((PPV>>STREAMS!)) UFC Fight Night 234 Ankalaev vs. Walker 2 Live Free Online Broadcast 13 January 2024
How to watch UFC Vegas 84: Date, time, channel, odds, card for Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker 2. A rivalry fight will open 2024 for the UFC. Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker face off in a rematch on January 13. In the UFC’s APEX Center, the fight airs on ESPN+ in the U.S.
Click Here to Watch UFC Vegas 84 Ankalaev vs Walker 2 Live Online
An 11-time gold medalist in MMA and Sambo, Ankalaev turned pro in 2014. He joined the UFC in 2018, losing against Paul Craig. Since then, he has gone unbeaten with a 9-0-2 record. In December 2022, he fought Jan Blachowicz to a controversial draw for the vacant UFC light heavyweight title. Ankalaev appeared to have the edge, but the scorecards stated otherwise.
Representing SBG Ireland, Walker turned pro in 2013. A Dana White's Contender Series alum, Walker joined the UFC in 2018. Including DWCS, he is 8-4-1 in the octagon and is known for hurting himself after doing the worm. He beat former title contender Anthony Smith in May.
The first fight between the two was at UFC 294. It ended in a no-contest when Ankalaev landed an illegal knee to a downed Walker, who could not continue after. They engaged in a brawl post-fight that forced UFC CEO Dana White to enter the octagon and stop them.
In the lead-up to a big pay-per-view, some of the best in the UFC get set to do battle in Sin City once again for another edition of Fight Night on Saturday.
The main event of the night is a Light Heavyweight bout between Magomed Ankalaev takes on Johnny Walker.
This is a rematch from the combatants’ bout at UFC 249 in October, when the match was ruled no contest after Ankalaev delivered an accidental illegal knee that prevented Walker from continuing.
Ankalaev is looking for his first win in almost two years. Prior to the first fight with Walker, the Russian-born fighter went to a draw with Jan Blachowicz for the vacant division title at UFC 282. The No. 3-ranked Light Heavyweight’s last victory came all the way back at UFC 277 when he beat Anthony Smith. Ankalaev is 17-1-1 in his career, with nine wins coming by knockout.
Walker was on a three-bout win streak prior to facing Ankalaev, including earning Performance of the Night honors at UFC 279 when he beat Ion Cutelaba by submission. The 31-year-old is 21-7 in his career with 16 wins coming by knockout.
A win by either fighter will move them very close to future title shot.
UFC Fight Night
Ankalaev vs. Walker 2
WHEN: Saturday, January 13
WHERE: UFC Apex (Las Vegas, Nev.)
STREAM: ESPN+
MAIN CARD (7 p.m. ET)
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker (Light Heavyweight - Main Event)
Matheus Nicolau vs. Manel Kape (Flyweight)
Jim Miller vs. Gabriel Benitez (Lightweight)
Ricky Simon vs. Mario Bautista (Bantamweight)
Phil Hayes vs. Brunno Ferreira (Middleweight)
PRELIMS (4 p.m. ET)
Andrei Arlovski vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta (Heavyweight)
Matthew Semelsberger vs. Preston Parsons (Welterweight)
Marcus McGhee vs. Gaston Bolanos (Bantamweight)
Farid Basharat vs. Taylor Lapilus (Bantamweight)
Westin Wilson vs. Jean Silva (Featherweight)
Nikolas Motta vs. Tom Nolan (Lightweight)
Joshua Van vs. Felipe Bunes (Flyweight)
Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker meet for a second time in search of a conclusive ending. Ankalaev vs. Walker headlines UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday three months after an illegal knee stopped their first fight.
Ankalaev (18-1-1) has had an unusual 18 months. Ankalaev left UFC 282 empty-handed after drawing Jan Blachowicz in a vacant UFC light heavyweight title fight in December 2022. His rebound against Walker at UFC 294 in October ended via no-contest after Ankalaev hit his downed opponent with a knee. Ankalaev has become a bit of an afterthought in the 205-pound title race without accruing a loss, but he is partly to blame. He struck Walker with an egregious illegal blow after all. Ankalaev dismissed Walker's allegations that it was intentional, chalking it up to poor timing while questioning Walker's toughness.
"He's going to say whatever he's going to say because, at that moment, he basically dropped the fight," Ankalaev told CBS Sports through a translator. "He didn't want to fight anymore. It's not the first time a strike like that has been thrown in the UFC. There have been other moments where someone got up with a knee of that sort and got up and continued to fight. But he pretty much knew he had to get out at that point so that's why he dropped the fight.
Walker (21-7) has been floating in the middle of the UFC light heavyweight rankings for years now. He struggled for a long time after snapping an exciting three-fight finishing stretch in his early UFC days. The pieces are coming together now with Walker on a new winning streak heading into the first Ankalaev fight. Walker unfortunately did not get a chance to further his case for a title shot. The cage-side doctor waved off the bout after Walker absorbed the illegal blow despite his protests. Naturally, Walker took issue with Ankalaev questioning his heart.
Magomed Ankalaev record and bio
Date of birth: June 6, 1992
Height: 6' 3"
Reach: 75"
Total fights: 20
Record: 18-1-1 (1 NC)
Johnny Walker record and bio
Nationality: Brazilian
Date of birth: March 30, 1992
Height: 6' 6"
Reach: 82"
Total fights: 28
Record: 21-7-0 (1 NC)
If you want to play by the rules, I don't have to worry about a knee to the face when I have three limbs on the floor," Walker told CBS Sports in response to Ankalaev. "I was ready to fight by the rules. If you don't want to fight with rules, take the rules out and I'll sign up without rules. Then I'm going to soccer kick, I'm going to punch him in the balls and I'm going to poke him in the eyes. I don't care.
Saturday's fight card took a hit on the scales on Friday. Manel Kape was scheduled to take on Matheus Nicolau in an important flyweight contest as both look to make their way to title contention. Unfortunately, Kape missed weight by 3.5 pounds and the fight was eventually canceled. Kape had the same issue in 2021 when he missed weight by a similar margin, though the fight did proceed and he finished Ode Osbourne by first-round knockout.
Ankalaev, who is on an 11-fight unbeaten streak in the UFC and has not tasted defeat since his victory over Anthony Smith at UFC 277, is universally acknowledged as a genuine championship contender in the 205-pound division.
His last bout, a split draw against Jan Blachowicz for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 282, showcased his formidable skill set.
On the other side, Walker had been riding a wave of success before his initial bout with Ankalaev, winning three consecutive fights.
The 31-year-old Brazilian displayed increased poise and patience in these matches while retaining his quick-finish ability.
Their first fight in October concluded controversially when Ankalaev, who was dominating the bout, landed an illegal knee on a grounded Walker, leading to a stoppage due to miscommunication with the ringside doctor.
The night is headlined by a light heavyweight rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker, following their previous bout ending in a no contest at UFC 294. With an array of talent across different weight classes, this event is a showcase of skill, strategy, and strength.
UFC Vegas 84 emanates from the UFC APEX and promises to deliver a cannot-miss 12-fight card. Headlining the first card of the year will be Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker, who meet for the second time in the octagon.
Ankalaev and Walker are ranked contenders in the ever-changing light heavyweight division, and they both surely eye a shot at the 205-pound gold sometime during the year. Before they get there though, they need to get over the hurdle of a former foe, with their first encounter ending in a controversial no-contest.
The penultimate fight on the card was supposed to be a flyweight bout between Matheus Nicolau and Manel Kape but Kape missed weight and the fight was scrapped.
