Ultimate Fighting Championship half-weights Sean Brady
and Gabriel Bonfim were originally planned as the title
UFC Vegas 124 November 7 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas. However, Brady withdrew due to a severe staph infection and the promotion did not book a replacement to keep Bonfim on the card. Walker then accepted the head game Waldo Cortes-Acosta with nine days’ notice.
What a win over Waldo Cortes-Acosta could mean for Johnny Walker
Walker (23-10, 1 NC) made his heavyweight debut against Mick Parkin
in October, scoring a first-round knockout in a bonus win. The former light heavyweight recently revealed that he originally wanted to take things slow in his new weight class.
“I thought about taking baby steps and going slow in the division,” Walker said at media day ahead of UFC Vegas 124. “Look at how I feel at heavyweight. That was my plan. God had different plans for me. God has better plans for me.”
Cortes-Acosta (17-4) was riding a three-fight winning streak before the loss. Alexander Volkov and Curtis Blaydes this year. The win over “Salsa Boy” moves Walker into the heavyweight Top 10 in just his second appearance in the division.
