5 Hits And 4 Misses From UFC Shanghai: Johnny Walker vs. Zhang Mingyang

The UFC returned to China for a Struggle Night time occasion with UFC Shanghai on August 23, going down in the course of the early hours of the morning on the Shanghai Indoor Stadium in Shanghai, China.

This represented the UFC’s first card held in Shanghai since November 2017, a card that noticed the ultimate battle within the profession of UFC Corridor of Famer Michael Bisping, as he was knocked out by Kelvin Gastelum. This previous November, the UFC held a Struggle Night time occasion in Macau, which noticed Petr Yan scoring a call over Deiveson Figueiredo.

The principle occasion of this UFC Shanghai noticed a light-weight heavyweight showdown that includes Johnny Walker and Zhang Mingyang. Walker was seeking to rebound from a three-fight dropping skid, which included a no-contest and knockout loss vs. present mild heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev and a knockout loss to Volkan Oezdemir. Mingyang, in the meantime, has scored each victory of his MMA profession to date within the first spherical. He’s 3-0 since coming into the UFC, scoring finishes of Brendson Ribiero, Ozzy Diaz, and Anthony Smith.

The co-main occasion noticed a pair of stars battling in a 153-pound catchweight contest, as former featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega confronted former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. Ortega has misplaced three of his final 4, stretching again to his unsuccessful problem of Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title at UFC 266. Sterling moved as much as 145 after dropping the bantamweight title, defeating Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 however dropping to Movsar Evloev at UFC 310. The battle came about at catchweight following severe weight-cut issues for Ortega.

Who confirmed out in China? Who faltered? Let’s discover out with this version of UFC Hits and Misses!

Hit – Uran Satybaldiev Begins The Card With UFC Historical past

Previous to UFC Shanghai, solely three individuals within the UFC managed to tug off a victory by way of Ezekiel choke — Aleksei Oleinik (who had a stellar three), Remco Pardoel, and Alexander Volknov. Uran Sarybaldiev now will get to affix that checklist.

Going up towards Diyar Nurgozhay, Sarybaldiev made issues fast. He might’ve gotten him out of there within the opening minute, however Nurgozhay managed to outlive getting rocked. Sarybaldiev then had a good kimura, however once more, Nurgozhay got here out of it nonetheless within the battle. Sarybaldiev fully overwhelmed him, nevertheless, and managed to get on prime and safe the uncommon submission — completed, even rarer, from the highest place.

It’s not every single day that we get a UFC Struggle Night time occasion in an enviornment with followers, not to mention a global one. However a end like this undoubtedly set the tone for what ended up being an thrilling preliminary card.

Hit – Yi Zha’s Starching Left Hand Leads To KO Success

Uran Satybaldiev wasn’t the one prelim fighter with a fast end, as Yi Zha most likely noticed that and mentioned “I can prime that” — doing so along with his sub-minute end of Westin Wilson.

Zha was locked in, nailing Wilson with a left hand that shocked and dropped him. Wilson made it again to his ft, however not for lengthy. Zha cracked him with a tough mixture throughout his flurry of offense that put Wilson away for good in about 37 seconds.

Zha has a historical past of first-round finishes, however most of them have been by submission. You’d have to return to his 2019 second-round end of Tenglige to search out his final KO/TKO win previous to UFC Shanghai.

Zha has been featured in additional Highway to UFC playing cards than precise UFC Struggle Nights; nevertheless, hopefully this provides us a style that we will see extra from Zha sooner or later.

Hit – Kyle Daukaus Says “I’m Again!”

I might give a miss right here for Michel Pereira struggling his third straight loss, however I really feel that’d be taking away from the larger story. As soon as upon time, the Daukaus brothers have been distinguished prospects within the UFC. However issues didn’t work out and each have been launched.

On late discover, nevertheless, Kyle Daukaus made probably the most of his second likelihood, ending Pereira in simply 43 seconds.

Daukaus rapidly landed a proper hand that dropped Pereira, and down got here the ground-and-pound proper after. A pair of elbows particularly have been sufficient to place Pereira’s lights out and power Herb Dean to halt the motion.

Since his first UFC run ended, Daukaus is now 4-0 and has been the CFFC welterweight champion. It has been an superior redemption highway constructed, and hopefully Daukaus will get to proceed that momentum in his subsequent UFC bout.

Within the phrases of his walkout track, certainly, “The boys are again on the town.”

Hit – By no means Rely Out Charles Johnson — Particularly Towards Prospects

Some have thought of Charles Johnson to be one of the crucial underrated flyweights within the UFC, and for good purpose. Simply take a look at what he did when he and Lone’er Kavanagh confronted off in the course of the prelims.

Kavanagh was laying it into Johnson within the first spherical of the battle. There have been a few instances throughout that spherical the place it seemed like Kavanagh would end him. After surviving a guillotine try throughout spherical two, Johnson was pressuring again. And it was a pair of elbows that modified every part. As Kavanagh was shifting again along with his palms down, Johnson noticed the opening and took benefit, cracking Kavanagh and dropping him out chilly to take his 0.

Johnson has held his personal with some stable expertise that 125 has to supply, and nobody needs to be writing him off any extra. Actually, throw him in there with a top-10 opponent subsequent outing, and let’s see what he’s bought towards them.

Miss – Lone’er Kavanagh In all probability Kicking Himself After KO Loss

It’s maybe a very powerful rule in martial arts, blended or not — defend your self always, and which means conserving your palms up.

Lone’er Kavanagh was in management for lots of this battle. However a troublesome veteran like Charles Johnson doesn’t go away straightforward. And generally on this sport, all it takes is that one second the place you let your guard down, that one second of weak point, that one mistake. Kavanagh dedicated it, Johnson noticed his alternative, and Johnson took the win.

It’s a painful expertise for Kavanagh, however hopefully he comes again a stronger, higher fighter for this. Generally we, not simply as fighters, however as people, must eat our Ls with the intention to develop. I hope that’s what occurs for Kavanagh right here.

Miss – Kiefer Crosbie’s Coronary heart, MMA Stigma Will get Him Punished

This one is simply unhappy. Bless Kiefer Crosbie for desirous to channel the spirit of Anthony Smith and never simply take the DQ win. However perhaps he ought to have, as a result of after getting hit with the unlawful shot, he was rapidly stopped by Taiyilake Nueraji.

Crosbie was hit with an unlawful knee within the first spherical and was bloodied. He appeared out of it, however the physician cleared him, and Crosbie elected to proceed. About 30 seconds later, the battle was over, with Nueraji making the most of the state of affairs for a simple TKO.

Sadly, this was a no-win state of affairs. The poisonous cesspool often known as the MMA fanbase is harping on him for not taking the DQ win. However what if he had completed so? I assure individuals would have been telling him he’s a coward, not a person, and a complete bunch of phrases I can’t say on this skilled platform. And don’t inform he wouldn’t have, as a result of, you, expensive reader, know individuals would have.

And the unhappy half is Crosbie is now 0-3 within the UFC, so he’s liable to get reduce. I hope not; that will be merciless of Dana White and firm to do. I believe they should give him one other alternative to make up for this actually unhealthy state of affairs. And it might be priceless (sure, in a nasty approach) if somebody (be it White or anybody on this MMA area), who praised Anthony Smith when he didn’t take the simple DQ win towards Jon Jones at UFC 235, and who’re a part of this mindset of wanting tough-guy fighters with loads of grit and battle in them, disgrace Kiefer Crosbie for his alternative in that Octagon.

Now…if we’re going guilty somebody apart from Crosbie, why is Marc Goddard getting loads of blame? We discuss lack of accountability for officers and the frustration of referee errors, and right here’s Goddard really taking two factors — a rarity on this sport. And it was the correct transfer! If the physician cleared Crosbie, then isn’t it Crosbie’s alternative. I, personally, want to know what the ringside doctor was considering to clear him rapidly and never encourage Crosbie and Goddard to present Crosbie extra of the allotted 5 minutes than Crosbie took? What even made the doctor resolve that Crosbie might proceed?

And for many who say “Effectively, good, as a result of I don’t like all this further ready round, particularly once I’m up within the early hours of the morning once I didn’t should…” — I say zip it. Once you’re the fouled fighter within the Octagon, you let me know. Then let’s see how your opinion stands.

Miss – The Struggles Of Lack Of Heavyweight Expertise Continues

Sergei Pavlovich vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta was positioned as an essential matchup in the case of the heavyweight title image, since they entered Nos. 3 and 6, respectively, within the heavyweight rankings. All this matchup ended up doing was exhibiting simply how lifeless the UFC’s heavyweight division is.

Pavlovich landed the heavier and cleaner strikes all through the battle, damaging Cortes-Acosta however not doing sufficient to attain the end. Cortes-Acosta barely discovered his rhythm, with maybe the exception for the third spherical. And whereas Pavlovich was methodical in his punching, it was a efficiency that didn’t precisely set the world on fireplace.

I get it; each males have been on the lookout for prime division within the heavyweight title image (which is less complicated to seize lately than earlier). However when the bar you clear as a battle is, Derrick Lewis vs. Francis Ngannou, then I believe there’s a problem. And it doesn’t make me wish to see Tom Aspinall vs. Sergei Pavlovich 2 anytime quickly.

Man, you take into account this battle, with a number of the supposed finest heavyweight has to supply, mixed with Jon Jones losing months of Tom Aspinall’s prime, I actually really feel unhealthy for Aspinall.

Miss – Brian Ortega’s Weight Mishap And The Co-Most important Occasion That Shouldn’t Have Been

Let’s be severe and clear: No approach in heck ought to this battle have occurred. None. In any way. Brian Ortega seemed horrible on the scales, and he seemed horrible on this battle. Heck, this battle was simply plain unhealthy, interval, and after Ortega’s mishap, it ought to have been moved to a few rounds.

Ortega was fully outstruck 23-2 within the opening spherical, and that just about set the tempo for everything of the primary 4 rounds. Ortega did land a rocking shot within the fifth and desperately tried for a triangle choke in that very same spherical, however he was fully no match for Sterling.

It wasn’t precisely a win that’d give Sterling a future title shot, however with one other win or two, he’s most likely difficult Volkanovski (or whoever holds the gold at that time). At this level, I’d identical to to know the total story as to what occurred with that weight reduce. And regardless, Brian Ortega needs to be combating at light-weight from this level ahead, no exceptions or excuses.

Hit – Johnny Walker: The Most Unpredictable

There are occasions when Johnny Walker doesn’t look nice. After which there are occasions just like the UFC Shanghai major occasion, the place he delivers a spotlight end and reveals the potential most noticed in him again when he made his UFC debut in 2019.

The factor is it didn’t look that approach when Walker faked a glove contact to try to rating a takedown. Zhang Mingyang simply positioned him on his again and pounded on him, trying like he’d prolong his streak of first-round finishes. Walker survived the storm, nevertheless, and within the second spherical, his chopping low kicks did a quantity on Mingyang. Mingyang gave the impression to be injured by one in every of his kicks, which Walker adopted up with some floor strikes earlier than the battle was stopped.

Walker now snaps a three-fight winless skid, and if he can pull off a win over a top-10 contender in his subsequent outing, he’d show that he’s as soon as once more a viable title within the mild heavyweight title image.

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