I want to clarify something important about the Johnny Walker event on August 23, 2025. The event is about UFC MMA fighter Johnny Walker, not the whisky brand Johnnie Walker.

Here’s the news report:

UFC Shanghai Main Event: Zhang Mingyang Dominates Spotlight

SHANGHAI – On August 23, 2025, mixed martial arts made history in China. The UFC returned to Shanghai for the first time in almost eight years with UFC Fight Night 257. The event featured Brazilian light heavyweight Johnny Walker against rising Chinese star Zhang Mingyang. It took place at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium.

Event Significance

The event was the UFC’s first trip back to mainland China since the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally, the promotion was expected to return to the location at UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutiérrez in December 2023, but that event was moved to Las Vegas for undisclosed reasons.

Main Event Background

Johnny Walker (21-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) really needed a win. He had lost by knockout in his last two fights against Magomed Ankalaev and Volkan Oezdemir. The 33-year-old Brazilian trained at Xtreme Couture MMA in Las Vegas. He worked with coach Eric Nicksick. This was a big change from his time at SBG Ireland.

Zhang Mingyang, also called “Mountain Tiger,” has a record of 19-6 in MMA and 3-0 in the UFC. He entered the fight with an impressive 12-fight winning streak. The 27-year-old Chinese fighter has a perfect record of 19 wins, all in the first round. He achieved three of these victories in the UFC, stopping Brendson Ribeiro, Ozzy Diaz, and former title contender Anthony Smith in the first round.

Stakes and Expectations

Zhang is the first Chinese fighter to headline a UFC event in China. This follows Zhang Weili’s win over Jéssica Andrade for the strawweight title in August 2019. The betting odds heavily favored the Chinese fighter at -400, with Walker as the underdog at +300.

Zhang recognized the pressure of fighting at home. Still, he felt confident. He said, “There is always some pressure leading to the fight and before the fight.” I’m still enjoying fighting at home because I’m familiar with everything here”.

Co-Main Event Adjustment

The co-main event featured Brian Ortega, a former featherweight title challenger, and Aljamain Sterling, a former bantamweight champion. The fight switched from 145 pounds to a catchweight of 153 pounds after Ortega had issues with his weight cut.

Training Camp Insights

Zhang discussed his prep for Walker’s unusual fighting style: “For this training camp, I brought in various partners. It’s hard to find one fighter who can match Johnny’s approach.”

The Chinese fighter explained a key reason for taking the fight: “Every fighter who has beaten Johnny goes on to be champion.” That’s why I agreed to this matchup”.

Note: As of this report, the official results of the main event were not available. The fights were set to start at 6:00 AM ET on ESPN+.