Johnny Walker rules out UFC fight with brother Valter ahead of Vegas 124 main event

Johnny Walker has ruled out any future UFC bout against his half-brother Valter, insisting the sport is too brutal to inflict on family — even as both men climb the heavyweight rankings simultaneously.

The Brazilian steps into the main event of UFC Vegas 124 in Las Vegas on Saturday against Waldo Cortes-Acosta on short notice, a win that could push him further up the heavyweight ladder. Valter, meanwhile, is riding a five-fight win streak, all five ending by first-round submission.

Despite the tantalising matchup on paper, Johnny was unequivocal when asked about the possibility. “No, man. Am I going to fight my own brother? Are you crazy?” he told MMA Fighting. “I go in there to hurt other people. I don’t want to hurt my own blood. Fighting is a very violent sport. When we’re in there, it’s something very primitive. We want to rip the other guy’s head off. But doing that to your own brother, someone who shares your blood, there’s no way. Unless the guy is completely crazy — and I’m not that crazy.”

Johnny arrives at UFC Vegas 124 in form, having finished Mick Parkin with a flying knee knockout on his heavyweight debut in October. A victory over Cortes-Acosta on short notice would further cement his standing in a division he only recently moved into.

Off the canvas, the relationship between the two brothers is warm but complicated. The pair trained together in Russia and remain in contact, but Johnny admits he keeps a degree of distance, largely due to Valter’s behaviour online causing friction with family members.

“I just wish we could spend more time together and be more connected,” Johnny said. “But he jokes around too much and is often disrespectful, so it makes it difficult to get closer to him. I’d like to have a brother I could count on 100 percent, but his jokes and crazy behaviour end up upsetting my mother, my wife, and even his own fans.”

Johnny was measured rather than dismissive about his brother’s prospects of maturing. “I think it’s a matter of age. He’s 28. By the time he turns 30 he’ll mature, and then I’ll be able to count on him more. But we do talk, we’re good, everything’s fine. I just have to keep a little distance because he’s a loose cannon — but he’s gotten a lot better with me lately.”

For now, Johnny’s focus is squarely on Cortes-Acosta and the opportunity a main-event win in Las Vegas presents for his heavyweight ambitions.