A key featherweight scrap will be part of UFC Shanghai this summer, as former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling takes on Brian Ortega. The card is headlined by Zhang Mingyang and Johnny Walker squaring off.
Set for August 23, the event marks the return of the UFC to Shanghai for the first time since 2017.
Bringing the HEAT to Shanghai 🔥@JohnnyWalker vs Zhang Mingyang@BrianTCity vs @FunkMasterMMA
[ #UFCShanghai | AUG 23 ] pic.twitter.com/ISsBbCMgKm
— UFC (@ufc) June 26, 2025
Sterling moved up from bantamweight to featherweight after losing the title to Sean O’Malley in 2023. He defeated Calvin Kattar but dropped a decision in December vs. Movsar Evloev to fall to 24-5 overall.
Ortega, who challenged for the UFC featherweight title twice in losses to Alexander Volkanovski in 2021 and Max Holloway in 2018, is just 1-3 in his last four. He submitted Yair Rodriguez before losing to Diego Lopes back in September 2024.
Mingyang, born in China, came up through the Road to UFC series. He has earned three consecutive “Performance of the Night” bonuses, highlighted by a first round finish of former title challenger Anthony Smith in April.
Walker has lost his last two by finish to Volkan Oezdemir and Magomed Ankalaev, and is looking for his first win since a 2023 decision over Smith. He has four bonuses in his UFC career.
Other announced bouts for the card include Diyar Nurgozhay vs. Uran Satybaldiev, Charles Johnson vs. Lone’er Kavanagh, Michel Pereira vs. Marco Tulio, Sergei Pavlovich vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Kevin Borjas vs. Su Mudaerji.
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