‘Mountain Tiger’ aims to continue epic winning run

The ‘Mountain Tiger’ Zhang Mingyang will aim to continue his epic winning run when he faces Johnny Walker in the light heavyweight main event of a UFC Fight Night, set for the Shanghai Indoor Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Zhang (19-6) has put together a 12-match winning streak which started back in early 2020 when he was still part of the Wu Lin Feng (WLF) series. The 26-year-old Chinese most recently claimed a statement first-round TKO win over highly-regarded veteran Anthony Smith to signal his rise to prominence in the division.

The Mountain Tiger’s 19 wins have all been first-round finishes, as he reveals that his in-depth preparation helps him identify weaknesses in his opponents.

“What I found out is you need to study more about your opponent, and then you can find the holes in their game,” Zhang explained. “Then, when you get into the fight against him, you can read and find where the opening is and catch it and finish him.”

Walker (21-9, 1 NC) is looking to bounce back from successive KO defeats at the hands of Magomed Ankalaev and Volkan Oezdemir in 2024.

The 33-year-old Brazilian is looking forward to getting back to action after a rib injury forced him to withdraw from a fight against Bogdan Guskov at UFC 311 back in January.

“I haven’t fought since early 2024 due to injury and fight delays, but I’m ready now. I’m hungry. Nothing compares to the feeling of stepping into that cage,” said Walker.

“Being in the UFC means everything to me. It’s not just a career. It’s my purpose, my way to provide for my family and the life I was meant to live.”

The rest of the main card features a high-class featherweight fight between former championship contender Brian Ortega and former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling; Sergei Pavlovich v Waldo Cortes-Acosta in the heavyweight division; a flyweight fight pitting Su Mudaerji against Kevin Borjas; and Taiyilake Nueraji v Kiefer Crosbie in the welterweight opener.

UFC Fight Night: Walker v Zhang – Main card

- Main event: Light heavyweight: Johnny Walker v Zhang Mingyang

- Featherweight: Brian Ortega v Aljamain Sterling

- Heavyweight: Sergei Pavlovich v Waldo Cortes-Acosta

- Flyweight: Su Mudaerji v Kevin Borjas

- Welterweight: Taiyilake Nueraji v Kiefer Crosbie