Walker Says Jones Saved From Loss By Celebration Injury

Johnny Walker believes Jon Jones escaped a title defeat after a freak celebration injury derailed their potential clash in 2019.

The Brazilian heavyweight was climbing toward a light heavyweight title shot when he knocked out Misha Cirkunov at UFC 235. His post-fight worm celebration left him with a dislocated shoulder that required surgery and an eight-month recovery. A knockout loss to Corey Anderson at UFC 244 followed his return, ending any immediate path to Jones.

Walker Maintains He Would Have Beaten Jones

On The Ariel Helwani Show, Walker addressed the shoulder injury that changed his trajectory. "Jon Jones was saved by my celebration, because I got hurt," he told Helwani, according to BJPENN.com. Walker argued the injury stripped away the momentum, movement, and hype that would have carried him to victory over the then-champion.

Walker has since moved up a division after setbacks against Reyes and Hill at 205 pounds. He knocked out Mick Parkin at UFC 332 and secured a decision over Cortes-Acosta this past weekend in Las Vegas.

Jones retired in 2025, leaving the hypothetical matchup permanently off the table. Walker remains a popular counterfactual in conversations about the heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight division's history.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Johnny Walker insists Jon Jones was ‘saved’ from UFC loss after infamous celebration injury