Although Johnny Walker secured a win over Anthony Smith in the co-main event of UFC Charlotte, he failed to impress UFC President Dana White. The Brazilian light heavyweight had a largely dominant performance, knocking down Smith twice, but did not try to finish the fight when his opponent appeared severely weakened.

Walker later explained that he hoped for more experience instead of going for a quick finish, but White did not view this approach favorably. At the post-fight press conference, he commented, “Walker didn’t really wow anybody tonight, but he won. He was put on the co-main event to kind of shine tonight. He got a ‘W,’ so I guess that’s good.”

White commended Smith’s toughness, which possibly influenced Walker’s decision not to push himself too hard. Despite absorbing numerous damaging leg kicks, Smith remained standing until the final bell, leaving White to speculate about the possibility of Smith’s retirement. Smith removed his gloves in the cage after the fight but ultimately left the octagon without making any career decisions.

Walker’s victory extended his winning streak to three and added a one-time title challenger to his resume. Meanwhile, Smith has lost two consecutive fights and has a 3-4 record in his last seven outings in the octagon.