UFC Shanghai Payouts: How Much Are Johnny Walker, Zhang Mingyang, Brian Ortega, Aljamain Sterling & Others Earning?

This weekend, Dana White will deliver a major milestone: the promotion’s long-awaited return to mainland China. Nearly eight years after UFC Fight Night 122, Shanghai once again welcomes the Octagon with a light heavyweight clash between Johnny Walker and Zhang Mingyang.

 Although neither fighter sits inside the division’s top 10, both promise crowd-pleasing action that fans have come to expect. On August 23, the Shanghai Indoor Stadium in the city’s bustling Xuhui District will stage the event. In addition, the co-main event brings together former champions Brian Ortega and Aljamain Sterling, who now meet at lightweight after Ortega missed weight for their planned featherweight contest.

Originally, Dana White & UFC scheduled its return to China for 2023, but pushed it back for undisclosed reasons. Now, with the delay finally behind them, the Octagon lands once more on Chinese soil, and fans want to know one thing: how much will these marquee names earn on fight night?

 Zhang Mingyang vs. Johnny Walker payouts

Johnny Walker exploded onto the UFC stage with a four-fight win streak (including his Dana White’s Contender Series debut), quickly establishing himself as one of the light heavyweight division’s brightest prospects. Yet a series of setbacks stalled the Brazilian’s momentum. He now enters Shanghai on a two-fight skid after fighting to a no-contest with Magomed Ankalaev. Volkan Oezdemir then handed him the first knockout loss of his career at UFC Saudi Arabia last year.

Walker has maintained steady paydays. Reports show he earned a base salary of $150,000 for the no-contest with Ankalaev and raised that figure to $161,000 with sponsorship money. Analysts expect his Shanghai purse to fall in a similar range. Meanwhile, Zhang Mingyang continues to build an undefeated run under the UFC banner. ‘Mountain Tiger’ announced himself at UFC Kansas by stopping Anthony Smith, a result that pushed the veteran into retirement.

The Chinese knockout artist also pocketed a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus for the finish. Reports further note Zhang Mingyang collected roughly $4,000 in compliance pay for that bout. Observers now expect his earnings to rise as he steps into the biggest opportunity of his career on home soil in Shanghai.

Brian Ortega, Aljamain Sterling & other UFC Shanghai fighters’ salaries

The co-main event puts Brian Ortega and Aljamain Sterling in must-win territory as both look to reset their careers. ‘T-City’ has faced an uphill climb since his knockout loss to former champion Max Holloway, which snapped a six-fight win streak and derailed his title run. The Californian then dropped back-to-back fights to Diego Lopes at UFC 306 and UFC 310. He pocketed roughly $300,000 in his last outing and expects to earn a similar, if not slightly higher, figure in Shanghai.

Sterling also fights for redemption in the cage. In August 2023, Sean O’Malley beat “Funk Master” for the bantamweight belt. This was the hardest loss of his career. According to MMA Fighting, Sterling still made money from the loss, as he got a base purse of $500,000. He is now moving up a division and going to Shanghai hoping to get a similar wage. He will probably get more money from sponsorships and performance bonuses.

When Sergei Pavlovich fights Waldo Cortes-Acosta, he adds a lot of heavyweight strength to the main card. According to Sporty Salaries, Pavlovich fought Jairzinho Rozenstruik before and got a $110,000 pay for that fight. He is now going to Shanghai, where that number will be used as a guide for how much he will get paid.