Meet Johnny English

A BRAZILIAN with a Scottish-sounding name has kicked the bad times into touch – thanks to a group of Englishmen.

Johnny Walker, who is based in Southampton, claimed a first-round KO over Khalil Rountree on his UFC debut in Buenos Aires last week.

Victory earned the light-heavyweight a much-needed £38,000 and marked him out as a promising rookie.

It was just reward for the persistence of a fighter who found himself in financial trouble when he travelled here last year.

After arriving he was let down by a Scottish businessman who had promised him sponsorship but didn’t pay a penny.

The 26-year-old said: “I was broke, away from home and I couldn’t speak English. I was in a war and I had to win.”

He based himself in Southampton and managed to survive thanks to financial help from what he refers to as “regular people from England”.

He added: “They are family men who help me by sending money and find gyms for me to train in.

“Regular people in

England support me every day, that’s why I stay here.

“I even wore an

England kit in the

Rountree fight to show that country is supporting me.”

Walker had earned his UFC contract after putting up a great show in the

Contender series and, following his successful debut, is hoping for big things. His real name is Walker Johnny but he decided to reverse those names for his fight banner and will continue to do so. He said: “I was born for this. When I focus on something, I get it done. “Even when I was hungry and had nothing to eat, I believed in God and that someone would help me. “Sometimes I had to choose which bill I would pay because I didn’t have money for all of them.

“That was a struggle but I will fight all the way and get to the top.”