UFC welcomes Johnny Walker’s brother to heavyweight division

Вальтер Уокер (Бразилия) vs Айбек Кобенов (Кыргызстан) / ММА Серия–47

Valter Walker, the younger brother of UFC light heavyweight Johnny Walker, is officially stepping into the heavyweight division.

The 25-year-old is scheduled to make his promotional debut against Jake Collier at UFC Fight Night on September 23. According to a report from MMA journalist Laerte Vianna, Walker has already agreed to the bout and signed his bout agreement.

With less than three years of pro experience, Valter previously changed his last name to Ignacio. The decision was intentional, as he wanted to distance himself from the shadow of his older brother.

“I changed my name because I’m tired of people all asking me all the time if I’m really the brother of Johnny,” said Walker.

Valter has big shoes to fill as he enters the UFC. His brother is a fan favorite who is currently in top form. The 31-year-old initially had impressive finishes but stumbled upon a rough period before bouncing back with a 3-fight win streak. He is now ranked #5 in the UFC’s light heavyweight division.

Valter vs. Collier stats

“The Clean Monster” defeated his first three opponents in the opening round before establishing a 6-0 record in the Russian regional promotion MMA Series, with only a brief stint in Arena Global.

Valter also took on an intense battle against UFC and PFL veteran Alex “The Spartan” Nicholson in May. He eventually secured a fourth-round stoppage victory, leading the Brazilian to claim the Titan FC heavyweight title.

Most recently, Valter secured a fourth-round TKO victory over Alex Nicholson at Titan FC 82 – SBC 47: Revenge. He now holds an undefeated 11-0 record, with seven wins ending in stoppages.

Meanwhile, Collier (13-9) aims to end his three-fight losing streak, as another loss could jeopardize his career in the UFC. He has faced defeats against Andrei Arlovski, Chris Barnett and Martin Buday.

Since joining the UFC in 2014 as a middleweight and now competing as a heavyweight, Collier has secured five wins out of his 13 bouts with the organization.