As the UFC prepares for its return to mainland China for the first time since 2017, the Fight Night card is starting to take shape.
The promotion announced a pair of ranked-contender fights for UFC Shanghai in August — a light heavyweight bout between Johnny Walker and Mingyang Zhang will be the featured main event, while a featherweight contest between Aljimain Sterling and Brian Ortega will slot into the co-main.
Walker will likely be hoping the spotlight stage will help him get out of a recent funk that includes a three-fight winless streak and back-to-back losses, all by stoppage.
Going back to 2023, his bout against Magomed Ankalaev ended in a no contest after accidental illegal knees from the now LHW champion. Walker was then swiftly knocked out midway through the second round of their rematch, three months later, before he suffered a first-round loss to Volkan Oezdemir last June.
Despite his recent skid, the Brazilian is still an entertaining fighter who can slip out of a funk quickly, as 19 of his 21 MMA wins have come by finish.
The No. 12-ranked light heavyweight’s last victory came in 2023, a unanimous decision against Anthony Smith.
Zhang, meanwhile, gets ready for his biggest test under the banner. The “Mountain Tiger” is 3-0 since making his UFC debut last year. Zhang last won in April thanks to a ground-and-pound assault of Smith that earned him a third consecutive Performance of the Night bonus.
The No. 14-ranked contender is 12-0 as a pro, all of those victories coming by first-round finish.
Now he’ll get his first taste of the UFC’s main event stage and can make quite an impression if he’s able to take down a division stalwart in Walker.
As for the co-main, Sterling gets ready for his 2025 debut. The former bantamweight champion last fought in December, suffering a unanimous decision loss to Movsar Evloev at UFC 310. His move up to 145 pounds has been mixed, 1-1 since jumping up a weight class, ranked ninth in the division.
Meanwhile, Ortega will have plenty to prove as well. The once title-challenger has fallen down the ladder a bit after his unanimous decision loss to Diego Lopes at UFC 306 last September. He’s lost four of his last six fights under the banner.
UFC Shanghai will take place on August 23 at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium.
