Johnny Walker Removed From UFC Belgrade

Johnny Walker will no longer compete at UFC Belgrade on August 1 after the UFC was unable to find a suitable replacement opponent, according to an update reported by Bloody Elbow. Walker had been scheduled to face Ante Delija in a bout that would have marked a significant change in his UFC run: his first appearance at heavyweight after 16 fights in the promotion’s light heavyweight division. Delija was reported out of the contest last month, and the promotion initially looked to keep Walker on the card. That effort did not produce a new opponent during fight week, leaving the Brazilian off the event.

The development delays Walker’s planned return rather than changing the broader identity of the Belgrade card. UFC Belgrade has undergone several changes in the weeks before the Octagon’s debut in Serbia, with Borislav Nikolic among the fighters added on short notice after roster members fell off the August 1 lineup. For Walker, however, the late adjustment has a more direct effect: the opportunity to debut at heavyweight has been postponed. Bloody Elbow reported that no replacement was secured, meaning there is no confirmed fight for Walker at this event.

Walker’s heavyweight move is put on hold

Walker was booked against Delija as a heavyweight, a planned first for him following 16 UFC light heavyweight bouts. That detail is central to why the cancellation matters. This was not simply a replacement booking on the same terms as a previous appearance; it was meant to place Walker in a new weight class for his next UFC outing. With Delija unavailable and no suitable substitute found, the move cannot happen in Belgrade. The source does not identify another opponent, a new date, or a replacement event for Walker. It only confirms that he will not be in action on August 1. Keeping that distinction clear is important because the reported search for an opponent shows the UFC sought to preserve his place on the card, while the fight-week update confirms that effort ultimately fell short. Walker’s next competitive step therefore remains unconfirmed in the supplied report.

The cancelled contest also arrives after a defined recent stretch for Walker. Earlier this year, he suffered a split-decision loss to Dominick Reyes in Miami in a contest described by the source as dull. Before that, Walker had ended a two-fight skid last August by stopping Mingyang Zhang. Those results provide the immediate context for the Belgrade booking without assigning any broader conclusion to the cancellation. The available report establishes that Walker was due to return one week after his brother Valter Walker won in Abu Dhabi and continued his submission streak, but Johnny Walker’s own scheduled return will now have to wait.

What is confirmed about Walker’s removal

The confirmed sequence begins with Walker’s booking against Delija and ends with the UFC failing to secure a replacement during fight week. Delija’s exit was reported last month, after which the promotion was reportedly looking for another opponent for Walker. Guilherme Cruz then provided the update that no suitable opponent had been found. The result is straightforward: Walker is no longer scheduled to compete at UFC Belgrade. The event itself remains substantial despite Walker’s removal. Bloody Elbow reported that the Belgrade lineup still features 14 bouts, so the card has not been reduced to an unusually small slate by this change. That is relevant event context, but it does not lessen the individual significance for Walker. His heavyweight debut was specifically attached to the Delija matchup, and the report supplies no replacement matchup that would preserve that debut on August 1. The listed points below separate the confirmed outcome for Walker from the confirmed status of the event.

• Johnny Walker was scheduled to face Ante Delija in what would have been his heavyweight debut after 16 UFC light heavyweight bouts.
• After Delija was reported out, the UFC could not find a suitable replacement opponent, so Walker will not compete on August 1.

Johnny Walker’s UFC Belgrade appearance is off because the search for a replacement opponent did not result in a workable matchup. The immediate consequence is a delay to his planned heavyweight debut, not a confirmed new booking. His recent split-decision loss to Dominick Reyes and prior stoppage of Mingyang Zhang remain the available competitive context, while the next date, opponent and location for Walker are not established by the report.

Sources: Bloody Elbow