Anthony Smith vs. Johnny Walker to Serve as May 13 UFC Fight Night Headliner

It took former Ultimate Fighting Championship title challenger Anthony Smith a few more months to get a fight than he expected.

The report first came from MMA Island on Thursday, that Smith (36-17) would be getting his next Octagon assignment in May. Atop the unnumbered UFC Fight Night event on May 13, Smith will be taking on Johnny Walker (20-7) in a pivotal light heavyweight clash. The location of the event has not yet been determined. News of this five-round pairing has since been confirmed by multiple outlets.

Smith was previously slated to take on Jamahal Hill atop an event in March, but the promotion pulled Hill to slot him into the title fight atop UFC 283 in January – and Hill ended up winning the championship. This unexpected change in plans left Smith stunned on the live broadcast that announced the new matchup, with the expectation that the UFC would give him a suitable replacement. Smith comes into this headliner with three wins in his last four outings, although he fought once in 2022 and succumbed to strikes from Magomed Ankalaev. Before then, he rattled off three first-round finishes over Devin Clark, Jimmy Crute and Ryan Spann to remain in top contention.

Brazil’s Walker is currently riding his first win streak since 2019, having felled Ion Cutelaba in late 2022 and returning to dispatch Paul Craig in January. The win over the former ended a two-fight skid to Thiago Santos and Hill, with the Hill loss a first-round knockout. As a pro, Walker sports a spectacular finish rate of 95%, topping Smith’s of 91%, with each of his last six victories coming inside the distance.

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