Moving on up.
MMAmania.com confirmed with multiple sources today (Thurs., April 30, 2026) that longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight staple Johnny Walker will make the jump to Heavyweight to face No. 10-ranked Ante Delija at UFC Belgrade on Sat., August 1, 2026, inside Belgrade Arena in Belgrade, Serbia.
Both fighters have verbally agreed to the matchup, though contracts have not yet been issued.
After 16 fights at 205 pounds, Walker (22-10) is officially moving up — a transition
that has been looming. Standing 6’6”, he already has the frame of a Heavyweight, and he’s previously admitted the weight cut has become increasingly difficult. The big question now is how his already questionable durability holds up against the division’s heavier hitters.
Walker is coming off a lackluster unanimous decision loss to Dominick Reyes, widely criticized as one of the worst fights of the year. Prior to that, he snapped a two-fight skid with a highlight-reel knockout of Mingyang Zhang at UFC Shanghai.
He currently holds an 8-7-1 record inside the Octagon.
Delija (26-8), meanwhile, made an immediate splash in his UFC debut, knocking out Top 15 mainstay Marcin Tybura in under two minutes at UFC Paris in Sept. 2025 to break into the rankings (watch highlights).
Since then, however, “Walking Trouble” has hit a rough patch, suffering back-to-back losses to Waldo Cortes-Acosta (KO) and Serghei Spivac (decision). Prior to joining UFC, Delija was a Professional Fighters League (PFL) champion, compiling an 8-3 record with the promotion.
No other bouts have been announced for the UFC’s first trip to Serbia.
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