UFC Shanghai fight week is well underway. The final edition of UFC Fight Night on the promotion’s August schedule finds Dana White’s promotion leaving the United States for the first of two consecutive international cards.
Shanghai Indoor Stadium in China’s Xuhui District serves as the setting for this week’s event. However, if you want to follow along live with UFC Shanghai from inside the United States, be prepared to sacrifice some shuteye on Friday night going into Saturday morning, or not go to bed at all.
Live coverage commences very early Saturday morning at 3 am ET/ 12 midnight PT with the prelims before moving onto the main card at 6 am ET/ 3 am PT. UFC Shanghai will be streamed on ESPN+ inside the United States, as well as the new ESPN direct-to-consumer platform due to launch on Thursday.
March 28, 2025, Mexico City, Mexico, Las Vegas, Nv, United States: Austin Hubbard steps on the scale for the official weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night – Moreno vs Erceg at Arena CDMX on March 28, 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico /PxImages Mexico City, Mexico United States – ZUMAp175 20250328_zsa_p175_071 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex
All told, if there are no adjustments to be made to the bout order, the final version of this weekend’s show will feature a full slate of 12 fights. Highlighting the night at UFC Shanghai is a light heavyweight contest matching No. 13 contender Johnny Walker (21-9, 1 NC MMA) with No. 14 contender Zhang Mingyang (19-6 MMA, 3-0 UFC.) More on the main card later.
UFC Shanghai Featured Prelim: Maheshate Hayisaer vs. Gauge Young
At the top of the bill on Saturday morning’s undercard at UFC Shanghai, those who choose to fight off sleep will be treated to a lightweight fixture between Maheshate Hayisaer (10-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and Gauge Young (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) as the latter continues his search for his first win in the UFC. All fights mentioned herein will be an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round.
Hayisaer enters this weekend sporting a record of 2-3 in his first five UFC appearances. It’s been a long time since he’s made the walk to the cage, though.
Last November, he appeared during UFC Macau and dropped a unanimous decision to Nikolas Motta (15-6, 1 NC MMA, 3-3, 1 NC UFC). This is his first walk to the Octagon in 2025. Will the nine-month hiatus between fights be helpful or a hindrance?
Across the way, Gauge Young comes into China having posted a 3-2 mark over the course of his past five fights dating back to December of 2023. In April, he made his UFC promotional debut in Kansas City, KS, losing unanimously to Evan Elder (10-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC.)
Young’s UFC career is in its early days, so he can’t afford to get behind the 8-ball so soon after joining the promotion’s active roster. What will his sophomore appearance bring early Saturday morning?
UFC Shanghai Co-Featured Prelim: No. 15 Contender Charles Johnson vs. Lone’er Kavanagh
Immediately prior to the featured prelim, the flyweights take to the cage for a contest between No. 15 contender Charles Johnson (17-7 MMA, 6-5 UFC) and Lone’er Kavanagh (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC.) The former touches down in Shanghai on a 4-1 clip in his five most-recent bouts.
Last time out, he saw his four-fight winning streak end due to unanimous decision against Ramazan Temirov (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) inside the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, NV. While Johnson’s streak was stopped in March, a fighter looking to rebound from a defeat can be just as dangerous as one on a hot streak. Can he get back in the win column Saturday?
Meanwhile, Lone’er Kavanagh has yet to lose thus far in his professional MMA career. On March 22, he bested Felipe dos Santos (8-3, 1 NC MMA, 1-3 UFC) by unanimous decision in UFC London.
This is the most crucial fight yet for Kavanagh and his camp. A victory here would not only make it 10 in a row for him, but he could have a number next to his name as early as Monday morning if the results go his way.
UFC Shanghai: Rongzhu vs. Austin Hubbard
Also on the UFC Shanghai prelims, you’ll see a lightweight contest between Rongzhu (26-6 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and Austin Hubbard (16-9 MMA, 4-7 UFC.) Rongzhu has gone 3-2 over his last five bouts.
On Feb. 8 in Sydney, he bested Kody Steele (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in the latter’s UFC promotional debut during UFC 312. In so doing, Rongzhu received a $50,000 (USD) advance for the Fight of the Night Bonus.
He’ll be making his 33rd career walk to the cage over the weekend and has been on the upswing of late, having won three of his last four fights. Can he win his second bout in a row?
In the other corner, Austin Hubbard has gone 2-3 in his last five professional fights and is in his second stint with the UFC. Back on March 29 in Mexico City, he dropped a split decision to MarQuel Medeiros (11-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) after 15 minutes of action.
Counting both stints, Saturday’s contest will be his 12th under the UFC banner. Only time will tell if he’s able to avoid his third straight defeat.
Final Thoughts
Which fight or fights are you looking forward to on UFC Shanghai’s prelims? Let us know in the comments.