Head kick, punches seal TKO in round 3; Walker wins 2nd straight at new weight class

Walker fires back at chin critics, eyes title shot

Ko Seok-hyeon beats Turman by unanimous decision for 3rd UFC win

Jonny Walker makes a playful expression during a post-fight interview after stopping Waldo Cortes-Acosta by TKO in round 3 of the UFC Fight Night main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday (Korean Standard Time). Walker, who has now won two straight since moving to heavyweight, pushed back at critics who questioned his chin and signaled his intention to challenge for the heavyweight title. [UFC]
Jonny Walker makes a playful expression during a post-fight interview after stopping Waldo Cortes-Acosta by TKO in round 3 of the UFC Fight Night main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday (Korean Standard Time). Walker, who has now won two straight since moving to heavyweight, pushed back at critics who questioned his chin and signaled his intention to challenge for the heavyweight title. [UFC]

Jonny Walker (34, Brazil), who moved up from light heavyweight to heavyweight, defeated No. 6-ranked Waldo Cortes-Acosta (35, Dominican Republic) to win two straight fights at his new weight class.

Walker stopped Acosta at 2 minutes 27 seconds of round 3 by TKO in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Cortes-Acosta vs. Walker at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday (Korean Standard Time).

The fight was fiercely contested from the opening bell. Walker attempted to slow Acosta's movement with calf kicks, but Acosta pressed forward behind heavy boxing. Walker was pushed against the fence, took a punch and went down, and continued to struggle under Acosta's striking pressure in round 2.

The tide turned in round 3. Walker landed a left body kick, switched his stance and connected with a right Brazilian kick to the top of Acosta's head. Acosta tried to counter with punches but staggered from a follow-up left, and Walker finished the sequence with a right hook that sent Acosta to the canvas before swarming with ground strikes to force the stoppage.

Walker celebrated the victory with his signature worm dance. The win improved his overall record to 24-10 and his UFC record to 10-7.

Jonny Walker (left) lands a left punch on a staggering Waldo Cortes-Acosta after a high kick in round 3 of the UFC Fight Night main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday (Korean Standard Time). [UFC]
Jonny Walker (left) lands a left punch on a staggering Waldo Cortes-Acosta after a high kick in round 3 of the UFC Fight Night main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday (Korean Standard Time). [UFC]

In his post-fight interview, Walker pushed back directly at long-standing questions about his durability. "I took the hardest punch in the heavyweight division right on the chin," he said. "Who said my chin is weak?" He added: "I proved tonight that my chin is strong. From my next fight on, I won't let my opponent touch my chin."

Six of Walker's 10 career losses have come by knockout, fueling doubts about his striking defense and durability. On Sunday, however, he absorbed Acosta's hardest shots before rallying for the comeback stoppage, demonstrating his competitiveness at heavyweight.

Walker also signaled his ambition to challenge for the heavyweight title. He said his plan is for training partner and No. 2-ranked heavyweight Alexander Volkov (38, Russia) to get the first title shot, with Walker following. Walker said he and Volkov plan to watch the heavyweight title fight between champion Ciryl Gane and Josh Hawkit at UFC 334 on Saturday together.

Ko Seok-hyeon lands an overhand left hook to the chin of Wellington Turman during their welterweight bout at the UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday (Korean Standard Time). Ko landed the left hook repeatedly in the standup exchanges. [UFC]
Ko Seok-hyeon lands an overhand left hook to the chin of Wellington Turman during their welterweight bout at the UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday (Korean Standard Time). Ko landed the left hook repeatedly in the standup exchanges. [UFC]

On the same card, South Korea's Ko Seok-hyeon (33) defeated Wellington Turman (30, Brazil) by unanimous decision — 30-27 on all three scorecards — in a welterweight bout. The win came four months after Ko suffered his first UFC loss in July, lifting his UFC record to 3-1.

Ko controlled the fight by blending striking and wrestling effectively, dominating more than nine of the 15 minutes. He took Turman down to seize the initiative in round 1, countered Turman's striking offense with a takedown in round 2, and again put Turman on the mat in round 3 to maintain a dominant position. Ko also led in significant strikes, 54-36.

"I was a bit disappointed about losing my last fight, so I really wanted to win this one," Ko said afterward. "I couldn't get the finish, but I'm happy with the result." Ko called out UFC welterweight veteran Neil Magny (39, United States) as his preferred next opponent.


yjc@heraldcorp.com