After rattling off three straight wins to kick off his UFC career, it seemed like nobody could stop the physical or media force that is Johnny Walker. However, in November, Corey Anderson pulled off the upset and put the first ‘L’ in Walker’s UFC record. Ever the professional, Walker used this loss as a learning opportunity and a catalyst for change. He’s moved a portion of his camp to the famed TriStar MMA in Montreal and has begun working with Firas Zahabi regularly. 

While the well documented move for Walker is confidence boost for him, he’s found many other sources of confidence elsewhere in his preparation - namely a chance to fight in his home country once again. 

“Brazil is always exciting for fights because the public is so nice,” Walker shares of his delight of fighting at home. “Everybody gives so much energy to the fights. Everybody is a huge fan of MMA.”

But it is one fan in particular that has Walker extra jacked up for this bout, and it is one who has known him since the minute he came into this world.  

“My mom is going to be at my fight. She’s going to watch my fight in the UFC for the first time live,” Walker said. “This is going to give me so much more energy.” 

The energy will come somewhat from being around family and friends, and seeing the joy on their face. However, Walker also notes that the energy is, at least in part, due to wanting to show his mother exactly what he is capable of doing in a cage. 

“I’m going to show her why she put me in the world - to beat another man,” he said. 

And while he is out to demonstrate his purpose in life to his mother in the scariest possible fashion, don’t expect Mrs. Walker to be concerned about her baby boy. According to Johnny, she'll be at ease and as excited as he is. 

 “I don’t think [she’ll be nervous] because she made me, she knows who I am, she knows what I can do,” he said. “I think she’s going to be, of course excited, but she’s not going to be nervous because she knows my power and what I can do. She made me, so she trusts me.”