Things have been gloomy for Johnny Walker since late 2023. The Brazilian light heavyweight contender never fails to make people laugh, which may not be as important as his run in the UFC. Walker is 0-2-1 in his last three fights but still managed to find himself in a main event spot as Dana White & Co. are returning with UFC Shanghai, with the Brazilian fighter taking on the homegrown Zhang Mingyang.

Although Shanghai isn’t his hometown, Zhang Mingyang has the opportunity of a lifetime to headline a Fight Night event in front of his home crowd. The Fuyang city native has been on a demolition streak with a 3-0 record. As he gears up for Johnny Walker, here’s an analysis of the two fighters, starting with their statistics and records.

Walker vs. Mingyang height, weight, reach & other stats

Let us first talk about the man who’ll fight in front of his people for the first time, Zhang Mingyang. The 33-year-old is the only Chinese fighter in the light heavyweight division. Standing 6 feet and 2 inches tall, Mingyang is likely to weigh around 210-225 lbs while not in competition, although he hasn’t spoken about that in public. Also, ‘Mountain Tiger’ has a reach that spans up to 75 inches, which is where he might be at a disadvantage against Johnny Walker.

The fun-loving, entertaining, and often goofy Brazilian fighter has a 4-inch height advantage against Zhang Mingyang, who stands 6 feet 6 inches tall. That has translated into a big reach advantage as well, as Johnny Walker’s reach stands at 82 inches compared to his opponent’s 75 inches. That is surely going to give him an edge if he decides to make efficient use of it. Also, reports claim that Walker walks way heavier when he’s out of competition, as he’s said to have weighed over 247 lbs.

Well, stats, as we all know, don’t necessarily mean that a fighter has an edge over the other, even though it appears like that. So, let’s make our final prediction by analyzing their records and fighting style.

Johnny Walker vs. Zhang Mingyang prediction: Who wins at UFC Shanghai?

As we’ve already mentioned, Johnny Walker needs a win at UFC Shanghai to keep his title hopes alive. His last two losses have come via knockout in the first and second rounds. Now, the aforementioned statistics may seem like he’s got the upper hand against Zhang Mingyang, but it’s important to note that the Chinese native has not only been in a winning streak since joining the promotion, but has also been on a KO streak of four fights, including his only fight at Road to UFC.

Also, none of Zhang Mingyang’s fights have gone further than the first round, so that’s another thing Johnny Walker will need to watch out for. Besides ‘Mountain Tiger’s power and finishing ability, another thing that the Brazilian would need to watch out for is his tendency to find himself in vulnerable positions. The recent KO losses have even sparked concerns about his chin. Besides the physical advantages, Walker will also have to manage the distance while in the standup against Mingyang, because if he closes in, there’s a chance that he suffers a third KO loss in a row.

So, the oddsmakers have Zhang Mingyang as the favorite with his odds at -340, while Johnny Walker will head into UFC Shanghai as a +270 underdog. It is an exciting matchup between two proven strikers, and it will be interesting to see how things pan out when Dana White and Co. return to China’s central coast. Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.