Early in the first third, Walker delivered a front kick up the middle and doubled the size, enticing Ankalaev to advance. As he did so, the SBG Ireland representative rose high, looking to land a flying knee after playing possum, much like Cutelaba had hoped to do several years earlier.
Ankalaev was up to the subterfuge, avoided the attack and immediately secured Walker, kneeing him along the fence, where he alternated between looking for chokes and delivering sporadic shots to the head of his opponent. As they fought along the cage wall, Ankalaev slammed a knee into the chin of Walker, who was clearly down, causing the fight to be suspended.
Fight-by-fight overview | UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2
Walker fired without issue, immediately signaling to Ankalaev that he was down and the shot was illegal. The ring doctor entered the Octagon and asked Walker, a Brazilian native, a series of questions in English, and when his answers were unacceptable to the doctor, the fight was stopped.
Chaos ensued, as Walker, clearly oblivious to what had just happened, attempted to restart the fight himself, leading to a skirmish inside the Octagon. Cool heads finally prevailed, and now the light heavyweight contenders will attempt to settle things once and for all this weekend in Las Vegas.
“I was angry, of course, but that’s how it is,” Ankalaev said when asked about stopping the fight after he clearly succeeded, adding that he “will be more focused on the positions of (his) adversaries. “move forward.