Johnny Walker, a light heavyweight fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, will be the main attraction in the first event of 2024, which will be UFC Vegas 84. He will be competing against Magomed Ankalaev, a past championship challenger. On January 13, 2024, as part of their rematch, the two will compete against one another at the UFC Apex.
The fight between Walker and Ankalaev that took place at UFC 294 did not get beyond the first round when it was stopped. Because of an illegal knee taken by Ankalaev while Walker was on the ground, the Brazilian fighter was unable to continue the fight, and the referee decided that there was no contest.
In an interview with The Schmo, the seventh-ranked contender made a commitment to avenge the indecisive conclusion of their previous encounter. He stated that he is now more familiar with Ankalaev’s skill set, and he pledged to avenge the outcome of their prior encounter.
A hundred percent of the time. Due to the fact that the most recent fight did not have the outcome that I had anticipated, I have some business to take care of with [Ankalaev]. I was already aware of him. I was aware of everything. I am well aware of his power, and I have some astounding surprises in store for him.
In addition, Walker maintained that the illegal knee was done on purpose and that the Russian was fully aware of his actions. In addition, he is of the opinion that if he wins at UFC Vegas 84, he will be able to compete for the title against his fellow countryman Alex Pereira:
Maybe it’s me. First things first, I need to overcome Ankalaev. I will be prepared for anything comes my way. Putting my hands on him and making him pay is something I can’t wait to do. Because of the fact that he took a knee that was not legal in Abu Dhabi, this is going to be like a little bit of payback. He’s in command of the battle right now. He is aware of what he was about to do. An inadvertent knee is something that can never happen. I am going to grab him because your knee in the face of another person is not something that happens by accident. It is time for me to exact my vengeance.
UFC Vegas 84: Who is fighting on the main card?
The rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker at the light heavyweight division will be the main event at UFC Vegas 84; nevertheless, the rest of the main card features a number of really interesting matches to kick off the year.
There will be yet another rematch taking place during the co-main event, and this time it will be between flyweights Matheus Nicolau and Manel Kape.
The most recent defeat for Kape occurred in 2021, when he was defeated by Nicolau at UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Muhammad. They are now rated fifth and sixth, respectively, and will attempt to move up the division in order to achieve their goals.
As part of the main card of UFC Vegas 84, veteran lightweights Jim Miller and Gabriel Benitez will also compete against one another. Additionally, Ricky Simon, who is rated thirteenth in the bantamweight division, will face off against Mario Bautista, who is not ranked in the division. Finally, the main card will begin with a middleweight fight between Phil Hawes and Brunno Ferreira.
