China’s Zhang Mingyang entered his first UFC main event at UFC Shanghai on Saturday, taking on Brazilian Johnny Walker in a solid test at 205lbs.
Mingyang was coming off a win over Anthony “Lionheart” Smith in Smith’s retirement fight.
Right off the bell, Mingyang got the fight down, putting Walker on his back after Walker’s own takedown attempt backfired. That gave Mingyang some space for elbows, while Walker stayed mobile off his back. He would make it back up, soon circling on the outside while Mingyang walked him down. A right hand by the Chinese star hit home, and Walker clinched up, looking for a takedown. Walker jabbed with his left and connected at least once, then circled, doing laps of the octagon on the outside. Walker ripped a leg kick, Mingyang answered with a right hand.
With a minute remaining in the opening round, Walker shot for a takedown, only to see it stuffed. Mingyang responded with an elbow that hurt Walker. Nasty.
Round two saw Walker rocked again early care of a Mingyang right hand. But Walker saw the momentum shift in his direction when a leg kick (a series of them really) felled Mingyang. Zhang was hurt! Walker was all over him, dropping punches on the downed Mingyang while standing. Mingyang nearly made it back up, but couldn’t, with Walker raining down more blows before the ref finally waved things up! Out came the worm, as Johnny Walker did his traditional celebratory dance. The leg kicks changed the course of the UFC Shanghai main event, giving Walker a big win over a rising Chinese star.
LEVELS TO THIS GAME 🫡@JohnnyWalker earns the R2 TKO in enemy territory tonight!
[ #UFCShanghai ] pic.twitter.com/006OlP4NS8
— UFC (@ufc) August 23, 2025
Official Result: Johnny Walker def. Zhang Mingyang by TKO, Round 2, 2:37
