Reports indicate that Johnny Walker is preparing to step up in weight for his upcoming UFC appearance.
According to MMA journalist Alexander Behunin, Walker is slated to make his heavyweight debut against the No. 10 ranked contender, Ante Delija. This highly anticipated bout is reportedly scheduled for UFC Belgrade, taking place on August 1st at the Belgrade Arena in Serbia.
While both fighters have reportedly given verbal agreements for the fight, official contracts are still pending finalization.
Recent Octagon Appearances for Johnny Walker and Ante Delija
Johnny Walker is coming off a recent split decision loss to former light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes at UFC 327, which occurred earlier this month. Prior to that, he secured a knockout victory over Mingyang Zhang at UFC Shanghai in August 2025.
The 34-year-old Brazilian has been a fixture in the UFC’s light heavyweight division since November 2018, earning his UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series in the same year. Despite a notable career in the promotion with wins against Khalil Rountree Jr., Anthony Smith, and Paul Craig, Walker has an 8-7-1 record and has faced challenges in maintaining consistent winning streaks.
Ante Delija’s last outing was at UFC Houston in February, where he was defeated by unanimous decision against Serghei Spivac. The former PFL champion had an impressive Octagon debut at UFC Paris in September 2025, achieving a first-round knockout over Marcin Tybura. However, his momentum was halted in his next fight when he was stopped by Waldo Cortes-Acosta in November.
With a professional record of 26 wins and 8 losses, “Walking Trouble” has a history of securing victories via stoppage, including finishes against Renan Ferreira, Matheus Scheffel, and Yorgan De Castro.