LAS VEGAS – Valter Walker made it known Saturday he could be a scary prospect for future opponents in the heavyweight division.
Walker (13-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), brother of UFC light heavyweight Johnny Walker, submitted Don’Tale Mayes (11-8 MMA, 4-6 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 251 – and he did it in a hurry. Just 77 seconds in, the Brazilian made Mayes tap to a nasty heel hook.
There have been just five heel hook stoppages in UFC heavyweight history – and Walker has two of them, and in back-to-back fights. Perhaps even more disconcerting for potential future opponents is that Walker said he has versions of the heel hook that haven’t been seen outside the gym.
Walker said as soon as the fight went to the canvas, he wanted the heel hook. But Mayes had other plans – at least for a few seconds.
“He held my arms. I wanted to go already – after I took him down, I just wanted to go to his foot really quickly, but he held my arms,” Walker told MMA Junkie at his post-fight news conference at the UFC Apex. “I waited for the moment when he stopped holding my arms and go to his foot. But after he defended it, (I thought), ‘This guy is good. He did his homework.’ I saw his defense, and his defense was good. But I turned him, and after I turned him, he couldn’t (defend) anymore – he had the wall (in the way).”
Walker came to the UFC unbeaten in 2024, but like many promotional newcomers fell short in his debut. Lukasz Brzeski outworked him for a unanimous decision this past April.
But four months later, the Brazil-born Walker, who trains in Russia, made the trip Down Under and got Junior Tafa to verbally tap to a heel hook at UFC 305. Despite that finish, Walker was denied a post-fight bonus.
Saturday, even though the rarity of two straight heel hooks, particularly at heavyweight, was not shied away from on the broadcast or post-fight interviews, Walker again was left short of a post-fight bonus.
So the plan likely is to just keep snatching up feet until he gets recognized for an extra $50,000.
“When you take the foot – well, I will not teach you. I will not tell you this, because then heavyweights can see and they will learn how to defend it,” Walker said. “But if they learn how to defend (my heel hook), I will bring one more variation. I have like three variations from the leg, and I’ve used only one in the UFC. I have more two or three more variations of the heel hook I do only in the gym, only (with people) training with me. If they defend, I’m already ready for a variation. They defend, I go to the other leg, another variation. I’m ready.”
Check out Walker’s full post-fight interview in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 251.
UFC Fight Night 251: Best photos from Las Vegas
UFC Fight Night 251: Official scorecards from Las Vegas
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Valter Walker sends out warning to heavyweight division after second straight heel hook
