RIO DE JANEIRO – Johnny Walker’s surgeon had a lot of work to do.
The worm dance that dislocated Walker’s shoulder left him with an implanted screw and other improvements to keep it stable during healing.
Walker (17-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC) knew something wasn’t right after flopping across the octagon to celebrate a 36-second knockout at UFC 235. He does, after all, have a higher tolerance for pain given his profession. But he never imagined he’d be this messed up.
Now, he’s got to take it easy, which is torture for a guy who parties while he competes. His most serious injury could be to his heart.
“Very frustrating,” he told MMA Junkie while serving as a guest fighter at UFC 237. “I’ve been very stressed for the past two months. I have to keep my mind busy. I don’t know, do some yoga and stretching, work with my legs and my lower body. But it’s still not enough. I’m still stressed. I want to be back soon.”
Two or three months is the optimistic assessment for Walker’s return to fighting. This week, he’s scheduled to see a doctor who will tell him whether his comeback timeline is realistic.
Of course, he’ll be watching and pining for the winner when Thiago “Marreta” Santos takes on light heavyweight champ Jon Jones at UFC 239. He supports his countryman Santos, though his ego demands a showdown with the champ.
“I want to beat Jon Jones,” he said.
With three straight knockout wins earned in of total cage time of less than three minutes, the only thing seems to slow down Walker is his body. You can imagine the celebration that would ensue if he was able to beat Jones. Hopefully somebody would throw a mat on the canvas, just in case.
To hear from Walker, check out the video above.
For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
