Overview
- Walker submitted Thomas Petersen with a calf slicer at 1:32 of round one on Saturday at UFC Abu Dhabi to extend his run of first-round leg‑lock finishes to five in a row.
- The win ties a modern UFC record for consecutive submission victories and raised Walker’s profile inside the heavyweight division.
- He used fight week theatrics, including bringing a plastic severed foot to the ceremonial faceoff, to promote his leg‑lock identity and signal his intent to keep the streak going.
- Walker said he will seek a renegotiated, higher-paying UFC contract after Abu Dhabi and warned he will not take ranked heavyweight fights for low pay.
- Following the fight he collected a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus and made public callouts at top names such as Ciryl Gane while no official bout with a ranked contender has been booked.