Johnny Walker vs Volkan Oezdemir Preview
MMA fans have an exciting fight this weekend in the UFC light-heavyweight division. Johnny Walker will fight Volkan Oezdemir in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia. This is an exciting Fight Night clash between two hard hitters on Saturday, June 22nd.
Walker and Oezdemir are two of the division’s most familiar faces. Both men are capable of spectacular knockouts and possess incredible power. However, they also have notorious flaws and can lose fights from winning positions. There’s little between these two fighters and huge potential ramifications. The winner can go on a title charge while the loser’s dream of claiming the belt will be over.
Johnny Walker vs Volkan Oezdemir Key Stats and Head-to-Head
Walker and Oezdemir had very similar career paths. They both surged into contention on the back of incredible win streaks, including multiple KO wins. Walker famously devastated Khalil Rountree Jr. while Oezdemir had a spectacular win over Jimi Manuwa. However, they both fall short whenever they face the UFC’s upper echelon of light heavyweights. Magomed Ankalaev has defeated both men. They’ve also suffered defeats to opponents like Jamahal Hill and Jiří Procházka.
Walker’s current record stands at 21-8-1 with 16 knockout wins and 5 KO losses. Meanwhile, Oezdemir is a 26-fight veteran with a 19-7 record. 12 of his wins came by KO/TKO with one loss by KO against Prochazka.
Brazil’s Walker has a better recent record than Oezdemir with three wins in his last five matches. He had a bizarre year with a no-contest against Ankalaev before he lost the rematch in January. The Russian fighter defeated Walker with punches in the second round. This wasn’t the best performance of the SBG Ireland fighter’s career. Many people expected Ankalaev to take Walker down, but ultimately, he lost on his feet.
Meanwhile, Switzerland’s Oezdemir only has two wins in his last five. He lost to Nikita Krylov between wins over Paul Craig and the streaking Bogdan Guskov. The latter saw him secure a morale-boosting first-round rear-naked choke. Oezdemir has arguably never beaten a top 205lber. Both men have plenty of doubters, so they’ll be desperate to prove themselves in this clash. Walker is a minor favourite, but there’s barely anything between these two experienced pros.
It will be interesting to see what approach Walker takes after his KO loss earlier this year. The important point is he didn’t rush back to action, as he gave his brain plenty of time to heal. However, some fans fear he may be gun-shy against Oezdemir, which would play into the Swiss fighter’s hands.
SBG head coach John Kavanagh also famously tried to make Walker’s approach more technical. This was relatively effective against the likes of Paul Craig and Anthony Smith. However, some fans miss the chaos of Walker’s early UFC career and feel he’s not using his athleticism to the best of his ability.
At 34, Oezdemir is two years older than Walker. However, this is less of a factor in the heavier divisions. Some analysts will note that he only won four of his past 10 fights. However, this record is slightly misleading. Oezdemir has fought almost every elite 205lber in the UFC. It’s worth noting he fell short of some of the best, like Daniel Cormier and Prochazka. However, he has defeated fighters like Ovince Saint-Preux and Aleksandar Rakić. Most people would put Walker in the second category, so Oezdemir will likely have a good chance against him.
The bout between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker has been called a no contest after Walker was deemed unable to continue due to an illegal knee from Ankalaev. #UFC294 pic.twitter.com/Mvy6NwaDso
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 21, 2023
The Swiss fighter also has cleaner striking than Walker. He was a former professional kickboxer before he transitioned to MMA. Both men only have one submission victory each in the UFC. Coincidentally, they both secured rear-naked chokes. This fight will probably play out on the feet.
Johnny Walker vs Volkan Oezdemir Predictions
Prediction: Johnny Walker to win by KO
We predict Johnny Walker will win this MMA fight by KO in the second round. This isn’t a confident prediction because both men can win this match. More importantly, they’re both famous for their ability to lose.
This will be a striking battle between two grizzled veterans. One touch could end this match in an instant. However, we expect these men to start tentatively as they test each other’s guards. In the second round, they’ll be more comfortable with the distance and may open up with their punches.
Walker was riding a three-fight win streak before he ran into Ankalaev. The Dagestani was a tough match-up, so this could be a perfect fight for the Brazilian to rebound. Arguably, the stakes are higher for him than for Oezdemir.
However, it’s crucial to note that Walker suffered a KO defeat in his last match. It remains to be seen how this affected his chin. Some fighters can’t absorb the same amount of damage after they’ve endured a knockout. This makes Oezdemir more dangerous than many people think.
Oezdemir is a good striker, but it’s not a certainty that he’ll win a stand-up battle. Corey Anderson isn’t the best puncher in the world, but he knocked out the Swiss fighter. More recently, former champion Jamahal Hill also put his lights out. Oezdemir has taken a lot of damage throughout his MMA career.
Live betting is a good option for this match. A decision is likely if this match goes past the second round. Then it will become a cardio battle. The fittest fighter will probably emerge victorious. If they’re too afraid to engage this could quickly become a staring contest.
A KO/TKO win is the most likely outcome. However, we’ve seen knockout artists cancel each other out in the past. Let’s hope that we won’t see a repeat of Francis Ngannou vs Derrick Lewis. The Riyadh crowd won’t be happy if that’s the main event that they receive. Check out our blog for the best UFC fight predictions and betting tips.
Johnny Walker vs Volkan Oezdemir Betting Tips
Johnny Walker is the slightest of favourites to win this match against Volkan Oezdemir. There’s only a narrow difference between these two men. Walker is available at 17/20 on our betting site. This means that a €10 bet would win €8.50 if successful. He’s slightly younger and is arguably a better athlete than Oezdemir.
The Brazilian has the physical attributes to win this main event in Saudi Arabia. However, betting on MMA is exciting because anything can happen. A fighter can exploit a moment of weakness and knock their opponent out or sink in a submission.
Oezdemir is a 20/21 underdog, so the same stake would win €9.52. This is possible because he has a clinical striking style and could exploit Walker’s more frenzied approach. This is the type of fight where the first clean punch could change everything. If neither fighter lands a knockout blow, betting on Johnny Walker to win by decision could also be a winning wager.
Check out the other UFC markets for more lucrative opportunities. Why not try betting on the over/under for the number of rounds? This may be a short match and we already called a second-round finish. Over 1.5 rounds is worth 3/5, meaning a €10 stake could win €6. However, it’s 5/4 for this fight to be over 1.5 or under 2.5 rounds. This suggests it will be a late second-round finish. These men are always dangerous, so don’t blink because it could be over before you know it.
It would be smart to bet on this fight to finish by KO/TKO. Statistically, these men are very close, so why not choose the method of finish as a prop bet? We don’t expect a submission win because this isn’t a regular part of their fighting styles.
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Johnny Walker vs Volkan Oezdemir Outcome
This is a massive fight for both men because their UFC careers are on the line. They will know that this clash represents a turning point. The winner has the chance to reenter title contention. It won’t be easy, but there’s an opportunity to make something happen. Neither man has faced Jan Blachowicz before. The former champion currently holds the No. 5 ranking and is in no-man’s-land himself. This would be a natural match-up for the winner.
The loser will find himself in an existential crisis. It’s unlikely he’ll have another opportunity to chase championship glory at light-heavyweight. He’ll have to settle for gatekeeper status to stick around in the UFC or move up a division. It wouldn’t be shocking if the promotion cut them or if they mutually agreed to sever ties. The likes of the PFL, ONE and KSW might provide more lucrative opportunities.
