LAS VEGAS — Johnny Walker announced his arrival at heavyweight in emphatic fashion at UFC 332 on Saturday, stopping England's Mick Parkin by KO (knees) at 3:35 of Round 1. The Brazilian, a longtime light heavyweight in the UFC since 2018, looked fast and sharp in his divisional debut and finished a durable opponent who had not fought since March 2025.
Walker set the tone early with outside leg kicks, landing at least three while chopping at Parkin's lead leg from both inside and out. Parkin answered with kicks of his own that grew cleaner as the round progressed, and he caught Walker with a right hand against the fence that Walker absorbed well. After Parkin tied up the action, Walker reversed position, landed an elbow, then uncorked a jump knee in the clinch as they came off the fence and pulled Parkin into a second knee that left him out cold.
The finish capped a sequence that highlighted Walker's speed advantage at heavyweight. Parkin went down out cold off the clinch knee, and Walker jumped out of the cage to celebrate with his wife, marking an impressive start to his run in the new division against a very durable opponent.
Walker had entered the bout looking for greener pastures after going 1-3 in his last four at light heavyweight, where he was once hyped as a future title contender. He had previously been booked to face Ante Delija before that matchup fell through. Parkin was returning from a lengthy layoff following the first loss of his career in March 2025.