Fight fans in the United States got a taste of what their European counterparts experience most weekends on Saturday, as Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China, played host to UFC Fight Night 257. Those who rose from their slumber in the middle of the night to catch the preliminary card were rewarded with a string of exciting finishes.
While the pace slowed once the main card got underway, there were still plenty of talking points in the immediate aftermath. Let’s take a look at who made the biggest moves in the official UFC rankings following UFC Shanghai.
Johnny Walker
The stage was set for Mingyang Zhang (19-7 MMA, 3-1 UFC) to catapult himself into the title conversation at 205 pounds in Saturday’s main event against Johnny Walker (22-9 MMA, 8-6 UFC). With 19 first-round knockouts already on his record, Zhang was matched with Walker, who was coming off two brutal knockout losses.
A statement win over a well-known opponent in front of a massive home crowd would have been a pivotal milestone in Zhang’s climb up the UFC light heavyweight rankings. But for “Mountain Tiger,” his veteran adversary had other plans.
By stopping Zhang in the second round — handing him his first defeat in more than six years — Walker reminded fans that he isn’t ready to be written off just yet. The victory bumps the Brazilian up one spot to No. 12 in the rankings, and with a new team and head coach Eric Nicksick in his corner, it will be interesting to see if he can turn this into lasting momentum.
Aljamain Sterling
Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling (25-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC) has cracked the top five of the featherweight rankings after earning a dominant decision win over Brian Ortega (16-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) in Saturday’s co-main event.
“Funkmaster” entered the fight 1-1 since moving up to 145 pounds last year, and although Ortega’s weight issues forced the contest to take place at a 153-pound catchweight, Sterling’s performance was enough to vault him into the division’s elite. With the victory, he climbs two spots to No. 5, while Ortega slips down to No. 7.
Charles Johnson
Charles Johnson (18-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) has climbed two spots to No. 13 in the flyweight rankings after securing his fifth victory in his last six outings. Despite a tough opening round, the 34-year-old rallied to add former Cage Warriors standout Lone’er Kavanagh (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) to his growing list of victims.
With knockout wins over both Kavanagh and Joshua Van now on his résumé, “InnerG” is proving himself to be a dangerous contender who can’t be overlooked in the 125-pound division.
