The Night Shanghai Shook
Most people remember August 23, 2025, as just another early morning on the East Coast, but for those of us who stayed up until 3 a.m. to catch UFC Fight Night 257, it was a total fever dream. Coming back to mainland China after eight years away felt huge. The energy in the Shanghai Indoor Stadium was electric. Then Johnny Walker happened.
Honestly, nobody really expected Walker to pull it off. He was a massive underdog. People were writing him off after back-to-back knockout losses, basically saying his chin was gone. But that’s the thing about this sport—momentum is a ghost until it hits you in the face.
The Main Event Madness
The headliner was supposed to be a showcase for Zhang Mingyang. The "Mountain Tiger" had this terrifying stat: all 19 of his professional wins had come in the first round. Every single one. So, when the first round ended and Walker was still standing, you could feel the air leave the room.
Walker fought differently that night. He wasn't the wild, dancing-into-the-cage guy who used to dislocate his own shoulder celebrating. He was patient. He used his reach. Most importantly, he absolutely chewed up Zhang’s lead leg.
- The Finish: 2:37 of Round 2.
- The Method: A brutal TKO sparked by calf kicks that literally buckled Zhang’s base.
- The Aftermath: Walker snapped a two-year winless skid and pocketed a $50,000 bonus.
It was clinical. It was weirdly disciplined for Johnny. It reminded everyone why we fell in love with his potential in the first place.
🔗 Read more: Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid: What Most People Get Wrong About This Rivalry
Why the Co-Main Was "Sketchy"
We have to talk about Aljamain Sterling and Brian Ortega. This fight was a mess before it even started. It was originally supposed to be a featherweight bout, but it ended up being a 153-pound catchweight affair.
If you like "The Funk Master," you loved this. If you wanted fireworks, you were probably annoyed. Sterling basically put on a wrestling clinic for 25 minutes. He neutralized Ortega's dangerous submissions and just... controlled him.
A lot of fans complained it should have stayed on the shelf or been a different matchup entirely. But a 50-45 sweep on all three judges' scorecards doesn't lie. Sterling proved he’s still a nightmare to deal with, even if it isn't always "must-watch" TV for the casuals.
The Sleeper Hits and Wild Stats
The rest of the card had some gems that most people have already forgotten. Sergei Pavlovich, usually a human wrecking ball, actually went to a decision against Waldo Cortes-Acosta. That was a shock. Pavlovich’s finish rate dropped to 75%, which is still insane, but seeing him go the distance felt like watching a glitch in the matrix.
Then there was the Ezekiel choke. Uran Satybaldiev pulled it off against Diyar Nurgozhay in the very first fight of the night. Do you know how rare that is? He’s only the fourth person in UFC history to do it. We're talking about a list that includes Aleksei Oleinik and Alexander Volkov.
A Quick Look at the Results
Main Card Highlights:
- Johnny Walker def. Zhang Mingyang via TKO (Round 2)
- Aljamain Sterling def. Brian Ortega via Unanimous Decision
- Sergei Pavlovich def. Waldo Cortes-Acosta via Unanimous Decision
- Su Mudaerji def. Kevin Borjas via Unanimous Decision
- Taiyilake Nueraji def. Kiefer Crosbie via TKO (Round 1)
Prelim Shocker:
Kyle Daukaus made his return to the promotion and absolutely smoked Michel Pereira in 43 seconds. Pereira was on a three-fight losing skid heading into that, and Daukaus just ended any hope of a comeback that night.
The Long-Term Impact
Looking back at UFC Fight Night 257 from where we are now in 2026, it was the start of a massive shift. It was the last year before the UFC moved to Paramount+ and ended the traditional pay-per-view era as we knew it.
The event also solidified China as a cornerstone for the promotion’s international growth. Even though the "hometown hero" lost the main event, the emergence of guys like Taiyilake Nueraji—who still hasn't seen a third round in his life—showed that the talent pool there is getting deep.
If you’re tracking the light heavyweight rankings today, you can point directly to this Shanghai event as the moment Johnny Walker saved his career. Without that TKO, he’s probably fighting in a different organization right now. Instead, he used it to catapult himself into the Dominick Reyes fight at UFC 327.
Moving Forward
If you want to understand the current state of the 205-pound division, you need to go back and watch the tape on Walker's leg kick strategy from this night. It has become the blueprint for beating high-pressure power punchers who heavy-load their lead leg.
For fans looking to stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on the "Road to UFC" graduates who debuted here. The technical gap is closing fast.
Actionable Insights for MMA Fans:
- Rewatch the Opener: If you haven't seen Satybaldiev’s Ezekiel choke, find the clip. It’s a masterclass in opportunistic grappling.
- Watch the Calf Kicks: Analyze Walker’s second round. It’s a perfect example of how to use "limb destruction" to setup a finish against a heavy hitter.
- Track the 2026 Schedule: Remember that the game has changed with the Paramount+ deal. Most of these Fight Nights are now included in your base subscription, so there's no excuse to miss the international cards anymore.
The UFC returns to Houston next for Strickland vs. Hernandez on February 21, and you can bet the lessons from Shanghai are still being talked about in the fighter hotels tonight.