LAS VEGAS – Johnny Walker made a significant change ahead of UFC 279, and he expects it to produce a different performance inside the octagon.
Walker (18-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC), who meets Ion Cutelaba (16-7-1 MMA, 5-6-1 UFC) in a light heavyweight bout on the pay-per-view main card at T-Mobile Arena following prelims on ESPNNews and ESPN+, said he decided to stop using CBD products – as well as its THC properties.
According to Walker, using the products had a negative influence on his life he didn’t fully understand, and most times he was operating while in “another dimension.”
“It’s nothing against the CBD, it’s just myself, my brain, don’t react good,” Walker told MMA Junkie and other reporters at UFC 279 media day. “Other people’s maybe, but my brain – maybe I have ADHD. Then when I have the CBD, the CBD should calm me down. But the little percent is good. Every CBD have a little bit of THC. The THC f*cked me up. I get paranoid, I don’t trust nobody. I get late for training, I don’t follow schedule. It f*cked my life. I didn’t know that. I was drugging myself for the last three years and I didn’t notice. Now I know and I stopped taking.”
Walker said he feels more present and more focused on the task at hand going into UFC 279. He enters the event with four losses in his past five fights, and the Brazilian is in need of a turnaround if he wants to meet any of the potential he showed early in his UFC career.
“My last fight wasn’t the way I like, to get knocked out,” Walker said. “But we fight against the best in the world. It can happen to anyone. Anyone in the top 15 have the power and the skill to knock even the champ out. So I’ve been working really on my boxing and my defense. All of the skills. And of course all the techniques for the Cutelaba fight so I can ready for him.”
Cutelaba is an opponent who will bring the fight to Walker. Both men have finished many fights inside the first round, and although Walker said he’s not sure it ends that quick, he doesn’t think the scorecards will be needed.
“Not quick, but I don’t think the referee (judges) is going to decide for us,” Walker said.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 279.
