The UFC returned to China with a Fight Night card at the Shanghai Indoor Arena in the city’s Xuhui District. Headlining the event, No. 12-ranked light heavyweight Johnny Walker faced rising contender and No. 14-ranked Zhang Mingyang in a high-stakes matchup. In the co-main event, two-time featherweight title challenger and No. 7-ranked Brian Ortega took on former bantamweight champion and current No. 9 featherweight Aljamain Sterling.

Johnny Walker def. Zhang Mingyang via second-round TKO (strikes)

Johnny Walker spoiled Zhang Mingyang’s homecoming in Shanghai, knocking down the Chinese light heavyweight and earning a second-round TKO in the UFC Fight Night main event. The Brazilian snapped a three-fight losing skid with a much-needed comeback victory, handing Zhang his first loss since 2019 and ending the rising contender’s 12-fight winning streak.

The first round saw Zhang take control, landing heavy shots that had Walker retreating and fighting off the back foot. Walker, however, survived the early storm and adjusted his strategy for Round 2. He began attacking Zhang’s lead leg with calf kicks, one of which visibly hurt the Chinese prospect. A second kick knocked Zhang down to the canvas in pain, and Walker immediately swarmed with ground-and-pound until referee Marc Goddard stopped the fight at 2:37 of the round.

It was a stunning turnaround against an opponent who had not even been taken past the first round since 2018, and entered riding nine straight first-round knockouts. For Walker, the win ends his recent slide and give him new life into his UFC campaign, while Zhang’s rapid rise comes to a sudden halt in front of his home crowd.

Aljamain Sterling def. Brian Ortega via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

In the co-main event, Aljamain Sterling delivered a dominant performance, cruising to a unanimous decision win over Brian Ortega in a catchweight bout. Originally scheduled as a featherweight fight, the fight was moved to 153 pounds after Ortega had a rough weight cut that left him visibly drained at Friday’s faceoff. Though he appeared slightly recovered on fight night, Ortega never found his rhythm inside the cage.

Sterling, the former bantamweight champion, immediately established his speed and range, picking Ortega apart with jabs and leg kicks while circling away from danger. Ortega landed just 7% of his strikes in the opening round and remained a step behind throughout the fight. His only notable moment came in the fifth round, when he briefly pressed Sterling with a short flurry, but Sterling quickly took him down and sealed the win with ground-and-pound.

The win improves Sterling to 2-1 since moving up to featherweight, reaffirming his status as a serious contender in the division and likely pushing him into the Top 5. For Ortega, the loss marked his second straight defeat and his fifth in his past seven fights, further dimming the two-time title challenger’s hopes of another championship run. Afterward, Sterling called for a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski, though he may need to wait his turn behind Lerone Murphy or Movsar Evloev.

UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang Results

• Johnny Walker def. Zhang Mingyang via second-round TKO (strikes)
• Aljamain Sterling def. Brian Ortega via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
• Sergei Pavlovich def. Waldo Cortes-Acosta via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Sumudaerji def. Kevin Borjas via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Taiyilake Nueralji def. Kiefer Crosbie via first-round TKO (elbows)
• Gauge Young def. Maheshate via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Charles Johnson def. Lone’er Kavanagh via second-round KO (right hand)
• Rongzhu def. Austin Hubbard via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Kyle Daukaus def. Michel Pereira via first-round KO (strikes)
• Yi Zha def. Westin Wilson via first-round KO (strikes)
• SuYoung You def. Xiao Long via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Uran Satybaldiev def. Diyar Nurgozhay via first-round submission (Ezekiel choke)