UFC Shanghai went down yesterday (Sat., Aug. 23, 2025) inside Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China, which saw Johnny Walker defeat Mingyang Zhang via technical knockout in round two (see it again here). In the co-main event, Aljamain Sterling
defeated Brian Ortega in a 153-pound Catchweight bout after a botched weight cut during fight week nearly derailed it (recap here), while Sergei Pavlovich defeated Waldo Cortes-Acosta via unanimous decision in Heavyweight action.
Winner: Johnny Walker Who He
Should Face Next: Nikita Krylov
Walker got out of his funk, snapping his two-fight win streak with an impressive victory over Zhang, his first win in nearly two years. But, Walker will have to show us a bit more before he starts getting Top 10 talent. For now, a fight against Krylov sounds about right. Krylov is ranked No. 12 in the division and needs a win in the worst way because he needs to snap his own two-fight skid, which have come by way of first round knockout (see them here and here).
Winner: Aljamain Sterling
Who He Should Face Next: Yair Rodriguez
Sorry, “Unc,” but your are not getting a shot at Alexander Volkanovski’s belt next. That said, why not pair him up against another man who thinks that, for whatever reason, should get a fight against “The Great” in Rodriguez. Yes, “El Pantera” defeated Patricio Pitbull in his last fight, but it was his first win in two years. Plus, he came up short against Volkanovski at UFC 290 just two fights prior. Lerone Murphy should get the next title fight, while Sterling and Rodriguez can battle it out to see who climbs the ladder a bit further.
Winner: Sergei Pavlovich
Who He Should Face Next: Aspinall vs. Gane loser
Pavlovich secured his second straight win after defeating Cortes-Acosta via unanimous decision, allowing him to keep his No. 3 spot in the rankings. I wouldn’t want to see him face someone lower down the pecking order, so I wouldn’t mind to see him face the loser of the upcoming title fight between Tom Aspinall vs. Cyril Gane. Pavlovich is one of the hardest hitters in the division, and if he gets Aspinall, he’ll have a chance to avenge the knockout loss from two years ago. In Gane, it would be a fresh matchup between two proven strikers.
Winner: Sumudaerji
Who He Should Face Next: Daniel Marcos
After three consecutive losses, Sumudaerji has now won two straight, though he is still a ways out from a spot in the Top 15. A fight against Marcos sounds good for his next challenge. Marcos suffered the first loss of his professional career in his previous bout after dropping a unanimous decision to Montel Jackson just a few short months ago. Prior to that, he started off his career 17-0-1.
Winner: Nueraji Taiyilake
Who He Should Face Next: Song Kenan
Taiyilake had a great debut, defeating Keifer Crosbie via first round technical knockout, upping his overall win streak to six straight. Taiylake stepped in for Kenan on short notice, so why not reward him with a fight against the very man he replaced? Kenan has vast experience inside the Octagon, but has been rather inconsistent, amassing a tepid 6-5 record inside the eight-walled cage.
