In a controversial decision, the ringside physician stopped the fight between Johnny Walker and Magomed Ankalaev after questioning Walker’s ability to continue, resulting in a no-contest due to Ankalaev’s unintentional foul.
In a surprising turn of events, Johnny Walker’s highly anticipated fight against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 294 was abruptly halted by the ringside physician. During the early moments of the first round, Ankalaev delivered a devastating knee strike to Walker while he was on the ground, and the fight was immediately paused to allow Walker time to recover. However, just moments later, the referee made the controversial decision to wave off the fight.
The controversy arose when the ringside doctor examined Walker after he stood up from the illegal strike. The doctor questioned Walker about his whereabouts, testing his cognitive abilities. Unfortunately, Walker’s response was not sufficient, prompting the doctor to inform the referee, resulting in the fight being declared a no-contest due to an unintentional foul committed by Ankalaev. UFC CEO Dana White criticized the doctor’s inexperience during the post-fight press conference, stating, “The guy’s inexperienced. I think there’s a big language barrier in there between the two of them.”
White acknowledged the language barrier as Walker’s first language is not English, which may have contributed to the miscommunication. Expressing his disappointment with the situation, White vowed to rectify the incident, ensuring such errors are avoided in the future. Walker’s frustration was evident as he attempted to restart the fight, prompting Ankalaev to react and security to intervene to maintain order. White had to personally step into the octagon to calm everyone down, recognizing that the situation had the potential to escalate.
While it remains uncertain if the UFC has plans to reschedule the fight between Ankalaev and Walker, past instances suggest they may consider a rematch. Ankalaev’s recent string of unfortunate outcomes, including a draw in his fight with Jan Blachowicz that cost him the UFC light heavyweight title, has left him without a win on his record.