UFC Fight Night 257: Johnny Walker vs Zhang Mingyang Preview & Prediction
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The inimitable Johnny Walker returns in the main event of UFC Fight Night 257 to defend his No. 13 spot in the light heavyweight rankings against surging Chinese knockout artist, Zhang Mingyang.
Johnny Walker vs Zhang Mingyang facts
What time are Johnny Walker and Zhang Mingyang expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night 257: Walker vs Zhang? Shanghai Indoor Stadium, Shanghai, China
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 257: Walker vs Zhang? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 257
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night 257: Walker vs Zhang on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 257: Walker vs Zhang? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night 257: Walker vs Zhang main card
Johnny Walker vs Zhang Mingyang (Light Heavyweight)
Brian Ortega vs Aljamain Sterling (Featherweight)
Sergei Pavlovich vs Waldo Cortes-Acosta (Heavyweight)
Su Mudaerji vs Kevin Borjas (Flyweight)
Taiyilake Nueraji vs Kiefer Crosbie (Welterweight)
UFC Fight Night 257: Walker vs Zhang prelims
Maheshate Hayisaer vs Gauge Young (Lightweight)
Lone'er Kavanagh vs Charles Johnson (Flyweight)
Rong Zhu vs Austin Hubbard (Lightweight)
Michel Pereira vs Kyle Daukaus (Middleweight)
Yi Zha vs Westin Wilson (Featherweight)
Xiao Long vs You Su-young (Bantamweight)
Uran Satybaldiev vs Diyar Nurgozhay (Light Heavyweight)
Johnny Walker: Fresh off two career altering KO losses, Walker finds himself back in the deep end of the shark tank against one of the division's most exciting prospects
Producing three highlight reel KOs in his first three UFC appearances, Johnny Walker (21-9, 1 NC) was touted as a potential challenge for Jon Jones at 205 pounds during his early UFC tenure, courtesy of his 6'6 frame, 82" reach, and explosive knockout power. However, this was largely by fans unfamiliar with the towering Brazilian's pre-UFC career; Walker had already been stopped on three separate occasions on the regional circuit, including a KO defeat where he was literally knocked unconscious four times before the referee finally stepped in. While he has had some great moments throughout his 7-6, 1 NC UFC run, Walker's status as a glass cannon is well established at this point in proceedings. The SBG Ireland representative enters this fight off successive KO defeats, most recently getting slumped out cold by Volkan Oezdemir in June 2024.
Zhang Mingyang: "Mountain Tiger" looks for his thirteenth successive first round stoppage and the biggest win of his career as the hometown favorite
Entering his first main event as an enormous betting favorite, the menacing Zhang Mingyang (19-6) is one of the more exciting additions to the light heavyweight division in recent years. An aggressive striker with absolutely ferocious ground and pound, every single one of the Chinese power puncher's professional wins have come in the first round. "Mountain Tiger" has scored a stoppage and earned a Performance of the Night bonus in each of his three UFC appearances to date, most recently sending Anthony Smith into retirement with a bloody beatdown last April. The only knock against the surging Zhang has been his strength of schedule; beating the drastically declined Smith was the biggest victory of his career by a significant stretch.
Johnny Walker vs Zhang Mingyang prediction
While Zhang is a considerable favorite in his first UFC main event for obvious reasons, a Walker victory here isn't entirely out of the realms of possibility.
Much like his Brazilian counterpart when he first arrived in the UFC, it's hard to discount the fact that Zhang has been cracked and finished in the early stages of his career. "Mountain Tiger" already had three knockout losses on his record prior to his UFC debut, including a two fight stretch in 2018 where he succumbed to back-to-back one-punch KO defeats.
Furthermore, his best victory in the UFC (and his wider career) came over the curled up remains of Anthony Smith; hardly the type of competition that confirms Zhang can hang tough with the upper echelons of the division. Walker still has power and could well take advantage of a huge seven inch reach advantage to blast the Chinese standout into oblivion if Zhang charges in recklessly.
The outcome of this one should be fairly elementary; Zhang is either going to knock Walker out in comically brutal fashion early or get poleaxed himself in the process. One never knows what the MMA gods have in store, but it's hard to bet against a man on a win streak of twelve successive first round finishes, particularly when he's facing a fighter who is known for having a glass chin, looks completely shot, and is coming off two absolutely harrowing knockout losses.
Whatever the final result may be, the judges won't be needed for this one.
Prediction: Zhang Mingyang to win by knockout
