UFC Fight Night 257 (also known as UFC Shanghai) will serve as the final UFC event in the month of August. If you’re planning on watching this card on your streaming device of choice, be prepared to sacrifice some shuteye on the night of Aug 22 going into the morning of Aug. 23.
Live coverage of UFC Fight Night 257 will start at 3 am ET/ 12 midnight PT for North American audiences with the undercard.
Main card action follows at 6 am ET/ 3 am PT. ESPN+ will serve as the destination for viewers looking to watch the card in the United States of America.
With UFC Fight Night 257 looming, there’s no time like right now to make predictions for the upcoming card. Let’s get started right away.
UFC Fight Night 257 Main Event: Light Heavyweight: No. 13 Contender Johnny Walker vs. No. 14 Contender Zhang Mingyang
At the top of the bill in UFC Fight Night 257, the 205-lb division takes the spotlight when No. 13 contender Johnny Walker (21-9, 1 NC MMA, 7-6, 1 NC UFC) meets up with No. 14 contender Zhang Mingyang (19-6 MMA, 3-0 UFC.) This is a five-round fight at five minutes per round.
Johnny Walker will be coming in having gone 2-2 with one no-contest in his last five fights ahead of UFC Fight Night 257. At the moment, he’s dropped two fights in succession.
Back on June 22 of last year, he was on the wrong end of a first-round knockout by way of uppercut vs. Volkan Oezdemir (20-8 MMA, 8-7 UFC) during the promotion’s first visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. With Walker having been out of action for 14 months, what kind of ring rust does he have going into UFC Fight Night 257?
Meanwhile, Zhang Mingyang has posted a record of 5-0 in his last five fights as part of a 12-fight winning streak. Since joining the UFC, he’s 3-0.
Last time out, he stopped Anthony Smith (37-22 MMA, 13-12 UFC) inside the first round, sending him into retirement with ground and pound shots. It was his 12th straight finish before the horn sounded to end the first period.
Mingyang is on a hot streak right now, so this is an easy one to call.
Prediction: Zhang Mingyang by First-Round TKO
UFC Fight Night 257 Co-Main Event: Catchweight (153 lbs) Bout: No. 4 Contender Brian Ortega vs. No. 7 Contender Aljamain Sterling
Immediately beforehand, the co-main event of the evening at UFC Fight Night 257 will take place at a catchweight of 153 lbs. No. 4 contender Brian Ortega (16-4, 1 NC MMA, 8-4, 1 NC UFC) meets up with No. 7 contender Aljamain Sterling (24-5 MMA, 16-5 UFC.) This is also a five-round affair at five minutes per round and was supposed to have been a featherweight fight.
Ortega will be making the walk on the strength of 2-3 in his last five fights. Last September at the Las Vegas Sphere for Noche UFC 2, he dropped a unanimous decision to Diego Lopes (26-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) after three rounds of action. This is a crucial 15 minutes (or less) of action in the 145-lb division, so how will Ortega respond?
On the other side of the Octagon, Sterling is sporting a 3-2 record over his most recent five fights. During the Dec. 7 UFC 310 card in Enterprise, NV, he came out a loser against Movsar Evloev (19-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) by unanimous decision.
It’ll be moving day for certain, and with both of these men coming off of a defeat late last year, a win will be a tremendous boost for the victor’s resume.
Prediction: Aljamain Sterling by Unanimous Decision.
UFC Fight Night 257: Heavyweight Bout: No. 3 Contender Sergei Pavlovich vs. No. 6 Contender Waldo Cortes-Acosta
Earlier on the card, the big boys come to play for a critical bout at 265. No. 3 contender Sergei Pavlovich (19-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) collides with No. 6 contender Waldo Cortes-Acosta (14-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC.) Pavlovich will be making his 11th walk in the fabled Octagon with a 3-2 record over the course of his last five fights.
On Feb. 1, he returned to the win column thanks to a unanimous decision over Jairzinho Rozenstruik (15-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) on the main card. Another win could net him a shot at the UFC Heavyweight Championship as soon as his next fight in early 2026.
As far as Waldo Cortes-Acosta is concerned, he’s on a five-fight unbeaten streak heading into this heavyweight fixture on Aug. 23. This past June, he scored a unanimous decision victory over Serghei Spivac.
With Cortes-Acosta coming in on a quick turnaround, how will he fare this time?
Prediction: Waldo Cortes-Acosta by First-Round Knockout.
UFC Fight Night 257: Flyweight Bout Su Mudaerji vs. Kevin Borjas
The second bout of the main card of UFC Fight Night 257 in Shanghai happens at flyweight when Su Mudareji (17-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC) makes the walk to battle Kevin Borjas (10-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC.) Su Mudareji has gone 2-3 in his five most-recent contests.
He’ll be in search of win number 18 on Aug. 23 after having bested Mitch Raposo (9-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) in his April 12 bout in Miami.
This was a needed win for Su Mudaerji, who dropped two fights in succession prior to UFC 314 back in the spring. Can he start a sustained winning streak here?
Across the way, Kevin Borjas is 3-2 over his last five appearances. This past March in Mexico City, he picked up his first promotional win (unanimous decision) versus Ronaldo Rodriguez (17-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC.)
Borjas is a man who’s already got a championship to his credit, having won the Inka FC Flyweight Championship in Peru three years ago. While it’s early into his trek toward the UFC Flyweight Championship, a second win in the promotion would make for some decent mileage on the road to the belt.
Prediction: Kevin Borjas by Unanimous Decision
UFC Fight Night 257: Welterweight Bout: Taiyilake Nueraji vs. Kiefer Crosbie
The main card kicks off at welterweight with an adjusted bout. Initially, Kenan Song (22-9 MMA, 6-5 UFC) was to face Kiefer Crosbie (10-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) here, but Song had to withdraw from the card ahead of fight night.
No concrete reason was given for the withdrawal. Instead, Taiyilake Nueraji (11-1, 1 NC MMA, UFC promotional debut) will be making his first walk to the Octagon on Aug. 23,
Taiyilake has gone 5-0 in his last five contests. Most recently, he bested Kirill Karpekin (2-2 MMA) with a first-round knockout by way of left hooks in August of last year.
Canceled fights have become a problem of late for Taiyilake. Since his fight last summer, he’s seen three fights get postponed without a single punch thrown.
Making a promotional debut on the main card of an event is never an easy task, so how will he handle the pressure?
In the other corner, Kiefer Crosbie will touch down in Shanghai with a 2-3 mark in the past five tilts. Currently, he’s on a two-fight losing streak.
Last summer, he lost via first-round submission due to an arm-triangle choke from Sam Patterson (13-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC.) He’s had almost 13 months between fights, plus he’s dealing with a change in opponent. What kind of a training camp has he been able to have going into this contest in Shanghai?
Prediction: Taiyilake Nueraji by Unanimous Decision.
