Santos edges Walker in tentative UFC main event
Thiago Santos returned to the win column Saturday, defeating Johnny Walker via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) in the UFC Fight Night main event in Las Vegas.
The former light heavyweight title challenger hadn't been victorious since a February 2019 knockout of current champion Jan Blachowicz, and he snapped a three-fight skid with the nod over Walker.
Santos edged Walker over the course of an uneventful 25 minutes, with neither fighter holding a clear advantage.
The biggest moment came in the fifth round when Santos snapped Walker's head back with a monster left punch. For the most part, though, the two refused to throw strikes at a high clip or initiate ground sequences.
Santos holds onto his No. 5 position in the 205-pound division with Saturday's victory, and he'll likely face a fellow top contender next in hopes of inching his way closer to another crack at the title.
Meanwhile, Walker dropped to 1-3 in his past four outings. The Brazilian is ranked 10th in the weight class.