Ranked light heavyweights square off when No. 13 Johnny Walker battles No. 14 Zhang Mingyang at UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang on Saturday. The main UFC fight card from Shanghai Indoor Stadium in Xuhui District, China, is scheduled to begin at 6 a.m. ET. Walker is looking to earn his first win in over two years, as he competes for the first time since being knocked out by Volkan Oezdemir at 2:28 of the first round of their fight on June 22, 2024. Zhang is coming off a TKO win over Anthony Smith at UFC on ESPN: Machado Garry vs. Prates this past April.
Zhang enters as the favorite at -350 (risk $350 to win $100), while Walker is the underdog at +280 in the latest UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. In the co-main event, Aljamain Sterling is the -270 favorite against Brian Ortega (+220) in a featherweight bout. Before locking in any UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang picks, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani.
Vithlani is a highly-analytical UFC bettor who has been a consistent winner for SportsLine members since making his debut in January 2023 with a 5-0 record for UFC 283. In fact, he’s up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card sports betting picks. His other highlights include calling an upset for Sean O’Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) at UFC 292 as part of a 4-1 main card, and his UFC 299 winners included underdog selections on Dustin Poirier (+190) against Benoit Saint Denis (-230) and Michael Page (+110) against Kevin Holland (-130).
Now, Vithlani has studied the Johnny Walker vs. Zhang Mingyang fight card from every angle and revealed his top betting picks and best bets. Head to SportsLine to see them. New users can check out the latest bet365 bonus code to get $200 in bonus bets after placing a $5 bet:
Walker vs. Zhang preview
Zhang, 27, who hails from Fuyang, Anhui, China, will be competing in front of his home fans. He has won his last 12 bouts, including his last four after joining Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a three-time Performance of the Night winner and was ranked No. 6 Newcomer of the Year in 2024. Among his other accomplishments included the 2021 Wu Lin Feng heavyweight tournament winner and was named a 2024 second-team MMA All-Star.
He began his MMA career at age 16 in December 2014. Since then, he has compiled a 19-6 record over 25 career matches. He has 13 wins by knockout and six by submission. Prior to his martial arts career, he competed in Sanda, winning the 2012 Henan Youth Sanda Championship and the 2012 National Youth Sanda Championship. Check out SportsLine to see his picks and analysis.
Walker, 33, who is originally from Brazil, fights out of Dublin, Ireland, where he lives. Walker began his professional career in December 2013, winning his first three bouts. He later competed in Dana White’s Contender Series Brazil 2, where he earned a UFC contract in 2018. He was later ranked the 2018 No. 8 Newcomer of the Year by UFC.
Walker has compiled a 21-9-1 overall record. He has 16 wins by knockout, three by submission and two by decision, with one no contest. He is a four-time Performance of the Night winner. He was the 2018 European Beatdown light heavyweight champion and 2018 Ultimate Challenge MMA light heavyweight title holder. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang predictions
We’ll reveal one of Vithlani’s UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang selections here: Su Young Yu (-130) to defeat Long Xiao (+115) in a bantamweight matchup on the early preliminary card.
“Xiao is a pressure striker who looks to bait his opponents into a nasty fight,” Vithlani said. “He fires a heavy right hand as he marches forward looking to engage in the pocket. Xiao is hittable but is very durable and has strong cardio. Yu is a highly skilled grappler who mixes his game up nicely. He can take his opponents down in a variety of ways and uses his level-change feints to disguise punches. The threat of Yu’s grappling makes his striking more effective and, if he can land early takedowns on Xiao, I believe Yu can slow Xiao down and avoid a brawl. Xiao is a scrappy fighter who is tough to deal with, but he has been taken down by all of his UFC opponents. Yu may be the best grappler Xiao has faced, and I see his takedowns and ground game winning out in a competitive fight that goes the distance.” New users can utilize the latest DraftKings promo code, which offers $200 in bonus bets instantly plus over $200 off NFL Sunday Ticket:
UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang main fight card, odds
Vithlani has strong picks for Walker vs. Zhang and other bouts on the UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang card. He’s also backing a fighter who has landed 14 takedowns in past two fights to earn a massive win. He’s sharing who it is only at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang, and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks, and find out.
UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang main fight card, odds
See picks at SportsLine.
(Odds subject to change)
Johnny Walker (+280) vs. Zhang Mingyang (-350)
Brian Ortega (+220) vs. Aljamain Sterling (-270)
Sergei Pavlovich (-240) vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta (+195)
Sumudaerji (-165) vs. Kevin Borjas (+140)
Taiyilake Nueraji (-390) vs. Kiefer Crosbie (+310)
