Johnny Walker Knocks Out Waldo Cortes-Acosta in UFC Vegas 124 Main Event

Johnny Walker was knocked down in the first round. By the third, he had knocked out one of the UFC’s top heavyweights.

Walker defeated Waldo Cortes-Acosta by third-round knockout in the main event of UFC Vegas 124 on Saturday night at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, according to CBS Sports. CBS Sports reported that Cortes-Acosta put Walker on the canvas in round one before Walker rallied. MMA News described the finish as a sudden head kick, though the reports reviewed differ in how they describe the closing sequence.

Cortes-Acosta entered as the No. 6 ranked heavyweight, according to Yahoo Sports. The win was Walker’s second straight since moving up from light heavyweight, Yahoo Sports reported. Heavy noted that he had also won by knockout against Mick Parkin the month before.

Essentially Sports reported that Walker took the fight on nine days’ notice after the original main event fell through, and that he became the first fighter to knock out Cortes-Acosta. The Eastern Herald reported earlier on the main-event change. This report does not state a cause for the withdrawal because the sources reviewed do not agree.

Yahoo Sports also reported that the fight earned Fight of the Night honors. Elsewhere on the card, UFC.com said Elijah Smith knocked out Davey Grant in one minute, and Tatiana Suarez maintained her place in the title queue.

Several details remain unconfirmed in the reports reviewed, including the exact time of the stoppage, the full finishing sequence, Walker’s next opponent and whether the UFC will move him in the heavyweight rankings.