Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus Johnny Walker knows that his time in the UFC will be short, but he plans on making it count.
He told MMAFighting.com that the “window’ of his athletic peak won’t last forever, and he’ll need to make the most of it while he can.
Johnny Walker Plans on Winning Two UFC Belts Before Retiring
“I always say an athlete has a window. The window is divided in experience and youth. You don’t have enough experience when you’re too young, but you have strength, cardio, and willpower. And as you get older you no longer have youth, all that cardio, but you have experience, which sometimes compensates for that.
My window, it’s in my prime right now. I have enough experience and I’m still young, so I’m in my prime. I’m starting my prime. I think an athlete’s prime depends a lot on the quality of their life, genetics, but I think I’ve started my prime now.
I’m 29 and I think I’ll fight at a high level until I’m 35. [But] I think I’ll retire after 30. I don’t want to fight after 30.” Following a vicious first-round knockout victory over Ryan Spann, Walker plans on getting belts for both shoulders.
“I love to fight, but, come on — there are days I say, ‘Holy sh*t, I have to brawl all over again today. Four, five guys against me, and me fighting them all, sore, tired, on a diet, hungry, stressed.’ But let’s go, f*** it, I chose this sh*t so let’s go until the end.
When I get the belt [on my shoulder], I’ll want one on the other side as well,” Walker said. “I’ll defend it once, twice, and move up to heavyweight to make history. After I take off, brother, I’ll burn all the fuel until I see how far my rocket can fly.”
Walker is set to fight Thiago Santos at UFC Vegas 38 on October 2, and he believes this will be an easy win. “I’m at the highest level, I’ve never had a camp like this one. I went though hell in training, my mouth is cut open inside and outside. Brother, no way, no f*cking way, we’ll fight hard there.
I’ll KO him, I’ll submit him, I’ll fight hard all the time. I’ll be more cautious, circle around, get in, connect and get out, take him down and get back up. He’ll lose his mind, he won’t understand where it’s coming from and what I’m going to do, and that’s when I’ll catch not only him but all of them.”
Do you think Johnny Walker can deliver not one, but two UFC titles? Let us know in the comments.
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