The landscape of the light heavyweight division has seen rapid change after Jon Jones moved on to the heavyweight division back in 2020. We have seen multiple title changes, but also with that, credible contenders are popping up every year. However, with the rise of Alex Pereira at 205lbs, the division saw a period of unmatched excitement and stability owing to his solid reign. That came crashing down at UFC 313 when the Brazilian dropped the gold to none other than Magomed Ankalaev. But still, the talent in the top 15 is immense! Jiri Prochazka, Jamahal Hill, and Carlos Ulberg, to name a few.

Moreover, as UFC Kansas City concluded, the top-ranked 205ers need to watch out for a new contender who could give them a run for their money someday. We are talking about Zhang Mingyang! 2025 may have been the farewell for veteran Anthony Smith, who capped off his illustrious career with 60 professional fights, but it is also the year when Mingyang announced his arrival. “If you don’t know, now you know,” a confident and ambitious ‘Mountain Tiger’ told the crowd in Kansas after his biggest career victory.

The Chinese star also showed no hesitation in playing the bad guy role here as he took in all the jeers. However, nobody could deny the beating he laid on Smith, a seasoned veteran and a former title contender who went all five rounds against Jones back at UFC 235. ‘Lionheart’ definitely didn’t plan on losing his retirement fight, but when he did, he gave Mingyang the props he deserved, complimenting his clinch game. Smith also admitted, after sharing just over four minutes inside the Octagon, that the Chinese native “has a high ceiling.” 

With a win as big as his last one, Mingyang has now entered the rankings sphere, and he might just get his wish soon. ‘Mountain Tiger’ made his way into the top 15 and has been placed in as #14 over Alonzo Menifield. He’s shown great promise and has a 100 percent finishing rate under the UFC banner, from his first fight at Road to UFC 1.1 to last weekend’s Fight Night. But the 19-6 fighter still has some steps to take before he gets to the very top.

While we’re yet to know how high the ceiling is for ‘Mountain Tiger’, we certainly know that he’s high on confidence. Possibly looking to move himself into the title scene as soon as possible, Mingyang has already expressed wanting to fight Czech star Jiri Prochazka next. “Next fight, I want Jiri Prochazka. I watched your fight in Singapore, and you won your belt in that fight. I like your style. I respect your warrior spirit. Although you are not the champion anymore, I would like to fight you to test myself,” Zhang Mingyang told ‘Full Send MMA’.

Zhang Mingyang has just entered the rankings, and it may take him some time before butting heads with the division’s elites. But even with just three UFC fights to his name, the confident Chinese star already mentioned wanting to take on the best of the best. Moreover, this isn’t the first time the Chinese star has made some bold callouts.

Zhang Mingyang offered to fight Alex Pereira in the past

The newly ranked light heavyweight contender has already started building a great run, with a perfect finishing rate. So maybe we can see him follow a similar trajectory to that of Alex Pereira, and he could end up fighting the former champion or maybe the reigning champion, Magomed Ankalaev. And seeing how he’s competing in the UFC, the callout to Jiri Prochazka should not come as a surprise. Why? Well, this is not the first time that Mingyang has called out a champion fighter.

If you take a look back, Alex Pereira was always the target of Zhang Mingyang. The Chinese star had been targeting ‘Poatan’ since last year when he called out the ex-champion on his debut fight in the prelims of UFC 298. At that point, the main event for UFC 300 was still under discussion, but Mingyang expressed interest in fighting for the title in that spot. “[It] seems there’s still no co-main event [main event] for UFC 300. The champ Alex Pereira… Call me,” his translator stated in the post-fight interview.

Well, Joe Rogan would respond by claiming that Zhang Mingyang was shooting his shot too far on his UFC debut. But he’s shown great promise, and the community is excited about what they can expect from ‘Mountain Tiger’ in the future. It remains to be seen how the rest of 2025 pans out for Mingyang, but in the meantime, let us know your thoughts about the rising contender down below.