MMA Fighting - No Bets Barred | Will Zhang Mingyang Finish Johnny Walker At UFC Shanghai?

Episode Date: August 21, 2025

The UFC is headed back to China. This Saturday, the UFC returns to The Middle Kingdom with UFC Shanghai, headlined by a light heavyweight contest between Johnny Walker and Zhang Mingyang, and No Bets Barred is here to break it all down. This week, host Jed Meshew flies solo as he dives into UFC Shanghai. Topics discussed include his disastrous showing at UFC 319, The Mountain Tiger's chances to run over Walker, the five-round co-main event between Brian Ortega and Aljamain Sterling, the featured heavyweight bout between Sergei Pavlovich and Waldo Cortes-Acosta, the latest update on The Climb, and more. Tune in for episode 136 of No Bets Barred. Follow Jed Meshew: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@JedKMeshew⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to MMA Fighting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our full video catalog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Like MMA Fighting on Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Read More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network. What is up, y'all? We are back with another edition of No Betts Bard. Coming at you fresh on the heels of UFC 319. I am your host, as always, Jed Mushu, with Maffine.com, terrific website. And we got some more fights to talk about, ladies and gentlemen. That is right.

UFC 319 in the books. Tragically terrible weekend for us from a betting perspective. and UFC Shanghai on the horizon with, after a little bit of a break there. So let's very quickly recap UFC 319, what went down. Hamzaa Chimaya, of your new UFC middleweight champion, just kicked the tar out of Drikas Duplessi, which was obviously very unfortunate for us, especially because the manner in which he did it was dominant,

but not finishing. I guess I was going to say decisive. It was pretty decisive. honestly if you had told me hey hamzat's going to win i would have bet all the money i owned that it was going to be a finish but uh instead he was pretty defensive and drinkus du plus he was also uh extremely defensive not willing to create scrambles and risk getting submitted kind of a stinker of a fight but an incredibly impressive performance unfortunately that going to decision did ruin

in the climb version 6.0. We were only three steps up, so it's not a huge defeat, but it is a sad one for us, as our does not go-to-de-de-prop failed us. So we are back to the bottom of the mountain. Fortunately, this is Climb 7 this week, y'all, and, you know, lucky number 7, some say. So hopefully we can make some things happen for us in UFC Shanghai.

otherwise UFC 319 lost about two units just did not have any level of success out there. It has been a catastrophically bad year, especially with the climb, now being reset when we were so high up the mountain. Frankly, if you're listening to the rest of this program, just bet the opposite of what I'm going to say, because I'm just not going to win, especially this week. There's no chance I'm coming out in the plus this week. so let's dive into ufc shanghai it'll be a brief episode uh because this is not a bad fight card we have ahead of us but it's not a good one uh there are certainly some really interesting matchups on it and the start of those is the main event well this isn't that interesting but the main

event should be fun for however long at last it is a light heavyweight contest between johnny Walker and Zhang Ming Yang. Walker, he's been around the UFC forever at this point, but he is on two-fight losing streak. Last fought in June of 2024 when Volkan Uzdemir knocked him out. This two-fight losing streak is also two-fight knockout loss streak. Zhang, 3-0 in the UFC, one of the bright spots of the last 16 months or whatever it is. All first round finishes, all performance bonuses since coming off contender series. most recently knocked out Anthony Smith at UFC Kansas City back in April to sort of put himself in the real thick of things at 205.

And he's getting another pretty solid match up here, you know. I will absolutely say that Johnny Walker is a more difficult test than he has faced thus far. But in the end of the day, Zhang is powerful, aggressive, explosive. finds home for the big punches. And Johnny Walker is one of the best diers in the sport. I mean, six of his nine losses have been by knockout, and they are usually brutal and devastating knockouts. That being said, Zhang has also been knocked out a few times,

so several years ago at this point. But this is a big step up in competition. Johnny Walker hits hard, super athletic, much bigger than Jang out there. I think he's a little bit taller and has a pretty strong. sizable reach advantage here or at least a few inches. And so wouldn't stun me if Johnny Walker had, you know, one of those performances that makes people excited about Johnny Walker. But I would, I may not be stunned.

I'd be a little surprised. I think they're going to come in and chuck them and I like Zhang's chances to get it done. If you want to take the under two and a half for your own kind of climb, I think that price around minus 600. So you're in the neighborhood at least. But what I did instead, this. is the start of climb version 7.0, right?

Zhang Mingyang minus 375. The Mountain Tiger Bless, we will climb up the mountain. Hopefully, lucky number seven is the one that gets us there. Our co-meant event, a five-round co-main event, Brian Ortega taking on Algeman, Sterling, featherweight contest, obviously. Ortega, two and three over his past five coming off that unanimous decision lost to the EOPEC back in September at Noce. Sterling, one in one since bumping up to 145 pounds, good debut against Calvin Cater and then unanimous decision lost him off, Sirevlov.

The guy who probably should be fighting for the title should have already done so. So no real shame in that loss. You guys are going to hear me do something I never thought I'd do. I'm betting Brian Ortega in this fight, and I don't even feel good about it because I have no idea of Brian Ortega's head is that? You know, in the Noce thing, he was talking about the Eagle rebirth. and then he kind of laid an egg against Diego Lopez, who beat him purely off physicality, just being a big dude and willing to fight.

I have, everyone who listens to anything I do knows I don't, I am not fond of Brian Ortega as a fighter. And that being, like that being said, man, he's probably going to lose. Just start there, I guess. Sterling is the much superior wrestler. Sterling's never been submitted,

so I'm not sure Ortega's grappling prowess will be super dangerous. On the feet, Sterling is better than people give him credit for. We can call him great. But Ortega's not great either. He's one of the worst defensive fighters I've ever seen. And Sterling does have a solid kicking game. Like, I don't think that that's a blowout either way. So, you know, like Sterling probably should win this fight.

Except for, you know, I don't know, Brian Ortega has a habit of winning fights or at least competing in fights. So maybe I think he's going to get blown out in. I do think the grappling is going to be net neutral here. Sterling's a better wrestler, but Ortega is very tricky. Not saying he'll get a finish, but a sweep, find his way to dominant positions as well against Sterling. And I just, I think the line here is wrong.

I think it should be much closer lined than it is. And as a result, I have a bet on Brian Ortega. It might be one of the first bets I've ever made on Brian Ortega in my career. But plus 225, I see value there. Five round fight, Ortega. actually has a fair amount of five-run experience. Obviously, Sterling does as well. But, you know, Ortega, I would say Ortega is the more dangerous fighter.

And so five rounds always has beneficial to the more dangerous fighter as well. So I just think this line is wrong. There's value in Ortega. And I'm betting T-City. Though my heart doesn't love it. That fight is fantastic, though. Very excited to watch it at least. You know what's better than the one big thing?

Two big things. the new iPhone 17 Pro on Telas' five-year rate plan price lock. Yep, it's the most powerful iPhone ever, plus more peace of mind with your bill over five years. This is big. Get the new iPhone 17 Pro at tellus.com slash iPhone 17 Pro on select plans. Conditions and exclusions apply. I won't say I'm excited to watch this next one, but I'm certainly interested in a heavyweight contest, Sergei Pavlovich taking on Waldo Cortez-A Costa.

Pavlovich, former interim title challenge. Three and two over his past five, though. Coming, did, did bounce back. Got a unanimous decision win in February over Gilesia, Rosenstrike, no longer with the promotion. Walter Cretacea Costa, five-five win streak. He's like, I think he might have the longest win streak in the UFC heavyweight division. I believe that that is correct right now.

Coming off a unanimous decision went over the other Sergei, Sergey Spivak back in June. You know, Pavlovich is a minus 235 betting favorite to come back on Cortez-A-Costas plus 200. I don't love the bet from an actual value standpoint. I can see how both men win this fight. I think it's probably closer-lined than it is for Pavlovich here. But I have a bet on Pavlovich. He's on my fantasy squad. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go check out MMA fighting fantasy.

We drafted fantasy teams, and Pavlovich did big things for me last year or last season. hope he does so again. And I do think he should be favored, maybe just not this big, right? Cortezicosta has never been knocked out and has that sort of pitterpatt high volume style. Against Pavovich, a guy who hit so hard, like Pavvich can knock him out. He might not, but I refuse to believe that he can't. And even if he can't, you know, even if Cortezza Costa lands two to one, the shots Pavlovich lands, may just be far more impactful.

WCA also not like the best defensive fighter on the feet. And though it's unlikely to be a huge part of it, we've seen Pavlovich employ wrestling when he needs to. And so if he can, you know, just mix things up, I do think he should be the favorite, maybe not as big a favorite, but he's my guy, so we're back in our boy. Moving on to the flyweight division,

Sumadairji taking on Kevin Borjas. Sumadherj minus 166, betting favorite to come back on Borjas plus 140. Summereg, you know, he's two and three over his past five. Sort of a middle of the road guy. Split decision win over Mitroposa. Probably shouldn't have been a split. He won that fight. That was back in April.

Borjas, one and two in the UFC, two fight losing streak, and then picked up a unanimous decision, went over a lazy boy. And although Rodriguez back in March that he absolutely deserved to win. Um, normally I would not bet this fight. I think that this fight is probably correctly lined, right? This is a competitive thing. I think Sumadherj is probably like a little sharper, Borjas a little more aggressive. Um, and so like Sumadherj should be like slightly favored.

But in a year where everything is going bad for me, betting wise, I figured, buddy, let's just start having some fun. We haven't had enough fun this year. And so we brought back three gimmick parlor. this week. Will they hit? Almost certainly not. Will I lose money? Probably. But will I have fun? Remains to be seen. But one of those gimmick parlay is Sumadurgy is a piece of it that parlay, we're calling it the Enbo parlay because there are five, count on one, two, three, four, five fighters this week training out of the Inbo team over in China. Sumadherji, he is one of them. And so

the first leg of the five-leg, Inbo Parlay is Sumadirji. And that takes us to the final main card fight of the evening. I am going to screw this up, so I do apologize. Taylake, Nueraji, taking on Kiefer, Crosby. Neweraji minus 430, betting favorite, to come back on Crosby plus a 40, Neweraji. This is UFC debut, but he isn't a five-fight winning street coming into the promotion. A lot of finishes amongst that.

Crosby, two-fight losing streak, submitted by Sam Patterson in July of last year. So it's been a while since we've seen him. That being said, Nuraji's also been out of the cage for basically a year. So, you know, they're both on a pretty long hiatus here. Neuroji, you can find a little bit of tape on him out there. He's just, he's a power puncher. You know, he comes in, he chucks him. And that can certainly be effective.

I will say Crosby mostly durable, but just wildly inconsistent. And Neuroji's pressure striking should probably get him. get him a victory here. Normally, again, I wouldn't be betting this a huge price for a guy making his youthsid debut and deeply untested, even against a guy like Keeper Crosby, who I don't think too much of. But Nourajie has two things going for him. One, he trains at Inbo. So, Nuraji, leg two of the Imbo parlay, two, man has a fun hat. And as people know, I am a huge fan of guys with fun hats. If you have a difficult to pronounce name and a fun hat, I think you're probably going to win a lot more than you lose in the UFC.

That's what history has shown us. Now, granted, that did not work out so well last week for our boy Alibi Adiris, but we press on anyway. Nuraaji also in the fun hat parlay with one other gentleman who we will talk about coming up here in just a little bit. But we roll on to the prelims and a lightweight contest between Mahashate and Gage Young goes down on Saturday early morning. I think by this time it'll be like six, maybe seven.

Mahasate, this is close to a pick-um. Mah-sha-tae, some of the books, plus, like plus 100, Gage Young, minus 120, somewhere in that neighborhood. Mahas-Shotay 2 and 3 in the promotion, coming off unanimous decision lost to Nicholas Motta in November. Young, 0-1 in the UFC, also was on Contender Series and Lost,

but got the call in any way to step in, lost to Evan Elder in April. Moshate, frankly, could be on a four-fight losing streak right now when I split decision over Gabriel Benitez. It wasn't a robbery. It was just a very, very close fight. And I, you know, shouldn't feel, like, there's a reason he's an underdog against the guy like Gajong, who is not deeply impressive.

That being said, he trains at Inbo. And so, you know, striking matchup, a little bit of the home crowd going for him. He's certainly got more experience at the UFC level. Just threw him in the Enbo parley. So Mahashti leg three of the Enbo parlay. And we keep rolling. Next to a flyweight contest that I'm very excited about. Charles Johnson taking on Lonnie Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh minus 205 betting favorite to comeback on Johnson plus 170. Johnson was on a four-fight winning street before his unanimous decision lost to Ramazon Timorov back in March. Kavanaugh, one of my very first. Favorite prospects coming off Contender Series in 2024. 2-0 in the UFC, a little bit underwhelming, frankly, in the UFC, given how high I was on him. But, you know, picked up the unanimous decision win over Felipe Dos Santos back in March. I think Kavanaugh's a more athletic guy.

He's got that karate bouncy style. He's proven to be a very good takedown defender, which against Charles Johnson is an important role to have. Johnson, the bigger guy, and that is a huge concern here. Also, much more established guy. frankly, if we're being heads up about this, I would say Charles Johnson, maybe a little bit undervalued, especially with Lonnie, not dazzling in his first two UFC fights, but Lonnie's my boy and I always back my boy. So minus 205, I took a bet on Lonnie Kavanaugh because I believe

in his talent and I think he's going to put it all together on Saturday and get the dub. When I got a great deal on a great gift at winners, I started wondering, could I get fabulous gifts for everyone on my list? Like this designer fragrance for my daughter. At just $39.99, how could I resist? This luxurious wool throw for my sister. This gold watch for my partner? A wooden puzzle for my niece? Leather gloves for my boss? Ooh, European chocolate for the crossing guard? At these prices, could I find something for everyone at winners? Stop wondering. Start gifting. Winners, find fabulous for less. With Instacard, you get groceries that over-deliver so you can over-share your preferences.

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So download the app today and get zero delivery fees on your first three orders. Instacard, groceries that over-deliver. Service fees exclusions in terms apply. We move on to a lightweight contest between Rangzou and Austin Hubbard. Rang Chou, minus 250, Hubbard plus 210. Rangzhu, one in the UFC. Unanimous decision will win over Cody Steele back in February. Hubbard, meanwhile, one in three in the promotion.

A split decision lost to Markell Maderos in March. Definitely should have lost that one, by the way. So, like, that's totally fair. Rongju, he's going to win this fight probably. He's got good takedown defense, powerful strike. Hubbard's never been knocked out so that, you know, always makes you question. But the thing about Hubbard, he consistently gets takedowns and loses fights with them. So it's not like, he's not like the most efficient control grappler.

So I do like Rongier's chances to get this done on the feet, basically. But more importantly than that, he is also a member of the Enbo team. And so he is the fourth leg of the Imbo Parley. And he's got one other thing going for him. I don't know if you guys know this. This fight card, if you just take a look at it, a lot, lot of road to UFC champions on it. When I say a lot, I mean three of them,

and one of them is Rongzhou. He was the season two lightweight champion. And so we decided we're going to have a third gimmick parlay this week, and Rongzhou is the first leg of it, the Road to UFC champion parlay. That takes us to a middleweight contest as we fly through this week of action. Michelle Paheta taking on Kyle Dawkes.

Demolidore minus 265. Kyle Dawkins plus 220. Paheta, two-fight losing streak. unanimous decision lost to Abis Magamatov back in April. Dawkes, 4-0, you know, got bounced out of the UFC after some tough losses, went to Cage Fury, won the belt, defended it twice, stepping back in as a replacement for Marco. Tullio, who was originally booked for this weekend.

But he's got a chance here, legitimately. I think these odds are maybe even long, and I say that as a guy who for a long time was a big Demolador believer, I've abandoned my friendship. I'm off Beheada Island. Despite the fact that this is a really winnable fight for him, Darkus is a grappler. He's not like the best wrestler, and, you know, Beheader should have an opportunity to stuff takedowns and kind of B-Dynamic on the feet. This feels like the sort of fight he's supposed to win.

But I don't know. Something about that Kyle Dawkus win streak, lighting a fire under his ass, the vibes. Paheta on a free fall right now, Dawkins surging. I just had to pass on it because I can't bet against my former boy.

He's no longer my boy, but he can't bet against him. And I don't really want to bet on Kyle Dawkus, but I think there could be some dog value in Kyle Dawkins, which probably means Pahedda is going to. to come out and blow the doors off him. We keep rolling. Three fights left, a featherweight contest.

Yiza taking on, I'm sorry, it's probably Li Jha, taking on Weston Wilson. Ja, biggest betting favorite on the card, one of the biggest betting favorites of the year, minus 1,200, depending on your book. That's as low as I saw. Weston Wilson plus 750 out there, made all the more insane by the fact that Yja is 0-1 in the UFC. He won Road to UFC and then lost his UFC debut. Wilson, one and two in the promotion, two-fight losing streak,

but did submit Road to UFC finalist, Jack Aseri, in June of last year. Now, if you were an avid listener to the MMA fighting, you know, YouTube channel, podcast network, you know that Mike Heck once upon a time called Weston Wilson, one of the very worst fighters in the entire UFC. And then Weston Wilson went out there and he submitted Jackisiergy and Mike had had to tell Weston to his face, hand up, I screwed that one up. You know, I was wrong. And I frankly do not believe Yuzha should be this big a betting favorite.

It is some level of insane that he is. He's a talented grappler, but that's like Weston Wilson's game as well. And so, I don't know. That being said, Wilson has been tapped four times. So, like, I get him being a favorite. It's just an enormous, enormous price for Yia. Nonetheless, he's in two parleyes because he is, as I mentioned, a road UFC champion, so he's there with Rongzhou and one other fighter and the Road to UFC champion parlay.

And he is the fifth leg of the Enbo parley. Not getting a lot and, like, bringing on a ton of risk. It's absolutely ridiculous to put him in a parlay at this price, but did it, those five legs pay out a plus 454 odds. So we're going to have a little fun rooting for Team Enbo on Saturday and the Road to UFC champions. Speaking of which, the penultimate fight, we will speak about a bantam weight contest, Zhao Long taking on Su Yongyu, Su Yongyu minus 130 betting favorite, Zhao plus 114,

Zhao 1-1 in the UFC, TKO win over Kwongle back in November, whereas U.S. 2 and O in the UFC, unanimous decision went over A.J. Cunningham in March. His first win was the Road to UFC title win. I don't remember who that was over, actually. Like I mentioned before, the three Road UFC champions, he is one of them. Zerangzhu, Yizha, and Suyang Yu, he beat Barzhang Jai-Layisi to win Road TufC season three of it. So pretty simple.

Put him in the road, parlay, don't have any other action at him. He is not a high-paced fighter, so if Zhao can keep this fight on the feet, he's got a real chance to just outwork him. But Xu Yong Yu pretty good at the wrestling and a solid control grappler favor him to get the dub, even though we are in Jalong's backyard. And that takes us to the opening bout of the evening. I don't know what to make of how this fight will go, but it's a light heavyweight contest between Uren Satbaldiev and D.R. Norgazoye. I am certain I butcher that, and I apologize. I am not John Anik. Sultabaldia, the betting favorite minus 162, DR plus 136, both men 0 and 1 in the UFC.

Sotabaldiav, unanimous decision lost to Martin Boudai back. And I don't remember when that was, actually. Hold on, let me look. When did Sulte Baudelaide. So that was in April. I was to say, I knew it was this year. I just couldn't remember when it was. Former LFA champion, you know, was undefeated until he made his UFC debut

against Martin Boudai coming in. Granted, that was a heavyweight. This is a light heavyweight contest, so hopefully they'll get a little bit extra juice there. DR, O and 1, the Osses, submitted by Brinson Hebero back in March. I do think Oren's going to get this done. This is a striker-grappler matchup. DR probably a little bit more athletic,

but he is shown to be weak on the ground. And so Oren just needs a couple. But more importantly, Uren Satibaldiv, that man has a fun hat. And so we take him and we pair him up with Taillacay noiraji in the fun hat parley. Those two legs, they pay out at plus 105. The road UFC parley pays out at plus 142. And the Edno Parlay, all five legs if it pays out at plus 454.

So we got all that action for this week. Plus, you know, the climb with Zhang Mingyang and then a few solos. And that is my UFC Shanghai breakdown, ladies and gentlemen. Not sure it's any good to you. unless you're just going to bet the exact opposite of what I did. But should be a decent time. Always love early morning. This is a little early, early morning for some people.

West or East Coast, it is 3 a.m. for the start time for the early prelims. Very honestly, I'm just almost certainly not going to be up for that, but it should be up in time to watch maybe a couple of the prelims. And then the main card really does have some good fights on it, some bangers. And then, like I said, we got ourselves a week off. The following week after that will be That's UFC Paris Oh, it is UFC Paris

So we'll have a week off before we head to Paris And the possible title eliminator Between Nasir Dina Imov and Kyle Bahayo Also, there is a PFL event this Friday, you know, Fabian Edwards, Dalmanasta Oleg Popov, Alexander Romanov Shufi, Sylvan Kali Impa

Taking on Andrew Sanchez There, you know, Impa Kisanganai, Probably going to win that fight. Minus 600, honestly, could maybe climb with him. I put together some sort of a PFL parlay,

but I haven't really looked at it. I do like Oleg Popov's chances against Alexander Romanov, being honest. I'm kind of looking at this now. I don't think I want to bet on Impa. But, you know, there's some PFL Friday,

U.S. Shanghai. It'll be done by, like, noon at the absolute latest. And then you have one of the rarest things you'll ever have two Saturday evenings in a row off of MEPFELF. Fandum. Enjoy it, ladies and gentlemen, and we will see you in two weeks for UFC Paris. Love y'all.

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