Anthony Smith and Johnny Walker will officially fight in a light heavyweight showdown.
Number five-ranked Smith is taking on number seven-ranked Walker in the main event on May 13. The Brazilian looks to continue his climb through the 205-pound rankings after two consecutive first-round finishes against Ion Cutelaba and Paul Craig. Meanwhile, ‘Lionheart’ is coming off a loss to Magomed Ankalaev but could find himself close to a title shot with an impressive win.
The UFC light heavyweight division was turned upside down when Jiri Prochazka vacated the undisputed title with a severe shoulder injury. Top contenders Magomed Ankalaev and Jan Blachowicz had an opportunity to secure the vacant throne, but unfortunately, the fight ended in a draw.
Dana White was frustrated with the lackluster performances by Ankalaev and Blachowicz, leading to an instant booking of Jamahal Hill vs. Glover Teixeira for the vacant throne. Hill was initially scheduled to fight Smith, but the latter ended up being the odd man out.
‘Sweet Dreams’ maximized his opportunity and defeated Teixeira to become the reigning 205-pound king. Luckily, ‘Lionheart’ now has an opportunity to potentially earn a title shot by defeating Walker on May 13 in a five-round war.
What’s at stake between Anthony Smith and Johnny Walker?
It’s unclear what’s next for UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill. Once Jiri Prochazka returns, Dana White has guaranteed him an immediate title shot. The question is, will ‘Sweet Dreams’ fight again before Prochazka fully recovers?
Considering Prochazka plans to make his Octagon return in the next six months, Hill will most likely wait for an unofficial unification matchup. So, how does the rest of the 205-pound division play out? Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev should fight again to determine who’s the official number-two ranked contender. Meanwhile, Aleksandr Rakic will return from an injury later this year as the number four-ranked light heavyweight.
Therefore, the stakes are high between Anthony Smith and Johnny Walker. The winner on May 13 could solidify a spot in a number one contender fight. Meanwhile, Rakic might end up fighting the winner of Ryan Spann vs. Nikita Krylov. These predictions are purely speculation, and the business of MMA could create a handful of different outcomes.
The announcement of the Smith vs. Walker fight was first confirmed by MMAFighting.
