Number thirteen–ranked Johnny Walker secured a victory over Chinese light heavyweight prospect Zhang Mingyang in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang. Walker entered the bout as a +300 underdog against Zhang, who was riding a twelve-fight finish streak before being cut down by Walker’s brutal leg kicks.
Zhang found early success in the fight, landing some clean shots, but Walker’s new coach, Eric Nicksick, was able to calm his fighter between rounds – helping shift the momentum heading into the second round.
Walker began finding consistent success with leg kicks. The betting favorite, Zhang, was struck in the perineal nerve – a notoriously vulnerable area in combat sports. The perineal nerve has affected many fighters in the past, often dramatically altering the course of a bout. Walker quickly noticed Zhang was struggling to put weight on his leg and capitalized, landing two more identical kicks to the same area.
It was clear Zhang was in trouble. Walker swarmed him with ground-and-pound, forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight.
Perineal Nerve Blows in MMA
The Perineal Nerve is a branch of the sciatic nerve that plays a crucial role in controlling movement and sensation in the lower leg, foot, and toes. Damage to the perineal nerve can lead to various issues, including foot drop, numbness, tingling, and pain in the affected areas.
There is a strange history of leg kicks to the perineal nerve drastically altering the course of fights. One notable example is Michael Chandler’s loss of his Bellator title to Brent Primus in 2017. Chandler was struck in the perineal nerve and was unable to recover in time, resulting in a TKO loss.
Another example occurred at UFC 261 in 2021, when Jimmy Crute faced Anthony “Lionheart” Smith. After being kicked in the peroneal nerve, Crute was unable to stand at the start of the second round, prompting the referee to stop the fight.
However, a few fighters have managed to survive the effects of a peroneal nerve strike and still come out on top. One such case was former bantamweight champion “Suga” Sean O’Malley in his second UFC fight against Andre Soukhamthath. After being kicked and losing control of his leg, O’Malley remained on the ground for most of the third round. Surprisingly, Soukhamthath, seemingly unaware of O’Malley’s condition, chose not to force a stand-up exchange, allowing O’Malley to survive and win a decision.
Another high-profile case happened during the UFC 227 flyweight title fight between Henry Cejudo and Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. Cejudo was kicked in the peroneal nerve roughly 30 seconds into the first round and visibly struggled to use his foot. Despite the setback, he recovered and went on to win a split decision over one of the greatest fighters in UFC history.
