UFC Fight Night 257: Walker vs. Zhang | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Daniel Cornmeat
- May 23
- 2 min read
Introduction
UFC Fight Night 257: Walker vs. Zhang took place on August 23, 2025 at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium in Shanghai, China — the UFC’s second visit to Shanghai and first since UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Gastelum in November 2017, an eight-year absence. This was also the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that the UFC returned to mainland China.
Johnny Walker silenced the hometown crowd by finishing China’s Zhang Mingyang via TKO at 2:37 of round two, ending Zhang’s first-round finish streak. Aljamain Sterling dominated Brian Ortega with a shutout 50-45 UD in the five-round co-main. Kyle Daukaus produced a stunning 43-second KO of Michel Pereira (PoN), and Uran Satybaldiev delivered just the fifth Ezekiel choke in UFC history (PoN).
Quick Stats
📍 Venue: Shanghai Indoor Stadium, Shanghai, China | Aug 23, 2025 | First mainland China event since COVID
✅ Result: Johnny Walker def. Zhang Mingyang via TKO (Punches) (Round 2, 2:37)
⭐ Notable: UFC returns to Shanghai after 8 years (first mainland China since COVID) | Sterling UD Ortega (50-45 x3) | Daukaus KO Pereira R1, 0:43 (PoN) | Satybaldiev Ezekiel choke — 5th in UFC history (PoN) | Pavlovich UD Cortes-Acosta | Johnson KO Kavanagh (PoN) | Yi Zha KO R1, 0:37 | 4 PoN, no FotN
Full Results
Johnny Walker def. Zhang Mingyang — TKO (Punches) (Round 2, 2:37) — PoN | Ends Zhang’s R1 finish streak
Aljamain Sterling def. Brian Ortega — UD (50-45 x3) R5; Sergei Pavlovich def. Waldo Cortes-Acosta — UD R3; Sumudaerji def. Kevin Borjas — UD (30-27 x3); Taiyilake Nueraji def. Kiefer Crosbie — TKO R1 (elbows); Kyle Daukaus def. Michel Pereira — KO R1, 0:43 (PoN); Charles Johnson def. Lone’er Kavanagh — KO R2 (PoN); Yi Zha def. Westin Wilson — KO R1, 0:37; Uran Satybaldiev def. Diyar Nurgozhay — Sub (Ezekiel Choke) R1 (5th in UFC history, PoN)
Bonuses & Awards
🏆 Performance of the Night (4 bonuses): Johnny Walker ($50k), Kyle Daukaus ($50k, KO of Pereira R1 0:43), Charles Johnson ($50k), Uran Satybaldiev ($50k, Ezekiel choke) | No FotN
Legacy & Impact
UFC Shanghai was a triumphant return to mainland China after years of absence. Walker’s TKO of Zhang proved that the hyped Chinese prospect still had lessons to learn beyond the first round. Sterling’s 50-45 shutout of Ortega was the most dominant performance of the night. Daukaus’ 43-second demolition of Pereira was a stunning upset, and Satybaldiev’s Ezekiel choke was one of the rarest submissions in UFC history. The event featured multiple spectacular finishes throughout the prelims.
References
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