Johnny Walker withdrew from UFC 311 due to an undisclosed injury, expressing disappointment and wishing his opponent Bogdan Guskov luck in finding a replacement for the January 18 event in Los Angeles.
Johnny Walker announced on social media that he’s been pulled from UFC 311 due to an injury. The Brazilian light heavyweight didn’t specify the nature of the injury but described it as “a bad injury.” It’s still up in the air whether Bogdan Guskov will face a new opponent for the Jan. 18 card in Los Angeles.
“I’m devastated,” Walker expressed in a video. “I’ve put in a lot of hard work over the past few months, and I really wanted to perform for you guys, but not this time.” He wished Guskov luck, hoping he finds a replacement soon since Guskov likely trained hard too.
“I know this isn’t great news,” Walker continued. “But I’ve got to make the right choice, recover, and come back stronger. Everyone knows I’m a dad now—Caio is my little baby. I have to fight for them, for my family.”
Walker (21-9, 1 NC) was looking to bounce back from a three-fight winless streak. This included a no-contest and knockout losses to Magomed Ankalaev and Volkan Oezdemir. He hasn’t won in the octagon since victories over Ion Cutelaba, Paul Craig, and Anthony Smith between 2022 and 2023.
Guskov (16-3), who trains with Walker’s brother Valter Walker in Russia, responded on social media. He wished Walker well, saying, “Feel better, sh*t happens.” Guskov has been on a roll himself, with back-to-back finishes over Zac Pauga and Ryan Spann in 2024, earning $50,000 performance bonuses for each.
UFC 311 is set at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Islam Makhachev will defend his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan in the main event. Meanwhile, 135-pound champ Merab Dvalishvili faces undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event.