Johnny Walker gets the green light for a heavyweight switch following Ngannou sparring

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC Johnny Walker’s plans in the UFC go beyond just making noise at light heavyweight. Walker is looking to take another step forward in the division when he faces Dominick Reyes on Saturday night in Miami. After back-to-back knockout losses to Magomed Ankalaev and Volkan Oezdemir, Walker got back on track last August with a TKO win over Zhang Mingyang.

The 34-year-old now needs to get past former title challenger Dominick Reyes if he wants to build any momentum. But Walker isn’t just thinking about a run at 205 pounds – he’s also interested in moving up to heavyweight down the line. Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC Johnny Walker eyes heavyweight transition after training with Francis Ngannou ahead of UFC 327 Walker’s fight with Reyes comes on a UFC 327 card headlined by the next light heavyweight title clash, with Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg facing off to determine Alex Pereira’s successor.

This bout features two fighters who have both faced Jon Jones. Reyes went up against ‘Bones’ inside the cage, while Walker made headlines early in his career as a potential challenger to him at 205 pounds. Jones eventually moved up to heavyweight, and it seems Walker is planning to follow the same path sooner rather than later.

Walker has been putting in work with Francis Ngannou at Xtreme Couture, preparing for the former UFC champion’s MMA return, which is set to air on Netflix this May. After those sessions, Walker feels more confident about how he might fit in at heavyweight. “I’m thinking about it because the diet has been rough,” Walker told MMA Fighting.