Walker Knocks Out Zhang in Shanghai: Surprise at UFC Fight Night

In an event that marked the return of the UFC to China after six years, Johnny Walker starred in a memorable night by defeating Zhang Mingyang in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Shanghai.

Walker Shocks with a Stunning KO

Walker, after a streak of two KO defeats, achieved an impressive knockout over the Chinese light heavyweight fighter. This triumph marked the end of a 12-fight winning streak for Zhang, who had not lost an MMA fight since 2019 nor had he seen a second round since 2018.

During the first round, Zhang dominated the fight, connecting significant strikes and putting Walker on the defensive. However, Walker changed his strategy in the second round, focusing on calf kicks. One of these kicks visibly affected Zhang, and a second one knocked him down, interrupting a streak of nine first-round KOs for the Chinese fighter. Walker (22-9, 1 NC) took advantage of the situation and finished the fight with ground-and-pound at 2:37 of the second round.

My kick is amazing, right?

Johnny Walker

Walker also dedicated a few words to the audience in Chinese and showed respect for Zhang (19-7).

A tough fighter from China, with many wins in a row. It’s a great experience to fight someone so tough. As you can see, I’m resilient. I took some hits today and kept going, and then I got it. This is MMA. Amazing, right?

Johnny Walker

Walker, currently ranked number 13 in the official UFC rankings, defeated Zhang, who holds the next position.

Aljamain Sterling Beats Brian Ortega

In the co-main event, Aljamain Sterling defeated Brian Ortega by unanimous decision in a catchweight bout at 153 pounds, due to Ortega failing to make the 146-pound division weight. Sterling (25-5), former bantamweight champion, demonstrated his superiority over Ortega (16-5, 1 NC), who connected only 7% of his strikes in the first round. Sterling, number 9 in the featherweight ranking, achieved his second victory in three fights, while Ortega suffered his second consecutive defeat.

Sergei Pavlovich Triumphs in the Heavyweight

In the fight card, Sergei Pavlovich defeated Waldo Cortes-Acosta by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28), solidifying his position in the heavyweight division.