One UFC fighter who was set to compete in his home country broke down after his opponent fell out.
UFC Rio is in the history books, and it ended with Charles Oliveira submitting Mateusz Gamrot. The co-headliner saw former UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo snag a split decision win over Montel Jackson.
There had been a heavyweight clash scheduled for the card that didn’t happen. Valter Walker was scheduled to compete against Mohammed Usman. Ultimately, Usman was removed and Walker was left without an opponent.
Walker showed up to the weigh-ins despite the fact that he wasn’t going to compete inside Farmasi Arena. He tipped the scales at 246 pounds, and he made it clear during the weigh-ins that he was none too pleased with Usman (via MMAMania).
”I trained a lot for this fight, and this motherf—ker ran,” Walker said. “Look at my shape for the heavyweight division!”
After making his way to the backstage area, Walker shed tears over the fact that his UFC Rio dream was pulled from him.
Viu o Valter Walker chorando pq n vai lutar ? doidao tava na onda pic.twitter.com/GwJhtbbmQx
— auau (@tudonoprecinho) October 10, 2025
It’s a tough break for Walker, who has been on a roll as of late. He has put together a three-fight winning streak with first-round finishes over Justin Tafa, Don’Tale Mayes, and Kennedy Nzechukwu. Up to this point, Walker only has one pro MMA loss and it was in his UFC debut back in April 2024. His pro MMA record sits at 14-1.
Having done his part by making weight, it’ll be interesting to see if the UFC brass can find a spot for Walker on a card before the end of 2025. Walker’s last bout took place back in July.
While there’s no guarantee Walker will be granted another chance to fight on a future UFC Rio card, he’d certainly improve his chances by continuing his winning ways. Time will tell when Walker will get a chance to step inside the Octagon again.