With the victory, Walker snaps a three-fight winless streak (two losses and one no contest). The victory was his first since he beat Anthony Smith by unanimous decision in May 2023. In defeat, Zhang loses for the first time in the UFC after promotional victories over Brendson Ribeiro, Ozzy Diaz, and Anthony Smith.

For all of the hype surrounding first-round knockout artist and Chinese light heavyweight prospect Zhang Mingyang, all it took was a second-round rally from the always unpredictable Johnny Walker to provide a heat check during Saturday's UFC Fight Night main event in Shanghai.