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Valter Walker not scared of ‘small’ Josh Hokit, unimpressed by Gable Steveson’s UFC debut: ‘I’ll take all of them’

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Valter Walker not scared of ‘small’ Josh Hokit, unimpressed by Gable Steveson’s UFC debut: ‘I’ll take all of them’

Valter Walker isn't sold on Josh Hokit and Gable Steveson as big threats in the UFC heavyweight division.

The Brazilian talent returns to the cage Saturday at UFC Abu Dhabi, battling Thomas Petersen after scoring four straight heel hook finishes in the octagon, and told MMA Fighting he would be gladly take on either Hokit or Steveson next with a win in the U.A.E.

“I don't think he's a tough fight for me,†Walker said of Hokit. “Honestly, I don't think he's the fighter people are making him out to be. Come on, he's small. I'm not intimidated by that guy at all. Gable Steveson, Josh Hokit. People say, ‘He's a monster, an Olympic wrestling champion.' Man, I watched Gable's debut, and I wasn't that impressed. I didn't get all the hype.â€

“Same with Josh Hokit,†he continued. “Fight fans don't really understand fighting, you know? He beat Curtis Blaydes, I think that's the biggest win of his career. He beat him convincingly, sure. But I still don't know how Curtis Blaydes lost to him like that.â€

Hokit is unbeaten in the sport, and 4-0 in the UFC, with the last two victories coming against Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis, while Steveson stopped Elisha Ellison in his octagon debut to improve to 4-0 as a pro.

“I'm not scared of Josh Hokit or Gable Steveson one bit,†Walker said. “If that's the next fight, bring it on. It can be Gable Steveson, Josh Hokit, Vitor Petrino. I'll take all of them. If I win this Saturday, book me against any of those guys next. I'll go right after them.â€

“I think if the two of us [Hokit and I] fought, it would have huge potential. We're talking co-main event or even main event, because of all the trash we'd talk to each other. We'd probably need security following us around. I really believe we have the potential to put on a great show for the fans.â€

Walker said he's unsure if Hokit would be willing to facing him next given his past wins over top-ranked Blaydes and Lewis during his absence to heal from a broken leg, but would be “a huge opportunity†for him.

The same goes for Steveson, who is surrounded by a hype for his past accomplishments in wrestling and the fact that he's coached by former UFC two division champion Jon Jones.

“That's how you catch a big fish, man,†Walker said of Steveson. “You go after guys with big egos, you know? That's usually how it works. I've seen it happen a lot. A guy says, ‘I'll beat that guy.' I'll use examples from my own experience. [Tallison Teixeira] used to say, ‘If I'm well prepared, I'll beat Pavlovich.' And what happened? My brother used to say, ‘I'm going to be the guy who beats Jon Jones.' I'm just using examples from my own reality, from what I've seen. Maybe Gable is thinking the same thing. ‘I'll beat this guy easily. He thinks he's going to get to my legs? I'll take him out.' That's the moment for me to make a name for myself. That's how the business works, right?â€

“Can you imagine? I beat [Steveson], climb on the cage, and spit in Jon Jones' face. Damn! People holding Jon Jones back while I'm screaming that I'm the GOAT and telling Jon Jones to go f*ck himself. All the hype would come my way. It's an opportunity. But I don't know if the guy's… Maybe he has a good manager. I know I have a good manager. But does he have one too? He probably does. If he doesn't, even better, that gives me an opportunity.â€

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MMA

Dana White adds $50K to Sean Sharaf’s bonus for shocking UFC 331 upset

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Dana White adds $50K to Sean Sharaf’s bonus for shocking UFC 331 upset
Dana
White added $50k of his own to the UFC
331 bonuses.

The latest numbered event went down at Crypto.com Arena on Sept. 19
in Los Angeles. The main event earned Fight of the Night honors,
with Joshua Van
defending his flyweight title in a rematch against Alexandre
Pantoja. A special performance bonus in collaboration with the
Paramount+ series “MobLand†was also on deck.

Sean Sharaf knocked out Gable Steveson in just 12 seconds at
UFC 331

Both Van and Pantoja earned $100k each for their instant classic.
Arman
Tsarukyan earned a $100k Performance of the Night bonus for
knocking out Mauricio
Ruffy in the co-main event. Tsarukyan ate an early right hand
from Ruffy that left him visibly damaged. He then caught Ruffy in a
clinch and put him to sleep with two elbows on the break.

Casey
O'Neill (12-2) earned the other $100k POTN bonus for her
submission win over Eduarda
Moura on the prelims. Moura caught an early kick from O'Neill
and took her down. However, O'Neill maintained composure and
suddenly caught Moura in an armbar while flipping her over.

Sean
Sharaf earned a special $50k bonus from the
Ultimate Fighting Championship's broadcast partner Paramount+,
as part of the promotion for the new season of “MobLand,†for his
upset win over Gable
Steveson. The ex-United States Marine put Steveson to sleep
with a left hook in just 12 seconds in a monumental upset. White
added $50k of his own to Sharaf's bonus.

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MMA

Patricio ‘Pitbull’ makes violent case for new UFC deal with Round 1 KO

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Patricio ‘Pitbull’ makes violent case for new UFC deal with Round 1 KO
Patricio
“Pitbull†Freire delivered a statement win in a bid to extend
his stay in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Freire took on Doo Ho Choi
(17-5) in a featherweight tilt at UFC
331 on Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. This being
the last fight of his contract, Freire repeatedly stated his desire
to continue fighting in the UFC and promised to put on a
performance worthy of a contract renewal.

Patricio Freire knocks out Doo Ho Choi at UFC 331 before
calling out Jean Silva

Freire backed up his promise, dropping Choi with a monstrous right
hand to earn a first-round finish. Having had a lukewarm UFC career
before UFC 331, the former Bellator
champ apologized to fans and called out Jean Silva,
who is known for barking at his opponents, to determine the bigger
dog amongst the two.

“I'm sorry about my last three fights,†Freire said in his
post-fight interview. “I feel that [UFC 331] was my debut. I don't
know what happened to me. But I'm so happy… The pressure here is
bigger [than Bellator]. But now I feel comfortable… Jean Silva,
let's see who is the dog.â€

Freire (38-9) previously lost to Yair
Rodriguez and Aaron Pico
in the UFC, while edging a lackluster unanimous decision against
Dan
Ige. Meanwhile, Silva (18-3) has finished five of his six UFC
wins, while only losing to two-time title challenger Diego
Lopes. “Lord†beat Jose
Delgado at
Noche UFC 4 earlier this month.

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MMA

Jon Jones’ reaction says it all after Gable Steveson’s 12-second KO loss

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Jon Jones’ reaction says it all after Gable Steveson’s 12-second KO loss
Jon
Jones had a clear view of one of the biggest upsets in
Ultimate Fighting Championship history.

His protégé, Gable
Steveson, suffered the first loss of his professional mixed
martial arts career at UFC
331, with Sean Sharaf
recording a 12-second knockout at Crypto.com Arena in Los
Angeles.

Sean Sharaf hands Gable Steveson his first MMA loss in stunning
UFC 331 upset

Heavy betting favorite Steveson entered the matchup unbeaten at
4-0, while Sharaf was 0-2 in the UFC. The latter uncorked a left
hook early in the fight, putting the former to sleep. Steveson's
mentor, Jones, watched on and his reaction to the knockout is
circulating online.

The former two-division UFC champion seemingly said, “Oh, my God!â€
while looking at his fellow cornermen.

Steveson dismissed Sharaf as a threat in the lead-up to the fight,
relegating him to just a stepping stone towards his championship
aspirations. “The Smoke†even provoked the polarizing Olympian at
the pre-fight presser, bringing up past controversies that have
turned many against him.

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