UFC Shanghai brings the premier fighting promotion back to China for the first time in years, with a home country hero battling in the main event.
Zhang Mingyang takes on Johnny Walker at the top of the card, marking the Chinese star’s first time in the main event of a UFC show.
The pair will battle after the co-main event pits Brian Ortega against Aljamain Sterling as the two fighters look to put their bad form behind them for this blockbuster bout in Asia on August 23.
The Bloody Elbow staff has made their predictions about what will happen at UFC Shanghai, including the two main event fights as well as the Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonus winners
Johnny Walker vs. Zhang Mingyang prediction
- Ross Markey: Zhang Mingyang
- Kyle Dimond: Zhang Mingyang
- Jordan Ellis: Johnny Walker
- James Sweetnam: Johnny Walker
- Jamie Theodosi: Zhang Mingyang
Mingyang is the overall favorite to win the fight with Walker in the main event, but it is not as clear-cut as it may seem, according to the Bloody Elbow experts.
This Light Heavyweight has Mingyang as the favorite, according to Ross, Kyle, and James, as he looks to improve upon his three-fight win streak so far.
Mingyang has had an impressive array of knockout wins in his career, something that Walker, who has been prone to a KO loss in his time, will be looking out for at UFC Shanghai.
However, Jordan and James think that the Brazilian does have enough about him to fight off the hometown hero and pick up a well-earned victory in China.
They are backing him to pick up his first win since 2023 after back-to-back knockout losses, to get Walker back on track up the UFC Light Heavyweight rankings.
Brian Ortega vs. Aljamain Sterling prediction
- Ross Markey: Aljamain Sterling
- Kyle Dimond: Aljamain Sterling
- Jordan Ellis: Aljamain Sterling
- James Sweetnam: Aljamain Sterling
- Jamie Theodosi: Brian Ortega
Many people were upset that Ortega vs Sterling was relegated to the co-main event behind Mingyang’s homecoming, which could give the fighters more incentive to put on an exciting bout at UFC Shanghai.
Sterling is the most likely to walk away with a win, if the Bloody Elbow staff picks are anything to go by. Four of the five think he will bounce back from two tough defeats in his last three fights against an opponent with similarly bad form in the octagon.
The former UFC Bantamweight champion has struggled since moving up to Featherweight, but will have his record-breaking reign in the back of his mind as he looks to mount a comeback at UFC Shanghai.
However, there is one holdout still backing Ortega, as Jamie cannot look past the T-City despite his poor results in his last few outings.
Since moving up the Featherweight rankings, he has struggled when facing top fighters like Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, falling at the final hurdle when chasing UFC title gold.
The fight against Sterling could be his time to regroup and reflect on his past performances, and use this win to catapult back into title contention – at least, according to Jamie.
UFC Shanghai Fight of the Night
- Ross Markey: Lone’er Kavanagh vs. Charles Johnson
- Kyle Dimond: Lone’er Kavanagh vs. Charles Johnson
- Jordan Ellis: Su Mudaerji vs Kevin Borjas
- James Sweetnam: Lone’er Kavanagh vs. Charles Johnson
- Jamie Theodosi: Su Mudaerji vs. Kevin Borjas
While UFC Shanghai has a card packed full of exciting bouts, there are two in particular that have caught the experts’ eye for August 23.
The first, recommended by Ross, Kyle, and James as the one to watch as the Fight of the Night, pits Lone’er Kavanagh against Charles Johnson in a Flyweight clash.
The fight really could go either way, although the Chinese Kavanagh will be the favorite with the hometown crowd behind him.
He has picked up two wins since earning a UFC deal at Dana White’s Contender Series, impressing in unanimous decision wins over Jose Ochoa and Filipe dos Santos.
However, Jordan and Jamie have another matchup on their radar. Another Chinese fighter in Su Mudaerj is appearing on the card and could impress in his home country against Kevin Borjas.
Both men have mixed records and have been finishing in recent fights, so the opportunity is there for either of them to exploit the other to pick up a memorable win.
Mudaerji recently beat Mitch Raposo at UFC 314, so he has good momentum going into his fight at UFC Shanghai on August 23.
UFC Shanghai Performance of the Night
- Ross Markey: Michel Pereira
- Kyle Dimond: Michel Pereira
- Jordan Ellis: Sergei Pavlovich
- James Sweetnam: Sergei Pavlovich
- Jamie Theodosi: Lone’er Kavanagh
There is a more eclectic selection of fighters who could win the Performance of the Night bonus, starting with Ross and Kyle’s pick of Michel Pereira.
The Brazilian fighter is dangerous in the octagon, and earned two Performance of the Night bonuses with his last two wins back in 2024.
While he lost his last two fights, Pereira could easily get back to winning ways with a $50,000 performance against Kyle Daukaus at UFC Shanghai.
Meanwhile, both Jordan and James are excited to see what Sergei Pavlovich will do on the night when he takes on Waldo Cortez-Acosta on the main card.
The former interim UFC Heavyweight title challenger has earned four Performance of the Night bonuses in his last nine fights and will be looking to earn another $50,000 in Shanghai.
Finally, Jamie thinks that Kavanagh can emulate Johnson’s Performance of the Night fight against Joshua Van to earn the bonus at UFC Shanghai.