In an electrifying showdown, Johnny Walker faced off against Zhang Mingyang in the main event of UFC Fight Night 257 on Saturday night. With the crowd buzzing with anticipation, Walker charged into the first round looking for a takedown. But Zhang countered effectively, seizing the advantage and delivering powerful elbows from the top position. Walker got back to his feet, but Zhang continued to land sharp counters that kept him on the defensive. A powerful right hand momentarily shook Walker, prompting him to clinch and take a breather.

Zhang Mingyang pressured forward, stuffing another takedown and landing sharp shots, including a sneaky head kick, before the horn. In the second, Zhang kept landing, rocking Johnny Walker with every touch. But after a calf kick, Zhang’s leg gave out, which appeared to be an injury. Walker swarmed him with punches as Zhang couldn’t stand. Referee Marc Goddard waved it off, as Walker collected the win.

Zhang appears to have suffered the same condition as Sean O’Malley, when the latter struggled with drop foot after being stopped by Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera back in August 2020 at UFC 252. During the fight, much like what once happened to Sean O’Malley, Zhang appeared to suffer a rare injury that left him unable to properly defend himself. O’Malley, in his case, was finished with brutal ground-and-pound from ‘Chito’ Vera after a strong start, when a single strike turned his leg into dead weight.

Although it remains unclear whether Zhang sustained the exact same injury against Johnny Walker, the similarities are hard to ignore. Official updates on Zhang’s condition are still awaited, but the signs point toward a possible case of ‘drop foot.’ This injury occurs when the front part of the foot can no longer be lifted, typically caused by damage to the peroneal nerve near the top of the calf. But what exactly did doctors say when O’Malley went through the same ordeal?

Zhang Mingyang and Sean O’Malley aren’t the first to suffer ‘drop foot’

In the past, Jimmy Crute suffered a similar ordeal during his 2021 fight against Anthony Smith. Although he managed to survive the first round, the referee called off the fight. Even Michael Chandler had a bizarre injury during his time in Bellator when his leg stopped working, and he ended up losing his title in 2017. As for O’Malley’s injury, the doctor revealed how it happened.

“The common peroneal nerve courses around the fibular head on the outside of the lower leg and Vera’s kick hit him right on that point,” Doctor Brian Sutterer said in August 2020. “Damage to that nerve and its branches will cause foot drop, more unopposed ankle rolling inwards, and therefore buckling of the foot when trying to walk.”

It was an unfortunate injury, one that no fighter ever wants to experience, yet it’s a risk every athlete accepts when they step into the octagon. In Zhang Mingyang’s case, the setback couldn’t have come at a worse time. Given how the fight was unfolding, there’s a strong argument that without the injury, Zhang had a real chance of coming out on top. Do you agree?