Johnny Walker is moving up to heavyweight to face Ante Delija in the main event of UFC Fight Night 283 on Aug. 1 at Belgrade Arena in Serbia.
The bout marks Walker’s first appearance at heavyweight since 2018 and was announced by promotion officials on a Tuesday. The longtime 205-pound contender holds a 22-10 MMA record and is 8-7 in the UFC.
Walker heads into the matchup after defeating Zhang Mingyang at UFC Fight Night 257, followed by a split-decision loss to Dominick Reyes at UFC 327.
Delija, the 2022 PFL heavyweight champion, carries a 26-8 MMA record and is 1-2 in the UFC. He is currently on a two-fight losing streak after a win over Marcin Tybura and subsequent losses to Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Serghei Spivac.
UFC Fight Night 283 will take place at Belgrade Arena in Serbia, with Walker vs. Delija set as a heavyweight bout at the top of the card.
