UFC's Jonny Walker shrugs off brother matchup: 'I'm not that crazy'

Brazilian UFC fighter Jonny Walker, 34, has shrugged off any possibility of facing his half-brother Valter Walker, 28, in the octagon. Both brothers compete at heavyweight, but Jonny made clear that a family showdown is off the table.

In an interview with MMA Fighting on Tuesday, Jonny was asked whether he would be willing to fight his brother. "Fight my brother? Are you crazy?" he said. "I'm not that crazy."

He went on to explain his mindset inside the octagon. "I go in there to hurt people. Fighting is a very violent sport," he said. "I can't worry about whether my opponent has a mother or children. If I feel sorry for them, I'm the one who gets hurt."

The two brothers trained together in Russia and remained close for years. Their relationship has grown somewhat strained, however, after Valter repeatedly made jokes about family members on social media. Jonny said he wants to spend more time with his brother and grow closer, but that Valter's crude humor and unpredictable behavior have made their mother and his wife uncomfortable.

Still, Jonny expressed hope that his brother would mature with time. "Valter is only 28. I think by the time he's around 30, he'll be more grown up," he said.

Jonny also left the door open to training together — with one condition. Even if Valter visits Las Vegas, staying at his home is not an option. "We can train together anytime. But my wife won't let him in the house," he said. "If he stays at a hotel, there's no problem training at all."

Valter has also expressed reluctance to fight his older brother. In an interview with Brazilian MMA outlet Ag Fight in July, he said he would not accept such a matchup. "I respect my brother too much. He's the one who brought me into MMA," Valter said.

Formerly known as Valter Inácio, he said he adopted the Walker name as a show of respect for his brother. "Without him, I wouldn't be who I am today," he said.

Both brothers are carving out their places in the UFC heavyweight division. Jonny, who moved up from light heavyweight, made a successful debut at the new weight class at UFC 332 on Oct. 3, knocking out Mick Parkin of Britain with a knee strike at 3 minutes 35 seconds of the first round.

He is next set to fight Sunday, when he takes on sixth-ranked heavyweight Waldo Cortes-Acosta of the Dominican Republic in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card in Las Vegas. Jonny stepped into the main event slot after the originally scheduled bout between Sean Brady and Gabriel Bonfim fell through due to Brady's injury.

Valter, meanwhile, has been making a name for himself at heavyweight, winning his last five bouts — all by first-round submission.