The UFC’s first event of 2024 saw Magomed Ankalaev defeat Johnny Walker with a second-round technical knockout in their light heavyweight main event at a Fight Night at the APEX Facility in Las Vegas on the morning of Sunday 14 January 2024.
Ankalaev and Walker had met back in October, with their first fight ending in an unsatisfying No Contest due to an illegal knee strike from Ankalaev. This time around there was no question as to who the superior fighter on the day was, with the Russian ending the match just over halfway through the second round with a hook and uppercut combination that broke Walker’s nose. The Brazilian clutched his face in pain as referee Marc Goddard intervened. The stoppage came following Ankalaev's effective leg attacks in the first round.
“I'm ready to fight for the title," Ankalaev said post-fight through a translator. "I have 10 victories in a row. I'm worth it. Give me that title right now.”
The rest of the main card featured a submission win for Jim Miller over Gabriel Benitez in the lightweight division; Mario Bautista outpointed Ricky Simon in their bantamweight bout; Brunno Ferreira stopped Phil Hawes in the first round of their middleweight match; and the heavyweight opener saw Waldo Cortes-Acosta overcome Andre Arlovski via unanimous decision.
Next week brings UFC 297 from the Scotiabank Arena in Ontario, Canada, on the morning of Sunday 21 January, headlined by South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis looking to take the middleweight championship off Sean Strickland.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT: ANKALAEV V WALKER 2 – MAIN CARD RESULTS
- Main event: Light heavyweight: Magomed Ankalaev def. Johnny Walker via TKO (punches), R2, 2:42
- Lightweight: Jim Miller def. Gabriel Benitez via submission (face crank), R3, 3:25
- Bantamweight: Mario Bautista def. Ricky Simon via unanimous decision (30-37 30-27 29-28), R3, 5:00
- Middleweight: Brunno Ferreira def. Phil Hawes via KO (punches), R1, 4:55
- Heavyweight: Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Andre Arlovski via unanimous decision (29-28 29-28 29-28), R3, 5:00