LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 09: (R-L) Julius Walker punches Rafael Cerqueira of Brazil in a light heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on August 09, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
The trip to Azerbaijan may not have gone as planned in the cage for Julius Walker, but there was a lot to take away from the whole experience. In addition to the hospitality of its people and the beautiful views, Walker felt the fight allowed him to get his feet wet in a new training camp. He made the switch out to Xtreme Couture shortly before the fight and this gave him a solid first run with the team.
“The camp alone made it worthwhile. I got so much better and I learned so much it was my first camp out of town,” Walker said. “[It was the] first one I did in Vegas and I felt like there was a lot of growth. The thing is a big part of that was just finding my footing out here and figuring out a routine.”
Not only did that first run of fight camp help him find his footing, but it also allowed him to be ready to take a fight with a quick turnaround. Less than four months later, he’s scheduled to fight in the Apex for UFC Vegas 122.
“It’s nice because then this time I got to come back out and I had only been gone for five or six weeks,” Walker explained. “I kind of knew what my routine was gonna look like and I was able to jump into camp a little bit more seamlessly.”
Now with everything solidified the way that he likes, he’s ready to put a win up on the board. He has a date with veteran and noted grappler, Gerald Meerschaert. That matchup is one he is very much looking forward to.
“The matchup with Meerschaert in general – there’s a lot of things to like about it. For one, he’s got a solid name. In terms of the people that I could realistically be matched up with, he’s one of the more well-known ones,” he said. “Then I feel I’ve got some physical advantages, I’m definitely gonna be a little bit bigger, younger, probably more athletic. So I think that those are all things that bode well in my favor.”
You can catch the fruits of his labors at UFC Vegas 122 this Saturday. The fight card begins at 5pm EST on Paramount+.