ABU DHABI – Johnny Walker aims to surprise Magomed Ankalaev with his takedown defense and make him pay.
Walker (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) takes on Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) in a pivotal light heavyweight matchup on Saturday’s UFC 294 main card at Etihad Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view at a special time of 2 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+.
Walker expects Ankalaev to resort to his grappling early in the fight, but is confident that he’ll be able to stuff his takedowns.