UFC veteran Johnny Walker says his relationship with Valter Walker could be better – if only his stepbrother learned how to act more maturely when it comes to family.
In the wake of his heavyweight win over Waldo Cortes-Acosta this past Saturday at UFC Fight Night 293, Johnny opened up about his relationship with Valter. They have the same father but different mothers, and Johnny described how things can be rocky, at times, because Valter lacks a filter with his words.
“My dad abandoned my mom and abandoned me, as well, to create another family,” Johnny said Monday on "The Ariel Helwani Show." “But I always tried to go see him on holidays or sometimes on the weekend as well. ...
"(Our relationship) could be closer if he respected my mom and wife
more than he's doing. Because he has a bad sense of humor. He talks sh*t sometimes. He stopped, but what he did in the past since the China fight, he talked so much bad things about my mom and my wife online, as a joke. That’s not a good thing to do for clicks. A lot of people saw, and it's not nice.
"What he did in the past hurts people’s hearts. You cannot go online talking sh*t about my mom, my family, my son. … He said online his dad f*cked my mom. That’s very disrespectful. He also said if I lost my fight in China, my wife would cheat on me with a big black guy. Then another time he said he was going to fight me, ‘Let’s fight, and who wins f*ck each other’s wife.’ Then he said my son has a big head. Everything he said is online, so that's not good. I know he's an idiot and just has a bad sense of humor. He stopped now, but I hope he grows up a little bit more and stops talking sh*t about me, because I love him. I want to be close to him.”
'Walker forever'
On Tuesday, Valter attempted to apologize in a video posted on social media – while also trying to clarify and explain his past actions.
I post it in instagram without subtitles, repost it to be clear with subtitles here. I love johnny and his family is part of him. I already apologized privately months ago; now I’m doing so publicly. @JohnnyWalker @arielhelwani pic.twitter.com/yDQw85OhfO
— Valter Walker (@ValterUfc) November 10, 2026
He didn't deny Johnny's claim about what was said in the buildup to his August 2025 fight vs. Zhang Mingyang in Shanghai, China.
"It's true, but I always try motivation for my brother," Valter said. "And that worked. He won the fight in China. I motivated him. I know him; he's my brother. I know my own blood. I wanted to motivate him to win the fight, tell him bad things about his wife. If this offended his wife, I want to say sorry to his wife."
As for remarks about Johnny's mother and their father, Valter implied his words were taken out of context.
"I didn't say this like that," Valter said. "I remember this moment when my father was in love with his mother. I remember that time, my father and his mother making love, and they make a great child. They called his name Johnny Walker, the future champion of heavyweight. …
"Just to make things clear: I'm sorry, my brother, if I offended you. Let's f*cking go. Walker forever."
Johnny, 34, is six years older than Valter, 28. Johnny Walker has been in the UFC since 2018 when he earned his contract through Dana White's Contender Series. Valter Walker joined the UFC six years later in 2024.
Now that they're both heavyweights, Johnny has said he would never fight his brother in the octagon.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Valter Walker issues public apology to brother Johnny for jokes about family
