Johnny Walker delivered a spectacular performance in the UFC Vegas 124 main event, knocking out Waldo Cortes-Acosta in the third round of their heavyweight clash at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
The UFC brings another exciting night of action to Las Vegas as UFC Fight Night: Cortes-Acosta vs. Walker takes centre stage at the Meta APEX on Saturday, November 7, 2026. The event features an exciting lineup of matchups across multiple divisions, with heavyweight action headlining the night. Waldo Cortes-Acosta takes on Johnny Walker in the main event.
Cortes-Acosta enters the main event following consecutive decision defeats, making this an important opportunity to get his campaign back on track. His most recent outing is a unanimous decision loss to Curtis Blaydes at Noche UFC in September 2026. Before that, he also suffers a unanimous decision defeat to Alexander Volkov at UFC 328 in May. However, his 2026 campaign also includes an impressive second-round TKO victory over Derrick Lewis at UFC 324 in January. Cortes-Acosta also enjoys an impressive run in 2025, with victories over Ante Delija and Shamil Gaziev by first-round stoppages, alongside a unanimous decision win over Serghei Spivac. Despite the two recent setbacks, his record includes victories over several established heavyweight names.
Walker arrives in Las Vegas with renewed confidence following a successful move to the heavyweight division. His latest outing is an impressive first-round knockout victory over Mick Parkin at UFC 332 in October 2026. Walker finishes the fight with a devastating knee at 3:35 of the opening round, making an immediate statement in his heavyweight debut.
Before that, he suffers a split decision defeat to Dominick Reyes at UFC 327 in April. His previous victory comes against Zhang Mingyang in August 2025, where he secures a second-round TKO. Walker boasts 18 knockout victories in his professional career, making him a dangerous opponent whenever he finds his range. While Cortes-Acosta looks to end his losing run, Walker hopes to build on his heavyweight debut and secure another significant victory.
Walker begins the contest by attacking Cortes-Acosta’s lead leg with a series of hard low kicks. Acosta responds by pressing forward and looking to close the distance with his powerful right hand. He initially misses with a big right, but he continues to advance and eventually connects with a heavy punch that briefly puts Walker on the canvas. Walker quickly gets back to his feet, and the two heavyweights move into the clinch.
Cortes-Acosta uses his physical strength to lean on Walker and connects with an elbow before they return to striking range. Walker continues targeting the lead leg, while Cortes-Acosta looks for opportunities to land his powerful punches. Both fighters exchange heavy shots in the closing seconds, with neither willing to back away as the opening round comes to an end.
Walker resumes his attack with more leg kicks as Cortes-Acosta continues to stalk him around the Octagon. He looks for a knockout with aggressive combinations, but Walker responds with a spinning back elbow that catches him during an exchange. Cortes-Acosta keeps advancing and connects with a hard overhand right. He follows up with another attack, and Walker eventually loses his footing during the exchange. Cortes-Acosta takes advantage of the situation and secures top position on the ground, settling into half guard. He works from the top with short punches and ground strikes, although Walker does a good job of limiting the damage.
Cortes-Acosta maintains control until the final seconds, giving him a strong round heading into the final five minutes.
Cortes-Acosta starts the final round aggressively, connecting with another overhand right as he continues to push forward. Walker answers with strikes of his own, and the two exchange attacks before moving into the clinch. Cortes-Acosta continues applying pressure, while Walker looks for opportunities to create space and counter.
Cortes-Acosta attempts to keep Walker against the fence, but Walker responds with knees and elbows during the exchanges. Walker also connects with a spinning elbow as the fight becomes increasingly competitive at close range. After the referee separates the fighters, Walker finds the opening that changes everything.
Walker launches a question-mark kick to Cortes-Acosta’s head, followed by a spinning back fist that visibly wobbles the Dominican heavyweight Walker immediately follows up with a powerful right hand that sends Cortes-Acosta crashing to the canvas. He continues with follow-up punches, forcing the referee to step in and stop the contest. The official stoppage comes at 2:27 of Round 3, giving Walker a spectacular knockout victory in the main event.
The victory marks another major step in Walker’s heavyweight journey. After securing a knockout against Mick Parkin in his previous appearance, he now adds a victory over a top-six contender to his record. For Cortes-Acosta, the defeat represents a significant setback. He struggles to contain Walker’s kicking game and ultimately becomes the first opponent to stop him by knockout. Walker, meanwhile, strengthens his position in the heavyweight division and gives the UFC another reason to pay attention to his title ambitions.
Elijah Smith Destroys Davey Grant With Brutal 60-Second Knockout
Also featured on the card was a clash between Elijah Smith and Davey Grant. Elijah Smith delivered one of the most impressive performances of UFC Vegas 124, knocking out veteran Davey Grant just 60 seconds into their bantamweight contest.
Grant comes out looking to establish himself early, pressing forward and attacking Smith’s legs with kicks. He connects with several leg kicks as he attempts to keep Smith on the back foot. However, Smith responds with a powerful punching combination that immediately changes the direction of the fight.
Smith unleashes a heavy left hook that catches Grant cleanly and sends him crashing to the canvas. Smith follows up with another punch as Grant goes down, leaving the referee with little choice but to step in and stop the contest. The official stoppage comes at exactly 1:00 of the opening round, giving Smith a spectacular knockout victory.
It is a particularly significant finish against an opponent who has never previously been stopped by strikes in his professional career. The victory marks Smith’s fourth consecutive win inside the Octagon. He previously defeats Vince Morales by unanimous decision, knocks out Toshiomi Kazama and submits SuYoung You. His performance against Grant further strengthens his reputation as an exciting young talent in the division.
Following the knockout, Smith celebrates by climbing onto the cage before making an appeal to UFC executives Sean Shelby and Hunter Campbell during his post-fight interview. Smith reveals that he is a free agent and publicly calls for a new contract with the promotion.
Grant enters the contest as the more experienced fighter, with a long UFC career dating back to 2013. He secures a decision victory over Adrián Luna Martinetti in his previous appearance and looks to add another win to his record. Instead, he suffers a devastating first-round defeat against one of the division’s rising prospects. Grant now has to regroup following the first knockout loss of his professional career.
