UFC returns to Shanghai, China, for an exciting and entertaining night of MMA. Highlights throughout the whole night, amazing comebacks, future contender fights, and some of MMA’s favorite personalities all clashing in the cage, an early night for Americans watching as the card started at 3:00 am PST, but that won’t stop MMA fans from tuning in. The UFC continues to produce great cards as it expands outside of the US more and more. It won’t be long before the UFC finds its way back to China.
UFC Fight Night: Walkver vs Zhang Recap:
Taiyilake Nueraji vs Kiefer Crosbie: Welterweight
Taiyilake Nueraji gets the TKO victory against Kiefer Crosbie at the end of round one. UFC’s main card in China got off to an interesting start as Nueraji came out very aggressively and took Crosbie down before raining down brutal ground and pound strikes. Nueraji threw particularly nasty elbows, with each one having the intention to end the fight quickly. This all came crashing down, though, as Crosbie tried to stand up and was met with a brutal knee while grounded that was blatantly illegal. This would be a two-point deduction for Nueraji. Because of this, if he did not get a finish, then there would be almost no chance of winning the fight on the scorecards. Crosbie showed immense toughness and told doctors he wants to continue fighting even though he would have had a guaranteed win by disqualification had he not continued. Crosbie’s night, unfortunately, would not last long after, as Nueraji would take him down once more and barrage him with elbows to secure the TKO victory. This was Nueraji’s UFC debut, and besides the knee, he put on an impressive performance. He showed a lot of promise and will be back soon to continue his UFC career.
Sumudaerji vs Kevin Borjas: Flyweight
Sumudaerji puts on a striking clinic in his unanimous decision win against Kevin Borjas. Sumudaerji got into a rhythm almost immediately and found his striking range quickly. He never let Borjas get comfortable and utilized his lightning-fast kicks wonderfully. Sumudaerji kept Borjas at bay throughout the fight and prevented him from gaining any momentum. Sumudaerji also mixed up his kicks beautifully, constantly keeping Borjas guessing what was coming next. From spinning wheel kicks to side kicks to head kicks, Sumudaerji was relentless and made it a tough night for Borjas. Sumudaerhi also showcased great takedown defense which was a concern coming into this fight. He continues to learn and grow in the sport and will be someone to look out for in the flyweight division down the line.
#3 Sergei Pavlovich vs #6 Waldo Cortes-Acosta: Heavyweight
Sergei Pavlovich defeats Waldo Cortes-Acosta by uanimous decision. In a fight where no one seemed to have the upper hand, it would ultimately come down to who was more active and landed the more powerful shots. Rounds one and two were almost dead even in terms of strikes between the two men. It seemed like either man could be winning but Pavlovich was having more success in their exchanges. Pavlovich’s counter striking looked clean and he did a great job of cutting off the cage and landing clean combinations. Pavlovich would run away with the victory in round three. Landing heavy leg kicks and pucnhes that began to hurt Cortes-Acosta and running up the strike count. This round would secure the victory for Pavlovich and make sure there was no doubt in the judges eyes. Pavlovich is ranked #3 in the division and could find his way towards another title fight soon.
#5 Brian Ortega vs #7 Aljamain Sterling: Catchweight
Aljamain Sterling shuts out Brian Ortega in his 50-45 unanimous decision win. Aljo striking looked as good as ever in this fight. His leg kicks hurt Ortega from the start and dealt heavy damage to Ortega’s lead calf. Aljo also fought behind his jab which did not let Ortega get close. Sterling is the smaller of the two so for him to keep the distance and strike so successfully is impressive. Both men are known for their grappling so it was surprising when the fight didn’t go to the ground until the 4th round. A pure striking match between the two through most of the fight. When Sterling did take Ortega down he landed flurries of ground and pound that hurt Ortega. Ortega throughout the fight just couldn’t seem to pull the trigger and fully commit to his striking and Sterling took full advantage. A masterclass performance from Sterling who called out Alexander Volkanovski to fight for the featherweight title shot next.
#13 Johnny Walker vs #14 Zhang Mingyang: Light Heavyweight
Johnny Walker defeats Zhang Mingyang by TKO in round two. Zhang looked great in the first round and a half of the fight. He had good takedown defense and landed great kicks and elbows that hurt Walker multiple times. Walker shot for a takedown in the first three seconds of the fight and ended up on bottom position. From there he didn’t see to have any rhythm as the fight went on and Zhang started to put on the pressure. During round two, in stunning fashion, Walker would land a calf kick that would completely alter the fight. Zhang’s leg would go completely dead and he was unable to put any weight on it. After falling down, Walker proceeded to smash him with ground and pound. Zhang desperately tried to get up but his leg was too compromised. Walker would continue his assualt and pick up the TKO victory. Johnny Walker is one of the most charismatic personalities in MMA and is looking to break back into the top ten light heavyweight rankings.
