Johnny Walker Predicts: “Whoever Lands First” Will Win in Zhang Mingyang Matchup – UFC Shanghai
Johnny Walker believes his fight against Zhang Mingyang will ultimately come down to who lands the first punch.
After coming up short in his last two outings, Walker will look to climb back into the win column when he headlines UFC Shanghai this Saturday inside Shanghai Indoor Stadium. Standing in Walker’s way of a much-needed victory will be Zhang, a light heavyweight knockout artist who already boasts three highlight-reel first-round finishes inside the Octagon.
With 29 career KOs between Zhang and Walker, it’s safe to say that fireworks are going to fly when they step into the main event spotlight. But as far as who comes out on top, that’s anyone’s guess.
“Bro, I don’t know—there’s no favorite,” Walker told MMA Junkie when asked how he sees things playing out in Shanghai. “Whatever lands first. Because I like elbows, I like knees, I like kicks, you know, I like punches. Whatever lands first. Whatever does the job, does the job.”
Overall, Walker is 7-6 under the UFC banner, with some of his biggest wins coming against one-time title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr., Ryan Spann, Paul Craig, and Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Smith. However, the Brazilian bruiser has struggled to find the win column over the last couple of years. Since October 2023, Walker has logged a no-contest and back-to-back losses against current light heavyweight king Magomed Ankalaev and Volkan Oezdemir.
Meanwhile, Zhang has looked like a star-in-the-making since his UFC debut, landing quick KOs against Brendson Ribeiro, Ozzy Diaz, and the aforementioned Anthony Smith.
