Johnny Walker Names Next Opponent After Successful Heavyweight Debut
Johnny Walker has already called out his next victim after an impressive showdown at last week's UFC 332.
After an impressive light heavyweight run, Johnny Walker moved up to 265 lbs. With a brutal knee that knocked out Mick Parkin in just the first round last Saturday, the Brazilian proved that he was just as dangerous at heavyweight. Now, the UFC phenom wants to challenge a veteran to keep that momentum going.
Johnny Walker Eyes a Humble Challenge
The 6-ft-6 in fighter wants to extend his heavyweight winning streak before 2026 comes to a close. However, as spectacular a victory as the Brazilian produced at Utah, he is definitely not going ahead of himself with overarching ambitions. Walker plans on doing that by gauging himself against the division's most seasoned yet humble fighters.
In an interview with TalkSport, Walker set his sights on Marcin Tybura, a Polish heavyweight currently riding a 3-fight losing skid.
“I’ve asked for Marcin Tybura for my next fight. If he’s ready for December, I would like to fight him."
Expecting a showdown at UFC 335, headlined by Charles Oliveira and Diego Lopes' BMF title fight on Dec. 12, the Brazilian explained his line of reasoning behind this choice. Simply put, Walker wants to test the heavyweight waters more before digging his heels deeper.
“I want more experience before I take higher-ranked levels of fights, because I believe I have to. I don’t want to step ahead of myself. I want to feel more of the division, feel the guys that are not very high level yet, or they have more experience," Walker continued.
'Tybur' offers the perfect opportunity to do just that.
Marcin Tybura's Proficient UFC Resume
The former M-1 Global Heavyweight champion, Marcin Tybura, has over a decade of experience in the UFC. With an impressively active spell in the promotion, the Polish fighter has 25 UFC outings out of 39 in his Pro MMA career.
Sharing the cage with some of the biggest names, including Alexander Volkov and Tom Aspinall, Tybur possesses exactly what Johnny Walker is looking for.
“Tybura has a lot of experience at heavyweight. He’s been there for a long time, and he was top 15 for a long time,” Walker shared in the same interview.
While nothing is set in stone yet, Walker is already back in training in case his offer sticks.
“I’m back training and I believe I’m gonna fight on the last card of the year in December in Vegas — that would be really good.”
Considering the challenge of jumping up a weight class, the Brazilian just dipping his toes in makes perfect sense. Still, with 10 knockouts on Tybura's resume, the Polish definitely presents a unique threat of his own.
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