Johnny Walker says he is thinking about moving up to heavyweight after sparring with former champion Francis Ngannou. He made the comments while preparing to fight Dominick Reyes on the main card of UFC 327 in Miami, Florida this weekend.
Walker considering heavyweight jump
Walker, 34, told UFCcoverage that the weight cut has been hard on him and that moving up would help his training. “I’m thinking about it because the diet has been rough,” he said. “If there’s an opportunity, if a heavyweight fight gets cancelled or anything, I’m in.”
At 6 ft 5 in with an 82-inch reach, Walker has the size to compete at heavyweight. He said the ability to stop dieting would let him train at full strength and avoid low energy before fights. “When a heavyweight is fighting on the same card as me and I see them training during fight week, doing all kinds of stuff, and I’m there depleted, no energy, it’s tough. But… I’m going to move up. It won’t take long,” Walker said.
Sparring with Ngannou and training details
Walker has been training and sparring with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. He said he could spar with Ngannou even while dieting, noting about a 44-pound difference when he was lighter. “I’ve been training with Francis Ngannou, sparring with him,” Walker said. “Even while dieting, with about a 44-pound difference since I’m much lighter now, I’ve been able to train with him just fine. Even in wrestling, strength, and ground-and-pound. If I can do that while dieting, imagine without it?”
Walker also described recent work with other notable fighters. He said he did two five-minute rounds with Sean Strickland and one with Francis Ngannou. He called Ngannou “elite” and noted Ngannou must cut weight to make the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds.
Durability concerns and recent losses
Questions remain about Walker’s durability if he moves up a weight class. During his UFC run at light heavyweight (205 pounds), Walker has been finished by strikes four times. That includes back-to-back knockout losses to Magomed Ankalaev and Volkan Oezdemir.
Walker pushed back on the idea that the weight cut holds him back now, saying he is technically and physically better and is “reaching [his] prime.” He added: “I’ll try to fight in both divisions. Whatever comes up, I’ll take it. I just want to fight.”
UFC 327 fight details
Walker is scheduled to face Dominick Reyes on the main card of UFC 327 in Miami, Florida this weekend. The card lineup and other matchups for UFC 327 have not been detailed here.
| Fighter | Recent Result |
|---|---|
| Johnny Walker | Finished by strikes four times at 205 lbs; recent KO losses to Magomed Ankalaev and Volkan Oezdemir |
| Dominick Reyes | Not provided |
Walker’s comments came during fight week. He says he is open to taking heavyweight chances when they appear and that training with big names like Ngannou has made the move feel realistic.
