Even weeks after his last appearance in the world's most famous octagon, Valter Walker ended up receiving some "good" news this Tuesday (5). The UFC rankings update brought the Rio native ranked in the Ultimate's heaviest division for the first time since the athlete's debut in the organization. The Brazilian occupies the 14th position in the category ranking, behind his compatriot Tallison Xicão and ahead of the Russian Rizvan Kuniev.
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However, the news may not be as appealing. With the change in status, the fighter is expected to share the octagon with other ranked athletes starting next round, something far from his short-term plans. Walker has stated on several occasions that he has no interest in facing the division's top names at this time.
“I know the guys in the top 10 are on another level. Like I said before, I don’t want to be there right now. I’m repeating this several times. I don’t want to enter the rankings now. I’m not ready. If I can hold out for a year and a half, two years, great, then I can enter the rankings. If I enter the rankings now, I’ll be annoyed. It would be against my will,” the Brazilian stated in an interview with 'MMA Fighting' after submitting Kennedy Nzechukwu in his last fight, less than a month ago.
The Brazilian's rise comes right after Martin Buday's dismissal . Even after frustrating Marcus Buchecha 's debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and winning by unanimous decision, the Slovakian's contract with the organization was not renewed, despite being ranked at the time.
Valter Walker is pure entertainment, but he's also a brawler inside the octagon. He got another kick!
Plenty of charisma and visible progress. The heavyweight division has a new Brazilian to watch. #UFCNashville
— Igor Ribeiro (@igorribeiromma) July 12, 2025
Walter Walker is on a three-fight winning streak in the UFC.
At just 27 years old, Johnny Walker 's younger brother is having a great run in the UFC. Despite being defeated in his debut against Lukasz Brzeski , the Brazilian has put that setback behind him and won three consecutive fights, all by submission with a heel hook in the first round. The victory against Nzechukwu earned him the first Performance of the Night bonus of his career.
At the time, he was happy with the positive result and the prize of US$50 (R$275, at the current exchange rate), but still unsure about facing more experienced athletes.
"I'm very happy because I won and got the bonus and a new contract, but I'm not happy with my performance. I thought I would be calmer. The moment I threw the jab and he grabbed my glove, it surprised me. I thought he would back up. I started running and chasing him, and that was a serious mistake. If he were more experienced, someone in the top 10, he would have knocked me out, without a doubt. It was a silly mistake, and I'm glad I corrected it quickly," he concluded.
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