Making their way out to Shanghai, China for the first time since 2017, the UFC brings to the table a star-studded lineup of amazing fights in UFC Shanghai, with country native Zhang Mingyang taking on the towering Johnny Walker. In the penultimate matchup of the night at UFC Shanghai, two-time company title challenger Brian Ortega defends his ranking against former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling.
UFC Shanghai Main Event
In one of the hardest-hitting weight categories, Zhang has distinguished himself for his formidable punching power, holding 13 first round knockouts. Bursting into contendership by sending Anthony Smith into retirement in his last bout, “Mountain Tiger” seeks to devour another veteran 205-lb competitor on his road toward gold in UFC Shanghai’s main attraction.
At 6’6 with an 82 inch reach, Walker is easily the most physically imposing light heavyweight on the roster, which has translated to remarkable stoppages over the likes of Ryan Spann, Ion Cutelaba and Khalil Rountree Jr. Winless since 2023, the Brazilian is aiming to get back on track by derailing the sensational Chinese phenom during the UFC Shanghai main event.
UFC Shanghai Co-Main Event
A member of the UFC roster since 2014, Ortega has shared the Octagon with numerous featherweight greats, including Yair Rodriguez, Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski. Coming off a nearly one year layoff after dropping a unanimous decision to Diego Lopes at UFC 306, “T-City” is eager to put himself into contention once more by defeating a previous three-time defending belt-holder in Sterling in the UFC Shanghai co-headliner.
A notable pound-for-pound combatant for some time now, Sterling made his unforgettable mark on the sport following a stalwart stint at 135-lb, capturing the title with high-profile triumphs over Cory Sandhagen, Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo. Determined to earn a second strap in a new division, “Funkmaster” grapples with his most veteran adversary at 145-lb to date.
Here’s how to watch UFC Shanghai
Online Streaming: You can catch the entire card on ESPN+, but you will need to subscribe in order to do so. Right now, the company is offering a monthly or yearly subscription of $11.99 and $119.99 respectively. For those who want to get more bang out of their buck, there is also the monthly Disney Bundle Deal, which offers ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney+ for $16.99 with included commercials, or $26.99 for no commercials at all.
Start Time and Date: The Preliminaries will begin at 3am ET, followed by the Main Card at 6am ET on August 23rd.
Bout Order For UFC Shanghai
Main Card:
Johnny Walker vs. Zhang Mingyang (Light Heavyweight Main Event)
Brian Ortega vs. Aljamain Sterling (Catchweight 153-lb Co-Main Event)
Sergei Pavlovich vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta (Heavyweight)
Su Mudaerji vs. Kevin Borjas (Flyweight)
Taiyilake Nueraji vs. Kiefer Crosbie (Welterweight)
Preliminaries:
Maheshate Hayisaer vs. Gauge Young (Lightweight)
Lone’er Kavanagh vs. Charles Johnson (Flyweight)
Rong Zhu vs. Austin Hubbard (Lightweight)
Michel Pereira vs. Kyle Daukaus (Middleweight)
Yi Zha vs. Westin Wilson (Featherweight)
Xiao Long vs. You Su-young (Bantamweight)
Uran Satybaldiev vs. Diyar Nurgozhay (Light Heavyweight)
