UFC Shanghai: Walker vs Zhang - Full Card Analysis

UFC Shanghai: Walker vs Zhang – 8.23.2025 – Fight Predictions and Analysis

Welcome to our collaborative coverage of UFC Fight Night: Walker vs Zhang. The event today will be live from Shanghai Indoor Stadium in China with an early start time for us viewers in North America. Be sure to check out our full reasoning for every pick as our records will not reflect confidence in each selection. We will be picking every fight, but likely only recommend betting on a select few.

Current Record

Anthony: 213-123-1 (Last Year 321-191-0, 63%)
Nick: 216-120-1 (Last Year 316-196-0, 62%)

*Fight odds were last updated from Bet99 on 8-22-2025 at 7am EST

Preliminary Card- Starts 3:00am EST

Uran Satybaldiev -145 vs Diyar Nurgozhay +115

Anthony: The card today begins early with this fight between light heavyweights Uran Satybaldiev and Diyar Nurgozhay. These two athletes are both coming off losses in their promotional debut. Nurgozhay lost as a -400 favorite against Brendson Ribeiro. I do not think that I am ready to write-off either man yet but I am certainly not very eager to bet money on them here. Satybaldiev was at least fighting up at heavyweight in his debut match against Matin Buday. He should find more success grappling in this fight against Nurgozhay. While Satybaldiev himself is a dynamic striker, Nurgozhay is much more powerful. He has showcased superior kickboxing and better overall technique. However, Nurgozhay also seems to tire easily and glaring grappling deficiencies are hard to overlook. It concerns me seeing the way this fight has been bet on the market as well. Satybaldiev was a -200 favorite at open but money has poured in on the fighter from Kazakhstan. Bettors should avoid betting on this one all together. Uran Satybaldiev by Round Two KO
Nick: Uran Satybaldiev is 9-1 professionally, coming off a hard fought loss in his UFC debut to Martin Buday. In spite of that result, Satybaldiev gave a good showing of himself as he took that fight up a weight class and on short notice. A former LFA Light Heavyweight Champion, Satybaldiev is relatively well rounded. While his grappling ability seems generally sufficient for his weight class, most of his success has come on the feet as six of his nine professional wins have come via KO. He does a good job pressuring his opponents and he throws a lot of volume for someone his size. That being said, his aggressive style can be dangerous at times as he’s more than willing to sacrifice offense for defense. Diyar Nurgozhay is 10-1 professionally and 28 years old. He’s well rounded, with six of his ten wins coming by KO and two by submission. While decent everywhere, he prefers to stand and exchange on his feet. He’s a powerful and athletic striker who does a good job crashing distance, even as one of the shorter fighters in the division. While he’s gifted offensively, he’s coming off an ugly loss via submission in his UFC debut to Brendson Ribeiro in which his defensive grappling was somewhat exposed. This is a low confidence play, but I do see Satybaldiev as the better fighter in this match-up. He’s far from technical, but he has advantages in durability, strength, and cardio in this matchup. Uran Satybaldiev by Decision

Su Young You -130 vs Xiao Long +110

Anthony: This should be a great fight at bantamweight between Xiao Long and Su Young You. Long was in the finals of Road to UFC Season 2 while Su Young You was the winner of Season 3. Both men have looked good debuting in the promotion and dictating the style of their fights. You is a well-rounded athlete but he excels when it comes to his takedowns and grappling. He has scored multiple takedowns in each of his fights inside the octagon. This bout is so interesting because Long is very good at getting back to his feet. He has 77 percent takedown defense and Long also does well punishing his opponents for shooting. While I think You is very talented with a high ceiling to grow, this is an opponent that is definitely going to have a counter to his pressure grappling. I am not certain he has developed enough different looks to really challenge Long or hold him down. Long is listed as the taller fighter in this matchup with longer reach as well. He is compact and very strong for a bantamweight and he looked great on the scales. I expect him to land more damage and win on the scorecards by stuffing most of You’s takedown attempts. Xiao Long by Decision
Nick: Su Young You captured the 2024 Road to UFC Tournament Championship at bantamweight, securing a win via decision over Baergeng Jieleyisi back in November of 2024. He more recently secured a dominant decision win over a somewhat low level opponent in AJ Cunningham, but that win did come under the UFC banner. You is 29 years old and 15-3 professionally. Primarily a grappler, he generally looks to pressure his opponents with a chain wrestling style that allows him to control position for the majority of fifteen minutes. He’s not terrible on the feet, but he really doesn’t throw much volume. Five of his fifteen professional wins have come by submission. Xiao Long is 27-9 professionally, with five wins coming via KO and nine coming via submission At just 27 years old, he continues to show massive improvements from fight to fight in all facets of his game. He is 1-1 in the UFC, most recently securing a ground-and-pound win over Quan Le back in November of 2024. Long pushes a serious pace, is more than willing to engage in a firefight, and his speed and athleticism seem to be solid enough to carry him to wins over lower level opponents. He’s shown a willingness to grapple against lower level competition, but he seems most comfortable to stand and trade on the feet. These are two unproven fighters in terms of quality of competition, but I prefer the You side here as he’s the better grappler with the more well rounded overall game. This is a low confidence play, but I expect the favorite can secure the takedowns he needs here to pull this one out on the scorecards. Su Young You by Decision

Yizha -1200 vs Westin Wilson +750

Anthony: Next is a matchup at featherweight between Yizha and Westin Wilson. Yizha is the biggest betting favorite on the card with many pundits expecting him to walk through Wilson. Although I think Yizha appears to be a complete fighter with great jiu jitsu, I do not think anybody should be betting him at this crazy number. Wilson does have a size advantage that benefits him here on the feet. He does well fighting at distance and using karate attacks to score without taking many shots in return. Wilson has been a professional for more than ten years and yet he really does not have a resume that shows it. I agree that his ceiling is likely capped, but this is a winnable fight for Wilson if he can use his long range weapons. Yizha is the more dangerous striker and a dominant grappler. He has powerful takedowns and a variety of submissions in his arsenal. Normally Yizha will walk through punches to score his takedowns and Wilson offers little threat to hurt him moving forward. I expect Yizha to get his hands on Wilson early and take this fight to the ground as needed. He will likely win via submission. Still, this price is ridiculous and I cannot justify betting on Yizha who also lacks quality victories on his resume. I do not trust him at these odds and I might even put a dollar on Wilson instead. Yizha by Round Two Submission
Nick: At just 28-years old, Yizha already has a 25-5 professional record. He’s fought against a questionable level of regional opponent, but fourteen of his professional wins have come via submission and five have come via KO. Yizha is relatively well rounded, but his greatest strength is his dangerous BJJ. He’s a decent wrestler with underwhelming takedown entries, but if he can get his opponents to the mat he is very dangerous on top. He suffered a loss via decision his last time out against a tough opponent in Gabriel Santos. He has been out of action since that fight back in September of 2024, so there’s a chance we see a much improved version of him here in this match-up. Westin Wilson is 17-9 professionally, coming off an upset submission win over Jeka Saragih as a +280 underdog. Wilson is a BJJ specialist who fights out of a karate stance in striking exchanges. He’s a dangerous grappler, but most of his wins have come against an extremely low level of opponent. In spite of his flaws both on the feet and defensively in general, he has good instincts in the cage and a knack for securing opportunistic submissions. The line is completely ridiculous here, but Wilson does not seem to be UFC level. Yizha still has a lot to prove, but he’s extremely dangerous on the mat which is where Wilson prefers his fights to take place. Yizha by Round One Submission

Michel Pereira -280 vs Kyle Daukaus +220

Anthony: This should be an exciting fight at middleweight between Michel Pereira and Kyle Daukaus. It is the second-stint in the promotion for Daukaus who was just re-signed. He was cut in 2022 after a 2-4 stint in the UFC. He also had a match ruled no contest against Kevin Holland due to a headbutt. Daukaus has been actively competing since then, winning four bouts in CFFC and also competing in two professional grappling matches. He is at his best when imposing his grappling on opponents in the cage. Daukaus has high-level jiu jitsu and great attacks from the back. He is a problem to deal with in grappling exchanges and when fights hit the mat. It would not surprise me to see Daukaus blanket Pereira but I think this is a tough matchup for him to draw into for his return. Pereira is an explosive athlete here at middleweight who should be urgent to get back in the win column. I am expecting Pereira to engage very early in this fight with little power threat coming back at him from Daukaus. He hits much harder and offers so many looks with his diverse striking arsenal. Pereira may seem a bit undersized here facing Daukaus but I do not expect that difference will be felt throughout these striking exchanges. Pereira could succumb to the grappling pressure late but I’d expect his hands to look very good here early. He is always the most dangerous in round one. Michel Pereira by Round One KO
Nick: Earlier in his career, Michel Pereira would fight like a video game character in the way he flipped around the cage. He can be one of the more entertaining fighters to watch, but his Fight IQ is always in question. He has been known to throw ridiculous looking spinning kicks and backflip onto his opponents for pretty much no reason. This can put an unnecessary dent in his gas tank, but he does have strong striking ability and he has shown a solid chin against decent competition. He enters this match-up off back-to-back losses, but it seems he’s growing more intelligent in the cage from fight to fight. He’s pulled back on the wild antics in favor of a more conservative approach, but this new approach can be frustrating to watch as a backer of his as he can be overly tentative. Kyle Daukaus will be making his return to the UFC here, after stringing together a four fight win streak for CFFC. He was cut from the promotion following back-to-back losses back in 2022, but at 32 years old it does seem that he is still in his athletic prime. Daukaus’ striking is still far from technical, but he is well-versed enough to stand and trade when he needs to. His greatest strength is his offensive grappling ability as a BJJ black belt, but he’s also shown a solid chin and mostly excellent cardio. If Pereira is on point here he should make easy work of Daukaus. If he doesn’t this line will look far too wide as Daukaus does seem to improve as his fights wear on. Another low confidence play, but I find myself on the Pereira side given the fact Daukaus took this fight on short notice almost entirely across the world. Michel Pereira by Round One KO

Rongzhu -280 vs Austin Hubbard +220

Anthony: This is a lightweight fight between Austin Hubbard and Rongzhu, who is a large betting favorite but I feel confident picking him to get the win in this bout. Hubbard is not a dangerous fighter. He does not present much challenge to Rongzhu in the realm of striking. Hubbard can land good strikes in combination but he does not connect with power. Hubbard’s grappling is also not very strong, often clinching opponents and desperately trying to maintain control of the back. He is well-rounded but Hubbard only has one win by finish in the past seven years. Rongzhu already has great striking but his time spent training at City Kickboxing will absolutely help him continue to develop and improve. He is still just 25. His best performance to date came against Kody Steele in his last bout, a matchup that earned honors for Fight of the Night. I feel good about picking him in today’s matchup after stuffing three of four takedowns against Cody Steele, who is a better wrestler than Hubbard. Hubbard will desperately attempt to grapple today and Rongzhu has all the tools to deny him. I expect Rongzhu to easily eclipse 100 strikes if he does not finish Hubbard before that. Rongzhu by Decision
Nick: Rongzhu is a highly technical striker with an aggressive style and outstanding countering ability. He’s a competent wrestler, but he’s still learning to transition between his striking and his grappling. He was once an extremely highly regarded prospect, but he was cut from the UFC after mixed results as an underdeveloped raw talent. He worked his way back to the promotion, and he is now 1-1 since making his return. Rongzhu certainly seems stronger than his first stint in the promotion, but at just 25-years old he’s still somewhat raw in his abilities. Austin Hubbard is big for the division. He’s mostly well-rounded, but offensively he doesn’t have any singular standout skill. He has excellent cardio, which isn’t really a surprise as he primarily trains in Colorado with Elevation Fight Team. He was cut from the promotion following a decision loss to Vinc Pichel in 2021, but he has since returned to the roster posting a 1-3 record since. Rongzhu can be inconsistent, but at his best this is the type of stylistic match-up he should do well in. I expect he can outvolume Hubbard here to a convincing decision win. Rongzhu by Decision

Lone’er Kavanagh -210 vs Charles Johnson +170

Anthony: This fight is a flyweight bout between Charles Johnson and Lone’er Kavanagh. I think Kavanagh is rightfully favored, still undefeated as a professional and fighting very clean fights. Kavanagh has mixed heritage, partly Chinese and accustomed to competing in this part of the world. He made his promotional debut at Galaxy Arena in Macau last year. There seems to be a very bright future ahead of Kavanagh fighting at 125 pounds. He is quick and light on his feet, landing precise attacks on his opponents with exceptional kickboxing and muay thai. I expect Lone’er to have much better timing than Johnson, landing counters that hurt him as he looks to move in. Johnson does not have high-level grappling but he is comfortable fighting through positions along the fence. Normally Johnson will at least burn some minutes off the clock, clinching opponents and maintaining the body lock. Here fighting in a large octagon I hope Kavanagh can keep plenty of space between him and Johsnon. It is also worth noting that Johnson has fought 8 of his last 10 fights inside of the small Apex cage. It may be difficult for him to track down Kavanagh who has much superior footwork. Kavanagh has a great chance of scoring another win by knockout here today. He is suited well to go a hard fifteen minutes and push the pace against Johnson here late. Lone’er Kavanagh by Round Three KO
Nick: Kavanagh is 9-0 professionally, with four of those wins coming via KO. Kavanagh is 26-years old, and he’s already well developed for his age. Prior to breaking into the UFC, he primarily fought for a respectable regional promotion via Cage Warriors. He’s a competent grappler, but a dangerous and aggressive striker. He fights well in the pocket and his power for a flyweight makes him a prospect worth keeping an eye on. He is 2-0 so far in the promotion, but taking a major step up here in terms of level of competition. Charles Johnson is a former LFA flyweight champion, but he’s produced mixed results since he was promoted to the UFC. He’s a technically skilled boxer, but his defensive wrestling and grappling has proven to be a massive hole in his overall game. He is 6-5 in the UFC, coming off a decision loss to a tough out in Ramazan Temirov. This fight should play out closer than the line might suggest, but Kavanagh should be able to mix in his grappling if Johnson is having success on the feet. Kavanagh is widely regarded as one of the better prospects in the world at 125 lbs. Lone’er Kavanagh by Decision

Gauge Young -130 vs Maheshate +110

Anthony: The featured bout is a lightweight contest between Maheshate and Gauge Young. Odds are near even for this fight with two exciting 25-year-old set to go head to head. Young did not look that good fighting on short notice in his promotional debut. I think we could see an improved version of him this fight, perhaps mixing his attacks a bit better. He will not have to deal with much grappling as Maheshate will likely oblige him on the feet. Young has good range control and accurate strikes despite being a bit of a brawler. He is a big time knockout threat with a great overhand right that Maheshate will need to watch out for. While Young does have good power at this size, he is three-inches shorter than Maheshate and getting into range could be a bit difficult. Maheshate has proven to have a solid chin in tough fights against Nikolas Motta and Gabriel Benitez. I would think that if Young fails to knock him out, Maheshate will be landing the more consistent offense with straight shots and well-timed counters. The judges could favor his work more than the American despite what transpires in the cage. He also has knockout equity. This is one of my least confident picks. Maheshate by Decision
Nick: Gauge Young is primarily a striker, with six of his nine professional wins coming via KO. He is 9-4 professionally, generally athletic, but his defensive grappling does seem to be more of a weakness than a strength. He’s coming off a hard fought loss in his UFC debut, but that fight came on short notice against a decent opponent in Evan Elder. He lost a hard fought decision on the Contender Series to a rising young prospect in Quillan Salkilld back in September of 2024, but he hasn’t found much success against any opponent of UFC level in terms of skill. Maheshate is only 25-years old, but he already seems to be further along in his development than most of the prospects we see coming out of China. He throws powerful strikes and seems to be a competent grappler, but he really hasn’t found much success yet at the UFC level. He’s 2-3 since breaking into the promotion, but having been out of action since November of 2024 we should see an improved version of him here. Young is better than his recent results, but Maheshate has a considerable experience advantage here. In such a competitive match-up, I’m seeing some value on the underdog. Maheshate by Decision

Main Card- Starts 6:00am EST

Taiyilake Nueraji -470 vs Kiefer Crosbie +360

Anthony: The main card opens with this matchup at welterweight between Taiyilake Nueraji and Kiefer Crosbie. It is a short notice appearance for Nueraji who likely would be competing anyways this weekend on Road to UFC. He steps in to replace the injured Song Kenan and faces a very soft opponent in Ireland’s Kiefer Crosbie. I believe that the 35-year-old Crosbie was placed on this card for one last fight before contract termination. He is tough but Crosbie lacks technical skills and has a huge gap in terms of his grappling defenses. Nueraji may be stepping into the deep end a bit too quickly but he has all the makings of a future star. The 24-year-old has now won five straight fights by stoppage. He is big for 170 pounds and hits with the power of a middleweight. He is also very aggressive, sometimes absorbing more strikes than what he lands. I am a fan of his aggressive style and his wide arsenal of attacks. Crosby is more susceptible to submissions compared to KOs, but I do like Nueraji’s chances of finding a finish here today. The moneyline odds seem a bit wide for this fight but Nueraji should certainly do enough to clear. Taiyilake Nueraji by Round Two KO
Nick: Taiyilake Nueraji will be making his UFC debut here, with an 11-1 record at 24 years old. Nueraji fights out of Enbo fight club in China. Primarily a striker, ten of his eleven professional wins have come via KO. Nueraji is explosive when crashing the pocket and he generally does an excellent job mixing knees into his combinations. His grappling ability seems to continue to improve, but he really hasn’t been tested against a quality level of opponent..Kiefer Crosbie has faced decent competition as a former Bellator mainstay, carrying power on the feet with solid technical boxing ability both offensively and defensively. He trains out of SGB Ireland and he is 10-5 professionally, and 0-2 so far in the UFC. While he can be dangerous on the feet, he struggles when fighting off his back foot and it seems his defensive grappling is still a major hole in his overall game. The line is wide here as Neuraji is still unproven. Still, he should be able to finish Crosbie who doesn’t really seem to be UFC level. Taiyilake Nueraji by Round One KO

Sumaderji -180 vs Kevin Borjas +145

Anthony: This is a matchup at flyweight between Sumaderji and Kevin Borjas. We should be looking at an exciting scrap here between two talented strikers. Borjas surprised a lot of people in his last fight, beating Ronaldo Rodriguez. He was very poised and landed excellent counters throughout that fight. I consider it Borjas best win to date but that is not necessarily saying much when it comes to Lazy Boy. Sumaderji has fought much higher caliber opponents throughout his time in the UFC. Elite grapplers have been able to wear out Sumaderji but he is the rightful favorite today in what should be a straight kickboxing match. Borjas could perhaps overwhelm him with volume but I think throughout this fight it will be Sumaderji landing the more meaningful strikes. His straight punches will cause damage and land favor with the judges. Sumaderji has a four-inch reach advantage and that will make it difficult for Borjas to get into range. He should also get the nod here fighting in China if the scorecards do appear to be close. Sumaderji by Decision
Nick: Sumudaerji is primarily a striker. He keeps a wide and open stance, and his outstanding speed and footwork make him a tough target for any opponent on the counter. His power is solid, but his outstanding volume and counter striking ability are his greatest strengths. As dangerous as he is on the feet, his defensive grappling is a major hole in his game and his cardio and durability seem to be more likely to be weaknesses than they are strengths at this point in his career. Kevin Borjas is 10-3 professionally, with eight wins coming via KO and one coming via decision. At 27-years-old he continues to show considerable improvements every time we see him fight. He’s primarily a striker, but he has solid takedown defense and generally does a good job working back to his feet if he’s taken down. This should be a fun and competitive match-up between two strikers. I prefer the Sumaderji side given his significant reach advantage. Sumaderji by Decision

Sergei Pavlovich -250 vs Waldo Cortes-Acosta +200

Anthony: The featured bout is a fight at heavyweight between Sergei Pavlovich and Waldo Cortes-Acosta. It will be a battle between strikers with Cortes-Acosta landing volume while Pavlovich chases his knockouts. Although Cortes-Acosta has gone 7-1 in the UFC, his fights have been close and generally boring to watch. He is a fighter that tends to pick away at opponents from the outside, feinting and point fighting. While that style can yield dividends here at heavyweight, it is not going to be very successful when opposing a big power threat. Pavlovich will be landing punches with meaning in this fight while Cortes-Acosta slowly chips away. The Russian has a six-inch reach advantage and I think it will be easy for him to connect on Waldo with his jab and hooks. Pavlovich should not fight hesitantly with such minimal power coming back in his direction. Pavlovich also has a decisive grappling advantage in this matchup. He could elect to wrestle here against Cortes-Acosta rather than hunting the knockout. The only way I think Cortes-Acosta can win is by staying safe and earning the decision. Pavlovich has far more paths to victory and I expect him to cash moneyline tickets. Sergei Pavlovich by Round Two KO
Nick: Sergei Pavlovich is 19-3 professionally with seventeen of his eighteen wins coming via KO. In spite of his mixed results recently, there is no denying he’s still one of the more powerful strikers in the world at heavyweight. Pavlovich’s footwork is mediocre at best, but he’s durable, and he generally does a good job forcing his opponents to fight moving backwards. In his recent win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik he showed he can grapple when he needs to. Waldo Cortes-Acosta is 13-1 professionally, coming off a narrow decision win over Serghei Spivac back in June of 2025. Waldo Cortes-Acosta is 7-1 in the UFC, on a five fight win streak, and he continues to show improvements in all facets of his game. He’s athletic for a heavyweight, he has shown decent cardio and durability, but he often sacrifices defense as a means to close distance on his opponents. He has solid technical striking ability, but he could be outclassed on the feet in this particular match-up. The line is far too wide here, especially for heavyweight MMA. That being said, I do expect Pavlovich to close the distance here as he scores a vicious knockout. Cortes-Acosta has been good, but this is a major step up in level of competition for him here. Sergei Pavlovich by Round One KO

Aljamain Sterling -400 vs Brian Ortega +300

Anthony: The co-main event will be five rounds between Brian Ortega and Aljamain Sterling. This fight was originally scheduled at featherweight but due to Ortega struggling to cut, these two will compete weighing 153 pounds. Sterling was always big at bantamweight but now fighting lightweights seems like a step too far. Ortega will seem much bigger than him when the cage door locks. Sterling will be the stronger wrestler in this fight and much more physically strong. I think he should dominate wrestling exchanges, I just worry about Ortega catching him in a choke. Ortega is an elite submission grappler with great skills from the bottom position. He has won eight fights via submission, most notably catching opponents in the triangle choke. Ortega also has a great guillotine. Depending on how this bout plays out I could see him actually threatening Sterling with submissions over the course of this fight. Ortega should also be landing the more meaningful boxing combinations on the feet. Sterling has great kicks and nice straight punches, but he is not very powerful. He could look -400 here against an injured Ortega but I still believe he will be in for a tough fight. Ortega looked bad on the scales but I am not convinced this was a botched weight cut. He is going to be more comfortable fighting at this weight for five rounds and Sterling deserves massive credit for agreeing to still compete. I expect Sterling to have a great start in this bout, but he is not a potent finisher whereas Ortega remains dangerous until the final horn sounds. Brian Ortega by Round Five Submission
Nick: This fight will take place at a catchweight of 153 lbs after Brian Ortega struggled with his weight cut. Aljamain Sterling usually starts his fights aggressively. His strikes don’t pack a ton of power, but he’s mostly accurate, and he does a good job frustrating his opponents at range with his unconventional style. He is primarily a wrestler with excellent takedown ability and BJJ. His best position is on his opponents’ back(s), and one could argue that he’s changed the meta of the sport with his utilization of the body triangle. Sterling is coming off a hard fought decision loss to Movsar Evloev. Sterling decided to move up a weight class, after dropping the bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley in August of 2019, he has since gone 1-1 at featherweight. As a black belt under Rener Gracie, Ortega has extremely advanced jiu jitsu and offensive grappling ability. We’ve seen him score a variety of submissions against the best of this 145 pound division and while he has made serious improvements in his striking over the years, there’s no denying that his BJJ remains his most effective weapon. Ortega is coming off a tough decision loss to Diego Lopes, and he has been out of action since that fight took place back in September of 2024. Given the weight cutting issues and his general inactivity, I expect Ortega to struggle in this match-up. Sterling may struggle to find the finish, but he should stay a step ahead on his way to a convincing decision. Aljamain Sterling by Decision

Zhang Mingyang -350 vs Johnny Walker +270

Anthony: The main event comes at light heavyweight between Johnny Walker and Zhang Mingyang. This should be the coming out party for Mingyang, the next big star in China. He is currently on a twelve fight winning streak. He competes with very high energy and produces finishes that are fun to watch. The UFC matchmakers know what they are doing, matching Mingyang against a veteran athlete that he should completely stomp. Mingyang has thudding power in this weight class and Walker has been finished in each of his previous four losses. His chin has always been suspect but at this stage of his career it is clear that Walker cannot take a punch. Mingyang has earned all 19 of his professional victories in round one. He is patient waiting for his opening but when Mingyang does decide to throw he has been landing with fight-ending power. Walker may be the more credentialed grappler but on the feet I do not expect him to realize any success. Mingyang is very tactical and I doubt he gets put into positions versus Walker that he cannot fight out of. It will only take a few shots standing for Mingyang to earn yet another stoppage win. I am confidently betting on Mingyang to win this fight via early knockout. I’ve bet heavily on his round one prop at nearly even money. Zhang Mingyang by Round One KO
Nick: Zhang Mingyang is 19-6 professionally, on a twelve-fight win streak, with all twelve of those wins coming via first round finish. He’s dangerous offensively, but his open stance leaves him there to be countered in exchanges. He carries a lot of momentum into this match-up as he’s coming off three solid wins under the UFC banner, but he’s taking a considerable step up in level of competition here against a decent opponent in Johnny Walker. Johnny Walker is extremely gifted in terms of athletic ability, but his fighting IQ leaves a lot to be desired. He carries serious power in all of his limbs, but he’s very hittable in exchanges. He’s recently shifted camps from SBG Ireland to Xtreme Couture in Vegas. Many felt SBG made Walker too tentative as most of his success had come as a wild and aggressive fighter. Walker’s chin is likely the difference in this match-up. His durability seems completely shot, and Mingyang is extremely aggressive as a striker. The line does feel wide given the gap in experience, but I’m siding with the favorite to keep things rolling in front of his home crowd in this main event. Zhang Mingyang by Round One KO

-Nick Marro

Twitter: @NickMarroDFS

-Anthony Marro

Twitter: @AnthonyMarro_

Photo: UFC.com