UFC: Johnny Walker tells Sean O’Malley ‘sometimes it’s good to have losses to wake us up’ – and he would know
- O’Malley’s fellow Contender Series product knows all about having momentum halted after a fast start in the UFC
- ‘This guy is a really good fighter, and I’m sure he’s going to come back better,’ Walker says
UFC light heavyweight contender Johnny Walker believes Sean O’Malley’s upset loss to Marlon “Chito” Vera at UFC 252 will ultimately make the bantamweight a better fighter.
Walker knows the feeling.
While Walker and O’Malley are separated by multiple weight classes, the pair have had very similar paths in the UFC. Both earned contracts with the promotion on Dana White’s Contender Series. Both began their UFC careers with a procession of highlight-reel victories. Both were quickly hailed as future title challengers and perhaps even champions. And both ultimately came up short on the precipice of superstardom – O’Malley against Vera, and Walker against Corey Anderson and Nikita Krylov in his last two fights.
Despite having his momentum slowed by a pair of losses, Walker remains optimistic he’ll accomplish big things. He expects the same from O’Malley, who will now have to come to grips with the fact he’s no longer an undefeated fighter.
