- Johnny Walker was knocked out by Volkan Oezdemir during UFC Saudi Arabia
- The final blow of the fight was delivered when Walker was already on the ground
- Referee Jason Herzog was widely criticized for not stopping the fight sooner
Johnny Walker was on the receiving end of a brutal knockout at UFC Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
The 32-year-old Brazilian – who trains alongside Conor McGregor in Dublin – was floored twice by Volkan Oezdemir in the opening round.
He got up after his first knockdown, but was put to sleep moments later after a series of powerful shots from his Swiss opponent.
Walker looked set before Oezdemir caught him with a huge swinging right hand as he lay on the mat.
Referee Jason Herzog was criticized for not stopping the fight before the final blow.
Johnny Walker (left) was knocked out by Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Saudi Arabia on Saturday
The final blow of the fight was delivered by Oezdemir when Walker was already on the ground
Swiss fighter Oezdemir won the opening round match at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh
Commentator Michael Bisping even suggested Walker was only “semi-conscious” when Oezdemir landed his final punch.
A viewer later tweeted: “Trying to get Herzog Walker killed ffs.”
Another wrote: ‘Referees are there to protect the fighters. This referee didn’t do that and Walker got hurt when he didn’t have to. The last shot was at the referee.’
A third viewer added: “Walker was clearly in all kinds of trouble. The referee was way out of position, away from the power hand, and had a bad angle to protect Walker.”
There was great concern for Walker as he lay on the ground after his knockout.
Eventually, however, he was able to get to his feet, much to the relief of those around him.