Johnny Walker rules out UFC fight with half-brother Valter: 'I don't want to hurt my own blood'

UFC heavyweight Johnny Walker has ruled out ever fighting his half-brother Valter Walker inside the octagon, describing the prospect as unthinkable given the brutal nature of the sport.

“No, man. Am I going to fight my own brother? Are you crazy?” Walker told MMAFighting. “I go in there to hurt other people. I don’t want to hurt my own blood.”

The Brazilian explained that competing in MMA requires fighters to abandon any concern for the person standing across from them — a mindset he cannot apply to a sibling. “When we step in there, man, it’s one guy trying to kill the other. That’s just how it is. You signed the contract, you know what you’re getting into,” Walker said. “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.”

Despite the firm stance, Walker’s relationship with Valter is not without its complications. The two have trained together in Russia, but Johnny acknowledged that his younger half-brother’s behaviour has created distance between them.

“I would like to be close to my brother. I’d like to have a brother I could count on 100 percent,” Walker said. “But he jokes around too much and is often disrespectful, so it makes it difficult to get closer to him.”

Walker was nonetheless clear that affection, not animosity, underpins his refusal. He said he loves Valter and hopes their relationship improves over time, even if a UFC matchup between the two will never be on the table.