RIO DE JANEIRO – Johnny Walker is not afraid of Paul Craig’s ground game, but won’t take any unnecessary risks.
Walker (19-7 MMA, 5-4 UFC) meets Craig (16-5-1 MMA, 8-5-1 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 283 main card opener at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC and early prelims on ESPN+.
Walker is aware of the dangers Craig brings with his ground game and has spent all camp preparing for that.
“I made all of my camp in training towards all of his specialities like grappling,” Walker told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at Wednesday’s UFC 283 media day. “He pulls guard. He has good triangle attacks and everything. I have good jiu-jitsu, as well, so I know how to deal with this, and whatever he wants to do, I’m ready to do because I’m very confident for this fight. Any game he wants to play, I’m going to counter him.”
Craig’s jiu-jitsu has posed many problems for his opposition. He submitted top contender Nikita Krylov and former title challenger Magomed Ankalaev and snapped the arm of Saturday’s vacant title fight headliner, Jamahal Hill. But Walker says none of those fighters possess the jiu-jitsu skills he does.
“He has to worry about my jiu-jitsu, as well,” Walker said. “He’s been fighting guys that aren’t very (good) specialists in jiu-jitsu. I’m kind of a specialist in jiu-jitsu. I have really good jiu-jitsu. I’ve been training jiu-jitsu for many, many years. I’m a brown belt, but I’m not going to play jiu-jitsu with him. I’m going to fight him MMA.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 283.
