Dana White, Laura Sanko - DWCS 77
Johnny Walker
Apr 26, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, UNITED STATES; Zhang Mingyang (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Anthony Smith (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images
UFC Fight Night 257 How to Watch

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The UFC is in Shanghai, China, for the first time in nearly eight years with a pair of light heavyweight standouts atop the card.

Here's how to watch UFC Fight Night 257 with 205-pounders in the headlining spot, plus a former champ in the co-main event.

Broadcast and streaming info

UFC Fight Night 257 has a main card that streams at 6 a.m. ET on ESPN+. The preliminary card streams on ESPN+ at 3 a.m. ET.

Veteran broadcaster John Gooden serves as desk anchor and host at UFC Fight Night 257. Alan Jouban and "The Ultimate Fighter 15" winner Michael Chiesa will join him at the desk as an analyst on the post-fight show and throughout the broadcast, if necessary.

UFC correspondent Karyn Bryant will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC Fight Night 257 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.

Brendan Fitzgerald will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC Fight Night 257. He'll command play-by-play and be joined in the booth by UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping and Laura Sanko.

Main event: Johnny Walker

  • Record: 21-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC
  • Opponent: Zhang Mingyang (19-6 MMA, 3-0 UFC)
  • Division: Light heavyweight
  • Key wins: Anthony Smith, Paul Craig, Ion Cutelaba, Khalil Rountree Jr.
  • Misc.: After a pair of cancellations earlier this year, the Brazilian is back for the first time in more than a year – and looking to snap a two-fight skid of knockout losses to then-future title challenger Magomed Ankalaev and former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir. Prior to that, he had a trio of wins over Ion Cutelaba, Paul Craig and former title challenger Anthony Smith that put him into the title picture.

Main event: Zhang Mingyang

  • Record: 19-6 MMA, 3-0 UFC
  • Opponent: Johnny Walker (21-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC)
  • Division: Light heavyweight
  • Key wins: Anthony Smith
  • Misc.: Mingyang hasn’t lost in nearly three years. Since that 2019 setback, it’s been nothing but first-round finishes, including all three of his UFC fights – all three of which have come with $50,000 bonuses. In April, he took out former title challenger Anthony Smith for his biggest win yet.

Co-main event: Brian Ortega

  • Record: 16-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC
  • Opponent: Aljamain Sterling (24-5 MMA, 16-5 UFC)
  • Division: Featherweight
  • Key wins: Yair Rodriguez (rematch), Chan Sung Jung, Frankie Edgar, Cub Swanson, Renato Moicano
  • Misc.: It’s been a rough run for the two-time title challenger. After a perfect 14-0 start to his career, he’s gone 2-4 starting with a 2018 title challenge loss to Max Holloway. Injuries haven’t helped him, either. He’s dropped three of his past four and will be fighting for the first time in nearly a year.

Co-main event: Aljamain Sterling

  • Record: 24-5 MMA, 16-5 UFC
  • Opponent: Brian Ortega (16-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC)
  • Division: Featherweight
  • Key wins: Calvin Kattar, Henry Cejudo, T.J. Dillashaw, Petr Yan (twice), Cory Sandhagen
  • Misc.: After three defenses of the bantamweight title, Sterling dropped the belt to Sean O’Malley two years ago this week. After the loss, he moved up to featherweight – in part so his friend, teammate and current champ Merab Dvalishvili could go after the 135-pound title. Sterling won his 145-pound debut against Calvin Kattar, but will be working off a loss to Movsar Evloev in his follow-up.

UFC Fight Night 257 lineup

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 6 a.m. ET)

  • Johnny Walker vs. Zhang Mingyang
  • Brian Ortega vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Sergei Pavlovich
  • Kevin Borjas vs. Su Mudaerji
  • Kiefer Crosbie vs. Taiyilake Nueraji

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 3 a.m. ET)

  • Hayisaer Maheshate vs. Gauge Young
  • Charles Johnson vs. Lone'er Kavanagh
  • Austin Hubbard vs. Rong Zhu
  • Kyle Daukaus vs. Michel Pereira
  • Yi Zha vs. Westin Wilson
  • Xiao Long vs. SuYoung You
  • Diyar Nurgozhay vs. Uran Satybaldiev

UFC Fight Night 257 main card betting odds

  • Walker +340, Mingyang -500
  • Ortega +220, Sterling -295
  • Cortes-Acosta +190, Pavlovich -250
  • Borjas +125, Mudaerji -160
  • Crosbie +255, Nueraji -350

UFC Fight Night 257 prelim betting odds

  • Maheshate -105, Young -125
  • Johnson +170, Kavanagh -220
  • Hubbard +255, Zhu -350
  • Daukaus +250, Pereira -340
  • Zha -1600, Wilson +750
  • Long +115, You -145
  • Nurgozhay +175, Satybaldiev -210

UFC Fight Night 257 preview videos

UFC Fight Night 257 full fight videos

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Fight Night 257: How to watch Johnny Walker vs. Zhang Mingyang, Shanghai lineup, odds

Reporting by Matt Erickson, MMA Junkie / MMA Junkie

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