MMA fighter was knocked out cold three times in first 20 seconds of brutal fight
Knock me out once, shame on you. Knock me out three times, shame on the referee who allowed the fight to reach that point in the first place.
While there can be no doubting Johnny Walker's heart in a performance that saw him suffer three 'knockouts' in 18 seconds, one could argue the light heavyweight should have been saved from himself beforehand. The freak incident occurred at Jungle Fight 88 in June 2016, a little more than two years before the Brazilian moved to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Walker was a rising star of Brazil's MMA scene at the time and was noted for his entertainment value in fights, a reputation that precedes him to this day. The 30-year-old faced Henrique 'Montanha' Silva Lopes boasting an 8-2 record and having never gone to a decision in his career at that point.
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Where does Johnny Walker's triple KO rank among the most brutal MMA finishes you've seen? Let us know in the comments section.
Unfortunately for Walker, Lopes ensured that streak continued in the worst way possible when it took him just 18 seconds to secure the finish. Or at least that's if you only count referee Douglas Aires' final intervention as the only stoppage.
A straight right was the first to floor Walker, though this is the most debatable blow considering Lopes' opponent appeared to lose his footing while attempting a front kick. However, despite his best attempts to scramble and lock out Lopes' leg, one could easily argue Walker is quite clearly out of it.
Montanha continues to rein blows on a witless Walker, who suffers 'knockout' No. 2 as he once again flattens out on his back. One would think the optics of a fighter flat on the ground not blocking their battered head would be enough to convince Aires to stop the fight—but no dice.
No sooner did the 6'5" Walker somehow manage to get back to his feet before finding a right hook planted squarely in his face. Walker goes down again, not even having the wherewithal to block his fall with his hands, and this time, the official decides he's had enough.
It's somewhat frightening to watch Walker still attempt to stagger back to his feet a fourth time, only to lurch onto his back once more as he struggles to find equilibrium. The mohawked MMA star has been involved in numerous highlight-reel finishes over the course of his career, but this was one example where the referee's display grabbed too much attention.
As fate would have it, Walker ended up going on the longest win streak of his career after this defeat, scoring nine consecutive victories and earning his place in the UFC through Dana White's Contender Series. He's since gone 6-4 with the promotion (20-7 in MMA) and most recently notched his second straight finish after beating Scotland's Paul Craig via TKO at UFC 283 in January.
Walker—who trains with Conor McGregor's coach, John Kavanagh—has a catalogue of crazy moments in MMA, from dislocating his shoulder mid-celebration to suffering one of the weirdest knockouts in the history of the sport. However, his 'triple KO' defeat to Lopes was one dark moment in an otherwise bright career that should have been avoided altogether.
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