The UFC is returning to mainland China for the first time in nearly eight years, and it is bringing a lot of firepower. The main event of UFC Fight Night 257, which will take place on August 23 in Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena, and the promotion’s return represents a new chapter in Asia’s largest market. So, they are going all out as they have just announced two major fights!
The mega-event will be headlined by a light heavyweight fight between Johnny Walker and Zhang Mingyang. ‘Mountain Tiger’ not only has the opportunity to headline in his home country, but he will also face one of the division’s most explosive fighters.
And to make things more interesting for the fans, in the co-main event, former champion Aljamain Sterling will resume his featherweight campaign against perennial contender Brian Ortega. This Fight Night surely has the weight and narrative depth of a pay-per-view—and that’s exactly what the UFC brass were going for.
With the UFC’s global expansion underway, an event of this magnitude helps to reinforce China’s status as a growing fight hub. Walker vs. Mingyang is more than just a matchup of strikers. Walker’s career is at a crossroads, as he hasn’t fought since June 2024 and has gone winless in his last three.
Once regarded as a future championship challenger, he now faces a young wrecking machine in ‘Mountain Tiger,’ who is undefeated in the UFC and has won all 19 of his professional fights via first-round knockout. Walker’s comeback fight is risky, and surely the stakes are high, but Zhang has a huge opportunity to emerge as China’s next big UFC star.
Solid chief support for China. pic.twitter.com/Mm2Ac7qbP7
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 26, 2025
Aljamain Sterling vs. Brian Ortega, on the other hand, is an intriguing fight between two veterans looking to stay relevant in a congested featherweight scene. Aljo is 1-1 since moving up from bantamweight, coming off a tough loss to Movsar Evloev.
Ortega, who has repeatedly been on the verge of winning UFC gold, is attempting to recover from a crushing defeat to Diego Lopes. Such is the magnitude of the fight that fans cannot wait to see it unfold. However, there’s just one change they would still like to make. What is it? To make Aljamain Sterling vs. Brian Ortega the main event of the night instead.
Fight fans want the Aljamain Sterling fight to headline over Zhang Mingyang
If the UFC was attempting to win fans over with Zhang Mingyang vs. Johnny Walker as the showstopper, the reception has been far from unanimous. While the fight has local appeal in China, fans online have made it obvious that this is not the fight they would like to end the night on.
Especially not when a great fight like Aljamain Sterling vs. Brian Ortega is buried in the co-main event. Many people feel that the hierarchy is askew, and it isn’t subtle. “This main event makes no sense other than they want a Chinese fighter in the main event,” one fan argued, echoing many other users on X.
Another was more blunt: “Zhang Walker has no business being the main event over Aljo/Ortega.” One fan questioned whether there was a production error, wondering, “Did they accidentally switch the main events?” Clearly, if buzz is any indication, Sterling vs. Ortega is the bout most fans are planning their night around, not Zhang vs. Walker.
To be true, the lopsided expectations for Zhang vs. Walker do not help its case. “Walker’s getting slept ,” one said without hesitation. Another user added, “Welp, night-night, Walker.” The prophecies did not end there, as another fight fan chimed in, “Zhang is going to send Walker into retirement.”
In contrast, the Sterling-Ortega fight sparked real excitement among fans. “Aljo vs. Ortega should be a sick fight,” one wrote. “Oh hell yeah, been wanting an Ortega-Sterling matchup,” another reacted. It’s evident which fight fans think should be the main event—and which they believe is simply filler. But what do you think? Let us know in the comments.
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