Johnny Walker Stops Waldo Cortes Acosta in Round 3
Johnny Walker ended Waldo Cortes Acosta’s recent run with a third round TKO in a short notice main event that headlined UFC Vegas 124 on Saturday, November 7, at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. Referee Jason Herzog stopped the fight at 2:27 of round three after a flurry of strikes left the Dominican heavyweight unable to respond.
The bout only became the headliner after Sean Brady withdrew from his welterweight fight with Gabriel Bonfim, which was originally set to close the card. Walker stepped into the spotlight with just one fight at heavyweight on his record, an October win over Mick Parkin after years spent competing at light heavyweight.
A Back and Forth Scheduled for Five Rounds
In round one, Johnny Walker opened with a series of low kicks before Waldo Cortes Acosta dropped him with a right hand. Walker recovered and finished the round pinned against the fence, absorbing punches in the final minute as Cortes Acosta looked to press the advantage.
Cortes Acosta kept the pressure on in round two, landing heavy right hands and nearly connecting with a big shot after a kick briefly stumbled Walker. He then took top position after Walker slipped, but was unable to generate any real offense on the ground.
Round three turned in Walker’s favor. Visibly tired, he still landed a high kick that hurt Cortes Acosta, followed by a right hand that dropped him. Follow up ground strikes prompted the stoppage at 2:27. Official statistics credited both fighters with a knockdown. Across the three rounds, Walker landed all 23 of his significant leg strikes, along with 11 to the body and 17 to the head, while Cortes Acosta’s 40 significant strikes included 36 aimed at the head.
Walker celebrated with his trademark floor routine as the crowd chanted his name, then pushed back on doubts about his chin, pointing out he had just weathered three rounds against one of the heavyweight division’s hardest punchers. It was his second stoppage win since moving up from light heavyweight. Cortes Acosta, meanwhile, has now dropped three fights in a row, following decision losses to Alexander Volkov and Curtis Blaydes, after a run of knockout wins over Ante Delija, Shamil Gaziev and Derrick Lewis. Neither side has an opponent confirmed for their next outing.
Tatiana Suarez Outpoints Virna Jandiroba, Calls for a Title Shot
In the co-main event, Tatiana Suarez defeated Virna Jandiroba by unanimous decision, with scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28, in a fight Suarez controlled on the mat against an opponent known for her jiu jitsu. It marked Suarez’s return to the Octagon after a long layoff caused by repeated injuries.
Suarez had not fought since her loss to Zhang Weili at UFC 312 in February 2025, a lopsided decision that cost her an unbeaten record and a shot at the strawweight title. Jandiroba, her opponent on Saturday, had herself challenged Mackenzie Dern for that same title at UFC 321, before Dern went on to defend it against Gillian Robertson at UFC 330 this past August. Jandiroba, a decorated Brazilian jiu jitsu competitor, had been expected to test Suarez’s long layoff on the mat, but spent much of the fight defending position instead.
By beating a former title challenger, Suarez put herself back in the title picture. “I want that belt,” she told Michael Bisping in her post-fight interview, naming Mackenzie Dern as her target.
The Rest of the Card at the APEX
Elijah Smith stopped Davey Grant by knockout one minute into round one. Lucas Fernando shut down Billy Elekana‘s wrestling to win a decision, and Nina Milosevic controlled Priscila Cachoeira throughout their fight. Earlier on the card, SeokHyeon Ko defeated Wellington Turman by unanimous decision, with matching scores of 30-27. Full results from the card are tracked on our UFC results page. The event drew a lighter pre-fight buzz than a numbered pay-per-view, but the late changes atop the card, combined with Suarez’s long-awaited return, gave the Fight Night a bigger spotlight than its billing suggested.
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