With his brother Valter Walker in the corner in Shanghai, Johnny admitted he was “emotional” after his first three-fight winless run in the promotion. Training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas gave him confidence, but Walker felt he couldn’t perform at his best after a 14-month layoff.

With the victory, Walker snaps a three-fight winless streak (two losses and one no contest). The victory was his first since he beat Anthony Smith by unanimous decision in May 2023. In defeat, Zhang loses for the first time in the UFC after promotional victories over Brendson Ribeiro, Ozzy Diaz, and Anthony Smith.

Johnny Walker ended a skid of two straight knockout losses by scoring a shocking knockout of his own in a comeback win against Chinese light heavyweight Zhang Mingyang in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Shanghai.