Athletes
Zhang Mingyang Is All About Business
Promising Chinese Prospect Focused Exclusively On Securing Second UFC Win
Amongst the cadre of Chinese talents slated to compete this weekend as the UFC returns to Macau for the first time in over a decade, Zhang Mingyang stands out, both literally and figuratively.
Physically, the 26-year-old is simply bigger than his contemporaries — a six-foot-two light heavyweight with a thick torso and powerful legs that got the attention of Joe Rogan on the UFC 298 broadcast in February when Zhang made his promotional debut. But the prospect from Anhui is also a step ahead of many of his fellow prospects, entering this weekend’s clash with promotional newcomer Ozzy Diaz on a 10-fight winning streak, having earned each of those victories — and all 17 of his career wins, for that matter — inside the distance.
“I think it’s all come naturally from how I’ve been raised, how I’ve been educated, what I train,” began Zhang when asked about his power and keen finishing instincts on Wednesday, just a few days prior to his sophomore appearance inside the Octagon. “What I was told since I was a kid was that we need to be tough, be durable, be ready to get into a battle, which is why I think I finish my fights in that fashion.”
Zhang emerged on the UFC radar as he strung together stoppage victories in the Wu Lin Feng (WLF) promotion, an outfit that has graduated a number of competitors to the biggest stage in the sport over the years. He was tapped to take part in a non-tournament bout during the first season of the Road to UFC series, paired off with Tuco Tokkos in the first bout of the first event in June 2022.
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Despite a lengthy winning streak consisting exclusively of finishing, the Chinese light heavyweight, who was just 23 at the time, entered as a considerable underdog, but it didn’t take long for him to show he belonged. He started connecting with big right hands less than 30 seconds into the contest, causing Tokkos to leak crimson on his shoulder as the two tied up.
He popped back to his feet immediately when he was briefly taken down, then stood in the pocket and traded blows with a smile on his face as the two broke off the fence, getting the better of the exchanges and going on the hunt. With just over a minute remaining in the opening frame, the former heavyweight Zhang connected with a right hand that put Tokkos out and earned him a place on the UFC roster.
Rather than make a quick transition into the Octagon, Zhang’s official first year as a UFC competitor was spent on the sidelines, as he was forced to withdraw from a February bout with Tyson Pedro before a December date opposite Brendson Ribeiro was scuttled, as well.
“I don’t have too much thought about what happened in the past; I only focus on my upcoming fight this Saturday,” said the promising prospect when asked about his 2023 being washed out.
He has the same approach when it comes to his impressive debut in February, as well.
Opening the night at UFC 298 against Ribeiro, Zhang deployed a similar approach to his bout with Tokkos, happily wading into the fray with a smile on his face, ready to absorb shots in order to land his own, confident that his power would rule the day.
While the Brazilian got off with his jab early, he couldn’t withstand the force of the Chinese fighter’s blows, and 101 seconds after it began, Zhang’s UFC debut was over, and his winning streak was into double digits.
“When I think about my UFC debut, I still feel very calm, not overly excited, because I know the result is what I deserve,” he said when asked about the impressive showing in Anaheim, again displaying a focus and confidence beyond his years, which is another piece of what makes him arguably the top emerging talent coming out of this weekend’s host nation at the moment.
You would think carrying that mantle would make being a part of Saturday’s loaded return to Macau more of a momentous occasion for the streaking UFC sophomore, but as with everything else so far, Zhang is more matter of fact about things than most when presented with a homecoming showcase and heaps of excitement about his prospects in the cage.
“I think that is a beautiful landscape of where Chinese MMA is at now,” he said when asked about competing alongside a litany of Chinese athletes spanning different generations of experience this weekend at Galaxy Arena. “I really appreciate the pioneers of this sport in China like Yan (Xiaonan), (Song) Kenan — ‘Leech’ (Li Jingliang) will come as well — because those people explored the path for us, paved the path for us, and it helps us to be successful in this sport.
“We also have some younger generations competing in the Road to UFC, so maybe they can be in the promotion in the future, as well,” he added. “I think it’s pretty cool.”
When asked about being at the vanguard of the next generation, the cool and collected light heavyweight was quick to acknowledge that the position comes with pressure, but also that he welcomes the opportunity.
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“Of course, there is a little bit of pressure, but I see it as motivation,” he said, smiling. “I think it can transfer to motivation when we face some difficulties. I think it will motivate us.”
And it’s that “take it all in stride” approach that makes his main card opener with Diaz all the more intriguing.
Typically, a UFC up and comer getting a rare opportunity to compete at home in a dangerous matchup with someone that has earned their stripes on the regional circuit would feel like a MMA equivalent of a “trap game,” a situation where thinking about everything that comes with the experience and the opportunity to collect a signature victory in front of a partisan crowd may result in the most important piece element — actually handling business — taking a bit of a backseat.
But none of those things seem to be of importance for Zhang.
“It doesn’t matter that we’re in my home country, where in the world (I’m fighting) — I will treat the upcoming fight in the same way, giving all I have,” he said when asked about making his second UFC start at home in China. “The only difference between fighting in the homeland or other places is there will be more of my friends, family coming to this event to watch my fight.
“Ozzy Diaz is the first person to take this fight, to come to Macau to face me,” he added, shifting his focus to the former LFA middleweight champion, who has gone 2-0 with a pair of finishes since moving up a division following his loss to Joe Pyfer on Season 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series. "I know that he’s also a finisher — he also has a 100 percent finish rate — so I can guarantee that the fight on Saturday night will be an exciting one.”
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For the promising light heavyweight, Saturday is about going to work and handling business, in part because that’s the job, but also because it’s the way he can directly impact how things will progress for himself as he continues to march forward in his mixed martial arts career.
“(I will feel) nothing really special, because stepping into the Octagon and getting the win is my job, it’s my work, so I don’t have any special thought about that,” he said when asked what it would mean to push his winning streak to 11 by turning back Diaz this weekend. “I need the win, I need the money because the money from this fight will change my life, will make my life easier for the next camp.
“So I just have to get the job done, that’s it.”
UFC Fight Night: Yan vs Figueiredo took place live from Galaxy Arena in Macau, China on November 23, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!