UFC Fight Night: Walker vs Zhang Odds, Tips and Predictions

Date: Saturday, 23 August 2025 Time: 11:00 AM BST Venue: Shanghai Indoor Arena, China Broadcaster: Available on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass The Shanghai Indoor Stadium sets the stage for UFC Fight Night on 23 August 2025, and the main event isn’t one for the faint of chin. Johnny Walker, Brazil’s most unpredictable light heavyweight, is back after getting folded twice in a row, and he’s either here to prove he still has dynamite in his limbs or to provide Zhang with another clip for the highlight reel. On the other side is China’s Mingyang “Mountain Tiger” Zhang, riding a 12-fight finish streak like it’s nothing. He just melted Anthony Smith in round one and now walks into the cage looking like the UFC’s next chaos merchant. This isn’t the kind of matchup where you wonder who can grind out a decision. It’s more “whose head touches the canvas first.”

J.G.

Sports Writer

Last updated: 2025-08-20

Fact checked by:

Chad Nagel

Sports & Betting Editor

6 minutes read

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Johnny Walker of Brazil knees Anthony Smith in their light heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event

Johnny Walker / Getty Images

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For MMA betting fans, this fight is as subtle as a fire alarm. Walker can still land the kill shot, but Zhang is the guy who has never once needed the judges. Expect volatility, violence, and a coin flip that explodes before you can blink.

Can Walker Survive the First Five Minutes?

Mingyang Zhang doesn’t do clock-watching. All 19 of his wins ended early, most before you’ve even taken a proper sip of your beer. He storms forward like a man allergic to the judges’ scorecards, throwing heat and daring you to survive. Johnny Walker is the polar opposite: long, rangy, and happiest when things slow down so he can uncork something flashy on his own terms. The catch? Zhang doesn’t really give people that luxury. If Walker sees the end of the first round, it’s less a tactical victory and more a minor miracle against one of the most aggressive questions the division has to answer right now.

Pre-Fight Odds and Win Probability: Zhang, the House Pick

Mingyang Zhang: 1/4 (1.25) – 80%
Johnny Walker: 10/3 (4.33) – 23%
Odds courtesy of Stake, subject to change.

The oddsmakers are not exactly sweating over this one. Zhang is priced like he will walk in, land something heavy, and head back to the locker room before most fans find their seats. Walker, as usual, is stuck in underdog territory, but his unpredictability gives bettors just enough chaos to hang their hopes on. Zhang is the safe house pick, yet Walker’s size and circus-shot potential make this fight the kind of gamble that keeps sports betting interesting.

Tale of the Tape

Attribute	Johnny Walker	Mingyang Zhang
Age	33	27
Height	6'6" (198 cm)	6'2" (189 cm)
Weight	206 lbs (93 kg)	206 lbs (93 kg)
Reach	82.3″ (209 cm)	75″ (191 cm)
Record	21-9-0 (1 NC)	19-6-0
KO/TKO	16 wins (76%)	13 wins (68%)
Submission	3 wins (14%)	6 wins (32%)
Decisions	2 wins (10%)	0 wins (0%)

Johnny Walker News

Johnny Walker is the UFC’s human slot machine, pull and find out, so betting on his fight can be tricky to say the least. You’re either cashing in with a flying knee knockout or watching him face-first on the canvas before Bruce Buffer even gets a sip of monster at cage side. Recently, this Brazilian-built machine has been spitting out more losses than jackpots, with Magomed Ankalaev and Volkan Oezdemir both exposing just how fragile his chin is proving to be time after time.

The physical gifts are not going to vanish into thin air. At 6’6″ with a wingspan that looks built for keeping people at bay, he can crack anyone clean if the timing is half-perfect. His camp in Dublin has worked to tidy up the wildness and polish his defence, but Walker has never been, and all doubt he will ever be the type to fight like he is ticking boxes on a checklist. Against Zhang, the plan is simple in theory. Surviving the early storm and finding some room to breathe could help land something destructive. All being said, if the 33-year-old can force the “Mountain Tiger” to second-guess himself even for a split second, the Brazilian’s unpredictability could flip the fight on its head.

Zhang Mingyang of China punches Anthony Smith in a light heavyweight fight

Mingyang Zhang News

Mingyang Zhang has no time for judges. All 19 of his wins have come inside the distance, with most opponents horizontal before the crowd even finds their seats. If you blink, it is over. The “Mountain Tiger” is tearing through a 12-fight streak and has already stamped his name on the UFC with violent first-round finishes of Brendson Ribeiro, Ozzy Diaz and veteran Anthony Smith with a brutal skin-slashing elbow to the top of his head. His style is as subtle as a sledgehammer when closing the gap and swinging with bad intentions. And if that somehow fails, the towering Chinaman will drag you into a submission scramble you want no part of.

At just 27, the youth, momentum and a home crowd willing to scream him into the rankings is hard to pass up, even with a favoured betting line. His camp knows Walker’s length and circus-act striking are the only real hurdles, so they have drilled non-stop pressure and combinations designed to put the Brazilian on roller skates. If Zhang does what Zhang always does, Shanghai is likely to get another short night, and the light heavyweight division will get another serious problem.

Suggested Bets

Brian Ortega to Win by Submission: Ortega is a human backpack that refuses to let go. Sterling’s wrestling is slick, but Ortega paying rent down there usually ends badly for his opponents. 9/5 (2.80) – 35.7% with Sportsbet.io
Sergei Pavlovich to Win by KO/TKO: Pavlovich doesn’t exactly play around with judges. He throws like he’s late for a flight, and Cortes-Acosta doesn’t have the evasive tools to survive that storm. 4/9 (1.44) – 69.2% with Stake
Rongzhu to Beat Austin Hubbard: Rongzhu fights like an express train, and Hubbard is the station he’s about to pass. Expect pressure, expect chaos. 8/11 (1.72) – 57.1% with 1xBet

Value Bets

Mingyang Zhang to Win in Round 1: The guy treats first rounds like closing shifts—get it done quickly and go home. Walker’s chin has been auditioning for early retirement, which makes this a cheeky value stab. 5/2 (3.50) – 28.6% with 1Win
Michel Pereira to Win by Decision: Pereira might still throw a cartwheel kick for fun, but against Daukaus, his best path could be playing it safe and letting volume sway the judges. 3/1 (4.00) – 25% with Betandyou
Sumudaerji vs Kevin Borjas – Fight Doesn’t Go the Distance: Neither man is interested in sticking around. Expect a sprint, wild scrambles, and someone staring at the lights before the third. 4/5 (1.80) – 55.6% with Pin Up

Prediction: Dolidze by KO/TKO

Johnny Walker has always lived on the edge of chaos, only now that edge feels more like a drop-off. Sure, he’s still got the reach and the flash, but you cannot fake a chin in this division, and his has been cashing cheques it cannot cover. Mingyang Zhang is built to expose that. He is not here to download data or point-fight for three rounds. He walks straight in, swings like he means it, and usually leaves his opponents wondering what license plate hit them.

Walker’s best hope is to somehow stall things and sneak a counter, but Zhang’s pace and aggression rarely allow breathing room. Most likely, the “Mountain Tiger” presses forward, lands heavy, and adds Walker to the growing collection of names on his knockout streak.
For those watching the markets closely might even spot a sign up bonus worth taking into the final round.

Joshua Gaillard Sports Writer

Joshua Gaillard is a freelance editor and dedicated Arsenal fan, known for creating fact-based, insightful content. His work, featured on top South African websites, blends analysis with engaging storytelling for clear, impactful articles.

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