Johnny Walker believes he broke his rival's leg at UFC Shanghai with a kick: 'It was the way to go'

Johnny Walker wins Zhang Mingyang No. UFC Shanghai. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC News

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After ending a negative streak and surprising by winning Zhang Mingyang by technical knockout in UFC Shanghai, Johnny Walker drew attention by revealing details of the strategy that would have been crucial to the victory and which, according to him, may have resulted in a serious injury to his opponent.

In an interview with 'MMA Fighting,' the Brazilian stated that he believed he fractured the Chinese fighter's leg during the second round, after landing powerful kicks to his opponent's base. For Walker, Zhang's immediate reaction after the first blow was a clear indication that something had happened.

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"He switched stances, and I could see on his face that he felt it. He must have broken a bone when I kicked, and then I kicked again. I said, 'This is the way to go.' He's very resilient, I hit him a lot—punches, elbows, hammer blows… and the referee wouldn't stop the fight. But he was trying to get up, resisting. It was a tough fight, thank God I won," said the Brazilian.

Walker detailed the moment he identified Zhang's vulnerability and took advantage to attack with greater intensity. According to the Rio native, the damage caused by the first kick was the trigger for the sequence that culminated in the referee's interruption.

"You saw he felt it. I kicked him once and broke his leg. The bone must have hit the other one and fractured. I kicked him again and ended the fight with just one kick. We hit hard—not just me, but the guys I face too," he added.

Johnny Walker wins again in the UFC

The victory in Shanghai marked an important restart for Johnny Walker, who was coming off a turbulent period in the UFC, going three fights without a win, including two knockouts and one no contest. This resulted in his 22-fight professional record and returning to the top of the light heavyweight division.

Now, the Brazilian is aiming for greater heights and has already launched a challenge: he wants to face the former champion. Jan Blachowicz in the next round. Meanwhile, Zhang's possible injury is still awaiting official confirmation from the UFC or the medical team.