RIO DE JANEIRO — Valter Walker was left heartbroken when the UFC called him on Thursday to inform that Mohammed Usman was out of their upcoming clash at UFC Rio on Oct. 11. He’s now hoping to get back in the cage as early as Oct. 25, when UFC 321 lands in Abu Dhabi.
“First moment I was very upset. I get emotional, I cry,” Walker told MMA Fighting. “But if I have faith, maybe this is for something bigger. … But I’m happy I’m gonna fight after two weeks. [UFC matchmaker] Mick [Maynard] tell me like I’m gonna have something about my expenses, because I spent so much money bringing my wife, bringing my two coaches here. I’m gonna have like some kind of help from UFC and after two weeks, I’m gonna have a fight in Abu Dhabi. If this happens, it’s gonna be great. If not, I’m be happy as well fighting in December.”
It’s still unclear what forced Usman out of the card, and Walker said he was not given a reason.
“I try don’t talk too much about that because we have like same manager, I respect this guy’s brother,” Walker said. “I’m a little bit upset with him, but I respect his family name, you know? I respect Kamaru Usman because [he’s] ex-champion, and won’t go inside any kind of conflict in respect to Ali Abdelaziz, in respect to his brother.”
The Brazilian heavyweight said he was offered a name to be his opponent later this month at UFC 321, but is still waiting for the bout agreement to make things official. Even if the deal isn’t done in time, he hopes to be back in action before the end of the year. Walker said he was compensated by the UFC despite the fight cancellation but he’s still upset that the match if off because “I’m not here for money, I’m not a prostitute.”
“I’m waiting the contract, but I already like change all my plans,” Walker said. “I was planning to stay here one more week with my family and now my manager changed my ticket back to Moscow on Monday. I’ll already come back training. If it happens in two weeks, I’m ready. If it happens after one month, I’m ready. I’m ready every time. I don’t make training camp, I’m all the time in shape.”
Riding a three-fight winning streak in the UFC with all three finishes coming by way of heel hook, Walker blasted fellow heavyweights who took on social media to offer to step in when news broke of Usman was out, but allegedly changed the tone when offered by the UFC.
“This makes me stressed,” Walker said. “I’m very angry because my fight was canceled. I’m not joking, I come here for work. I come here for making money. I come here for making history. If I go inside the cage and make a hook hook No. 4 I’m gonna be in the history. I come here not for joking, I come here for making history. I joke all the time in social media and people think like all the time I’m joking. No, bro, I’m trying to promote my fight, promote my name. It’s my work. Sometimes people don’t understand what is going on and think everything is a joke. If you talk, you need to do.”
