UFC 311 PPV, the first pay-per-view event down at the Palisades, Inglewood, was a massive success. Despite a slow undercard, the main card delivered on all fronts. UFC 311 generated a live gate of $10,206,350. Betting odds favorites went 8-5 on the card, improving to 1-1 on UFC headliners this year. But it also brought back last year’s (June) pullout curse.
Consequently, it all started with funnyman Johnny Walker. Long before UFC 155-pound Arman Tsarukyan pulled out due to a back injury, it was Johnny Walker. The fan-favorite marquee light heavyweight pulled out of his UFC 311’s ranked PPV fight against Bogdan Guskov. Withdrawing from the 13-bout card was a tough pill to swallow for Walker. Now, he breaks his silence on it.
Yeah, that was really hard for me, …I started a training camp in a new environment with new coaching and new training partners. It was a lot…I put a lot of myself into this camp. Around all of this situation, I invested a lot of money – I was very upset because I put so much effort and money and time to make this happen, but we cannot control…It was hard sparring, but very conscious. I was trying to get out of a jiu-jitsu position and throw myself, like a normal thing, and then I felt my ribs pop.
Johnny Walker to MMAJunkie’s Mike Bohn in a media round facilitated by OnlyFans
Walker was in the midst of a major life change, having decided to leave Dublin, Ireland, and bring his family with him. So, when he was unable to compete, it weighed heavily on him. He had even logged in time in Vegas at Xtreme Couture. Johnny Walker had even sparred with middleweight Sean Strickland. But it was a rib injury that played spoilers to his plans.
The Team SBG Ireland fighter is targeting a return in April or May. He is grateful for the time he has spent training under the tutelage of John Kavanagh at SBG. However, he explained the environment wasn’t right for him. But a lot of the shifting and re-camping effort was exhausted without a result, for now. To add to the woes, Bogdan Guskov isn’t looking forward to prepping for this marquee scrap again.
Bogdan Guskov stops potential Johnny Walker rebooking train after UFC 311 PPV win
The UFC 205-pound star has faced one too many knockout losses in the recent past. Johnny Walker is a mixed-bag of 2-2-1 in his last few fights. The UFC funnyman passed the “Anthony Smith” test milestone and even defeated the unlikely Paul Craig. But since then, it was all wobbly. Hence, Walker had plans for a better future.
Johnny Walker on hard pass to get another chance from opponent, after UFC 311 (Source: X)For the most part, Walker (21-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) was looking to hydrate at bigger and better limits. He was eyeing a move up to heavyweight. Guskov at UFC 311 was to be that very gatekeeping bout that got him one last hoorah at the light heavyweight limits. However, that never came to be.
Guskov beat Billy Elekana with a second-round submission (guillotine choke) – 3:33 mark, at the UFC 311 PPV prelims at Intuit Dome in Inglewood. After which, he shut down the idea of facing Walker again under any circumstance.
Never. I don’t want to make a deal with Johnny…I don’t want to fight him in the sport. For me, it’s better with other guys…Johnny, we stay good friends. We have a relationship. I don’t want to fight with Johnny ever. It’s not good. He started this sh*t, and after he stopped the sh*t. It’s part of our game.
Bogdan Guskov during UFC 311 Post-fight conference fighter interviews
It’d be a far-off rebill anyway. Per reports from California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive director Andy Foster, Guskov received a 180-day clinical suspension. Guskov picked up his third UFC finish in less than a year after suffering a loss in his promotional debut. Now, he treads ahead without giving this missed opportunity any other thought to face other ranked contenders.
Stay Updated!
Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.
