UFC Fight Night: Zhang Mingyang vs Alonzo Menifield Preview & Prediction
Heavy handed light heavyweights are on deck for the co-main event of the evening, with Zhang Mingyang looking to rebound against divisional mainstay, Alonzo Menifield.
Zhang Mingyang vs Alonzo Menifield facts
What time are Zhang Mingyang and Alonzo Menifield expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Song vs Figueiredo? Galaxy Arena, Macau SAR, China
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Song vs Figueiredo? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 277
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Song vs Figueiredo on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Song vs Figueiredo? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Song vs Figueiredo main card
Song Yadong vs Deiveson Figueiredo (Bantamweight)
Zhang Mingyang vs Alonzo Menifield (Light Heavyweight)
Sergei Pavlovich vs Tallison Teixeira (Heavyweight)
Kai Asakura vs Cameron Smotherman (Bantamweight)
Alex Perez vs Su Mudaerji (Flyweight)
UFC Fight Night: Song vs Figueiredo prelims
Lee Yi-sak vs Luis Felipe Dias (Middleweight)
Ding Meng vs Jose Henrique Souza (Welterweight)
Aori Qileng vs Cody Haddon (Bantamweight)
Angela Hill vs Xiong Jingnan (Women’s Strawweight)
Loma Lookboonmee vs Jaqueline Amorim (Women’s Strawweight)
Zhu Kangjie vs Rodrigo Vera (Featherweight)
Rei Tsuruya vs Luis Gurule (Bantamweight)
Jake Matthews vs Carlston Harris (Welterweight)
Zhang Mingyang: "Mountain Tiger" looks to banish the demons associated with his last appearance
Kicking off his UFC career with three successive first round stoppages and POTN bonuses, few gave Johnny Walker much of a chance against Zhang Mingyang (19-7) last August. However, in typically goofy fashion, Walker upset the Chinese KO artist with leg kicks and follow up punches as an enormous underdog to hand “Mountain Tiger” his first loss in the promotion. Signed to the promotion off the back of nine successive first round stoppages, Zhang is a ferocious striker with notably vicious ground and pound. However, given the manner of his defeat against Walker, there are valid questions over his viability as a Top 10 light heavyweight.
Alonzo Menifield: Can "Atomic" secure the upset behind enemy lines?
Making his eighteenth walk to the cage on Saturday night, Alonzo Menifield (17-6-1) has been a staple of the light heavyweight division for the better part of a decade, scoring wins over the likes of Jimmy Crute, Dustin Jacoby, and Oumar Sy. A physical powerhouse who is known for his KO power, Menifield’s place in the division has largely been established now; “Atomic” overpowers anybody who isn’t truly elite and gets destroyed by anybody with legitimate Top 10 credentials. The American is coming off a brutal KO loss to Volkan Oezdemir last November, a result that snapped a two fight win streak.
Zhang Mingyang vs Alonzo Menifield prediction
Zhang is coming off an extremely underwhelming performance against Johnny Walker last time out, getting TKO’d by leg kicks and follow up punches as huge favorite in a result that severely damaged his hype train. However, this looks to be the perfect match up for him to rebound in.
Menifield’s size and power means that he’s always dangerous, but there’s no getting away from it; outside of a decision victory over Dustin Jacoby back in 2023, he’s largely been KO’d by every power puncher he’s come into contact with. Zhang may not have the same levels of talent as Carlos Ulberg, Azamat Murzakhanov, or Volkan Oezdemir, but the man still hits like a truck. He’s also ten years younger than “Atomic” and didn’t take as much damage in his last outing as Menifield did against the aforementioned Oezdemir.
Based on his last fight, there’s a legitimate possibility that “Mountain Tiger” proves to be incapable of taking or defending leg kicks, allowing Menifield to follow the Johnny Walker blueprint to victory here. Whether he can do that without getting blasted into next week with a huge overhand during the early stages is another matter entirely.
Menifield's experience means thate he's a live dog here, but we're going with Zhang to rebound with a statement victory.
Prediction: Zhang Mingyang to win by TKO
