What’s next for Johnny Walker and Zhang Mingyang after UFC Shanghai?

The UFC was in Shanghai, China, on Saturday for a solid UFC Shanghai Fight Night card. The main event saw light heavyweight contenders throw down as Johnny Walker took on Zhang Mingyang.

Entering the fight, Walker was on a two-fight losing streak after back-to-back KO losses to Volkan Oezdemir and Magomed Ankalaev. Mingyang, meanwhile, was a perfect 3-0 in the UFC and was coming off a first-round stoppage win over Anthony Smith.

Despite Mingyang being a sizable favorite, Walker was able to pull off the upset, winning by second-round TKO. Following UFC Shanghai, here is what I think should be next for the light heavyweight contenders.

Johnny Walker

Johnny Walker returned to the win column as he pulled off a big upset at UFC Shanghai on Saturday.

Walker struggled in round one as he was taken down, and Mingyang was able to land more damaging shots. However, in the second round, Walker began using leg kicks, which ended up dropping Mingyang, and the Brazilian landed some ground-and-pound shots to end the fight.

Following the win, Walker called out Jan Blachowicz, and that fight makes a lot of sense. Walker vs Blachowicz could headline a Fight Night card later this year or in early 2026. Or, it could be on the main card of a numbered event to add some fireworks early on. The winner would likely get a top-five opponent.

Zhang Mingyang

Zhang Mingyang was looking to get a big win at home in China, but he fell short, losing by second-round TKO. Mingyang had no answer for Walker’s leg kicks, and he got dropped by them and finished.

Mingyang will learn a lot from this fight, but the light heavyweight contender is back to the drawing board after UFC Shanghai. The 14th-ranked contender will likely face an unranked opponent next and a logical next opponent is Dustin Jacoby, who deserves a shot against a ranked guy.