A light heavyweight clash is in the works for the UFC’s March return to Brazil.
MMA Junkie today confirmed the promotion is targeting a fight between Johnny Walker and Nikita Krylov for March 14 on a Fight Night card at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia.
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the targeted bout to MMA Junkie following an initial report by ESPN.
Walker burst into the spotlight in 2018 when he knocked out Khalil Rountree with brutal elbows in his UFC debut. Continuing to add to his highlight reel, Walker followed up that performance with quick TKO victories against Justin Ledet and Misha Cirkunov.
At UFC 244 in early November, Walker was upset by surging contender Corey Anderson. New Jersey’s Anderson finished Walker with punches just 127 seconds into the opening round. Walker still sits at No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie light heavyweight rankings.
As for Krylov, the Ukrainian light heavyweight has dropped two out of his last three appearances. In September, Krylov dropped a split decision to former UFC title challenger Glover Teixeira in Vancouver. A victory over Ovince Saint Preux in April was preceded by a loss to Jan Blachowicz.
UFC Brasilia is expected to stream on ESPN+.
With the addition to the card, the UFC Brasilia lineup now includes:
- Amanda Ribas vs. Paige VanZant
- Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Brad Tavares
- Nikita Krylov vs. Johnny Walker
