Walker fights his way from Drury to the Octagon

Yahoo

22-02-2025

SPRINGFIELD, Mo–After years of hard work, Julius Walker is ready for his UFC debut.
Saturday night in Seattle, Walker, aka Juice Box, will step into the ring.
The Springfield native has gone from the Drury basketball courts to the punishing world of Mixed Martial Arts.
Ozarks First Chris Pinson reports Walker's climb to the top has been swift and impressive.
It's a typical Saturday night at Billiards of Springfield.
Patrons are playing pool and enjoying the vibe, while Julius Walker checks id's and scans the room.
'It's not a super crazy place where people are jumping around acting a fool. Luckily as the security guy it makes my job a little easier,' said Walker.
Call it, the calm before the storm for Walker, who's about to willingly face the fight of his life.
'I got a message from my manager, can you make 205 next weekend? And I said yup, then there was a contract in my email within an hour,' said Walker.
After training Mixed Martial Arts the past five years, the 25-year-old is about to live out every fighter's dream, when he enters the octagon and makes his ultimate fighting championship debut, Saturday night.
'I don't want to celebrate too soon, I haven't done anything yet. There's no point in training just to make it there, I'm training to make it to the top,' said Walker.
The former Drury Panther basketball player is set to square off with Alonzo Menifield – #15 ranked light heavyweight in the world, on the main card at UFC Seattle.
'In some ways it feels like the culmination of a lot of hard work, but in more ways the beginning of something new,' said Walker.
Walker's tempered enthusiasm isn't a lack of confidence, it's an appreciation of everything he and his team have worked for.
'The first day he sparred and trained, me and one of the other coaches yeah we can't let this kid leave. He's gonna be special,' said Walker's coach Brad Montgomery.
'To take someone with no fighting background and in 5 years get them to the level where they're fighting the best in the world, I think is a testament to what not only I do, but the other coaches, training partners and what we offer at Team Fusion,' said Montgomery.
As the second-ranked light heavyweight fighter in the Midwest region, it was only a matter of time before Walker got his shot.
But even with fame and fortune dangling in front of him, he's not blinded by temptation's bright lights.
'That can lead to making decisions that aren't necessarily the best for your career, so I've tried to keep a little bit of that mindset that I had in the late stage of my amateur career going into my pro career, too,' said Walker.
When the bell rings, Walker will be ready to take destiny in his gloves and show the world, what makes Springfield's native son so dangerous.
'Whenever we step into the cage and we're getting ready to fight one another, you're as close to an animal as you'll ever be,' said Walker.
In Springfield, Chris Pinson, Ozarks First.
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