”
He added: “I’m a machine, I have no emotions. I saw him in the UFC PI already and I talked to him. It’s just business for me.
“I’m gonna go out there and beat him – there’s no emotion. I’m very good at what I’m doing. I don’t hate him and I don’t love him.
“I’m just gonna go out there and do my job and come back after.”
GETTYJohnny Walker insists he bears no ill will towards Magomed Ankalaev – despite how their first showdown ended[/caption]