UFC light heavyweight Johnny Walker enjoyed one of the biggest wins of his career earlier this month. Walker demolished 205-pounder Anthony Smith across three rounds, but at the post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White appeared thoroughly unimpressed, claiming that Walker “didn’t really wow anybody.” Now, speaking with Trocação Franca, Walker has responded to the head honcho.
“If that was the toughest guy [I’ve ever fought], that shows I’m evolving, because he didn’t put me in any risk during the fight.
UFC Light Heavyweight Johnny Walker Fires Back At Dana White Criticism
I saw his hand was kind of soft in the third round, he was slower. I almost finished him in the third. If I had 10 more seconds, I think I would had ended him — and that shows my level is very high now, the fact that I walked through the No. 5 guy. And I know I can evolve more and more. I know of my potential, I know I can get a lot better.
I’m not 100 percent happy [with the fight] because I’m sure I could have knocked him out if I had pushed the pace a bit more, but I’m happy because I saw that my level is much higher when compared to his.”
Walker continued, pointing out that, in the moment, he felt that he could have secured the finish, but didn’t, simply because he was having too much fun. “He knows I could have ended the fight, but he didn’t know I was feeling that experience.
I could have ended it, yeah, but I guess I didn’t want to end it. I was enjoying it, I wanted to see what [Smith] could offer me. He didn’t have anything left to offer me, so I should have finished him in the third, but I only had seconds left. I should have woken up, like, ‘I guess it’s enough,’ but time was up and I couldn’t finish him.
I was having fun, I was testing myself. I was seeing what he could offer with his hands, blocking his attacks. I can’t test myself when I’m fighting for the belt, you know? I have to test myself now and show I can get hit, I can block punches. I’m happy I didn’t finish him and used those three rounds to absorb strikes and see where I’m at.
I know I could’ve finished him, but I’m also happy I didn’t because I had the experience. Fifteen minutes of fighting with the fifth-ranked fighter is great experience.”
