UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
| Website | www |
UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang, also referred to as UFC Fight Night 257 and UFC on ESPN+ 115, was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 23, 2025. The event took place at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium located in Shanghai, China.
Background
This occasion represented the UFC’s second event hosted in Shanghai and marked its first return to Mainland China following the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally, the promotion had scheduled a Shanghai event for December 2023; however, it was shifted to Las Vegas for reasons that were not publicly disclosed.
The headline fight showcased a light heavyweight clash between Johnny Walker and Zhang Mingyang. The co-main event was a five-round catchweight bout at 153 pounds featuring former UFC Featherweight Championship contender Brian Ortega against former UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling, with the weight adjustment resulting from Ortega’s difficulties in cutting weight.
A women’s strawweight matchup between Shi Ming and Bruna Brasil was removed from this card to serve as the main event for the Road to UFC Season 4 semifinals held the day before.
Welterweight Song Kenan withdrew from his scheduled fight against Kiefer Crosbie, leading to newcomer Taiyilake Nueraji stepping in as his replacement. Additionally, Michel Pereira’s middleweight opponent Marco Tulio pulled out, with veteran Kyle Daukaus returning to fill the vacancy.
These modifications to the fight card demonstrated UFC’s commitment to preserving competitive bouts while strengthening its footprint within important Asian markets.
Bonus awards
Four competitors each received $50,000 bonuses:
- Performance of the Night: Johnny Walker, Charles Johnson, Kyle Daukaus, and Uran Satybaldiev
- No Fight of the Night award was given.