Zhang Mingyang’s goal is to become UFC light heavyweight champion, and he has a chance to take the next step towards that goal this Saturday in his first UFC main event — which just so happens to take place a little over a month before that title is on the line.
Zhang faces Johnny Walker in the UFC Shanghai headliner in a pivotal 205-pound clash. Around five weeks later, Magomed Ankalaev defends his title against Alex Pereira in a rematch to headline UFC 320 on Oct. 4 in Las Vegas.
“Mountain Tiger” will be watching that bout closely, and was asked to give his prediction for the championship contest.
“I think Ankalaev can defend his title because I think Alex Pereira is not as motivated as before,” Zhang told MMA Fighting. “I mean, if we can get the old Pereira back, he’s still the, let’s say, better striker than Ankalaev. But for now, if he still fights like the way like he fought last fight, I think Ankalaev can still win this fight [again].”
Ankalaev captured the title with a decision win over Pereira at UFC 313 in March. Since then, “Poatan” said he’s been focused on a rematch and getting that championship belt back.
Zhang was asked why he felt Pereira is lacking motivation heading into his second meeting with the streaking Ankalaev.
“Because he has earned too much money,” Zhang explained. “He’s too rich. I think no matter who you are as a fighter, or as a human being, if you are too rich, you are just kind of [lacking[ of motivation [compared to] when you are young, when you are poor, when you are hungry.
“I think that’s normal. It’s not uncommon, yeah.”
Since entering the UFC, Zhang has destroyed all three of his octagon foes in the first round, earning bonuses for each outing. The 27-year-old has only spent about eight minutes in the octagon, including his destruction of Anthony Smith at UFC Kansas City in Smith’s final bout in April.
Zhang now gets Walker, who was brutally knocked out in back-to-back fights by Ankalaev and Volkan Oezdemir. Walker has promised a throwback version of himself this weekend in a pivotal bout, and Zhang hopes for the same thing.
“To be honest, we never think we’re going to fight Johnny one day,” Zhang said. “But when UFC told us, ‘OK, Johnny is the next one’, we just accepted that. But I think if you look at the fighters Johnny [has lost] to, many of them became champions. Or even the guys he [beat], some of them also become the title challenger. So I think Johnny, it’s a good test for me and going to be a very important step on my way to fighting for the title. …
“There’s going to be a finish for sure. I don’t think this fight will go to decision, will go for five rounds. We don’t need 5 rounds. And also I do hope Johnny can be the Johnny he said [he would be] on his social media: [That] he’s back to the Johnny [with] how he fought before, when he was winning.
“Johnny, please give me a 100 percent Johnny on Saturday night. Let’s fight toe-to-tow. That’s the fight I want.”
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