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Upset knockout rocks UFC card as hometown favorite beaten to pulp

Mathew Riddle|
UFC

Johnny Walker upset the odds today, scoring an upset knockout victory over China's own Mingyang Zhang in their UFC Shanghai main event.

Capping off a rather tepid main card, highlighted by Aljamain Sterling winning a five round decision over Brian Ortega, Walker stepped in as a sort of sacrificial lamb for Zhang on his home soil. The 'Mountain Tiger' looked to put on a classic performance in round one, before it all went wrong.

The Chinese light heavyweight prospect had never won a fight outside of the second round, and this showed as Walker pounded his head into the canvas for a knockout victory.

Johnny Walke
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Johnny Walker silences doubters by finishing Mingyang Zhang

+300 underdog Walker made a mistake early, shooting a double leg off the glove touch in the opening round.

Zhang quickly reversed position and landed some decent ground and pound. Finding their way to the feet, Zhang prodded Walker pillar to post with hard shots that drew big reactions from Walker every time.

All 19 of Zhang's professional victories have come in the first round, whether by knockout or submission, and as the round timer sounded, he was statistically unlikely to continue his success into the second frame. While he did find some success, one moment from Walker changed the narrative.

Two brutal punts to the calf saw Zhang sit down and accept a terrible position. Smelling blood, Walker rained down savage strikes, some of them hitting Zhang on the back of the head. Referee Marc Goddard, uncharacteristically, gave Zhang every chance possible before waving the fight off.

What else happened at UFC Shanghai?

On the night's prelims, Kyle Daukaus knocked out Michel Pereira. Daukaus was cut from the UFC three years ago and makes a successful return to the Octagon where he was a considerable underdog.

In another prelim bout, flyweight veteran Charles Johnson knocked out Lone'er Kavanagh, one of the most-hyped flyweight prospects we've seen in a while.

Overall, UFC Shanghai was a solid night for underdog fighters.

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Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with half a decade of digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on Bloody Elbow, The Fight Fanatic, and Heavy on UFC. He runs Warrior Tribune and can be contacted by his Muckrack profile.

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