UFC light heavyweight contender Johnny Walker responds to recent criticism from Jan Blachowicz, saying that “I haven’t changed my style.”

Walker fought Thiago Santos in October in a dull, five-round snoozefest between two powerful light heavyweights known for their knockout power. Both Walker and Santos are two of the best fighters in the world at 205lbs, but the fight ended up being a total disappointment as neither man seemed to fight with any sort of urgency. Moreover, Walker refused to take the risks that he was once known for taking. While initially coming up in the UFC, Walker was known for his flying knees and spinning back fists. But for whatever reason, a different version of Walker showed up against Santos, and Blachowicz criticized him for his performance at the time. According to Blachowicz, something happened to him.

“Something happened for sure,” Blachowicz said at the time. “He’s not the crazy fighter like in the beginning. I don’t know why. Maybe something happened with age. But maybe he’ll find this crazy [Johnny Walker] inside him again and start doing (it). But I don’t know.”

Responding to the criticism from Blachowicz, who has since lost his UFC light heavyweight belt to Walker’s fellow Brazilian Glover Teixeira, Walker said that it’s not true that he changed his fighting style. As far as Walker goes, he is fighting tougher opponents, and that’s why he wasn’t able to show off the same explosive knockout power that he once did.

“I haven’t changed my style. The guys I’m fighting now are better so it’s harder to knock them out. I’m the same Johnny Walker I’ve always been and if I get a chance, I’ll go for the knockout. I have knockout power, I have everything to finish them off, but the rivals will defend themselves more effectively,” Walker told AG Fight.

Do you agree with Johnny Walker that he still has the same fighting style, only that he is now fighting more difficult opponents than he once did?