There was some significant controversy around the light heavyweight bout\u2019s finishing sequence in the immediate aftermath of the event, as Walker appeared to land several strikes to the back of Zhang\u2019s head before being awarded the TKO victory. <\/p>\n
READ MORE: UFC title challenger’s incredible ironman streak could end in this dangerous fight<\/a><\/p>\n Some fans also argued that Walker appeared to fake a glove touch before shooting for a takedown once the fight began, but the Brazilian claims that he never had any intention of touching gloves again after the two light heavyweights met in the center of the cage with the referee. <\/p>\n Johnny Walker defeated Mingyang Zhang in the UFC Shanghai main event. \/ (Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t fake anything,\u201d Walker told MMA Fighting\u2019s Guilherme Cruz<\/a>. \u201c[I] went there with my hand up because we had already touched gloves before the fight started. Touch gloves, each one back to their corner, and I wasn’t even looking at his face anymore. I went there with my hand hanging and shot for a takedown. I didn’t go there to touch gloves.”<\/p>\n Controversy aside, the win at UFC Shanghai was a much-needed result for Walker after the UFC veteran was knocked out in back-to-back fights against Volkan Oezdemir and current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Magomed Ankalaev <\/a>last year. <\/p>\n READ MORE: UFC finishing machine shares new training clip ahead of pivotal Noche UFC fight<\/a><\/p>\n Zhang entered his first UFC main event after securing three-straight \u201cPerformance of the Night\u201d bonuses to kick off his UFC career, and \u201cMountain Tiger\u201d was lined as a sizeable pre-fight favorite to extend his winning run against Walker. <\/p>\n Zhang Mingyang (blue gloves) fights Anthony Smith (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at T-Mobile Center. \/ William Purnell-Imagn Images<\/p>\n The upset-win move Walker up one spot in the UFC light heavyweight rankings to #12, but the biggest rankings shift<\/a> following UFC Shanghai came after former UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling dominated Brian Ortega in a five-round catchweight co-main event <\/a>and moved up to the #5 spot in the featherweight division. <\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0UFC star Sean O\u2019Malley reveals what\u2019s going wrong and Conor McGregor is part of it<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Dana White signs 5 dangerous UFC fighters including new shortest heavyweight<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Sean Strickland says Raja Jackson \u2018shouldn\u2019t go to jail\u2019 leaving UFC fans shocked<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Ex-UFC champion closes in on title shot with latest UFC rankings update<\/a><\/p>\n Stick with\u00a0MMAKnockout<\/a>\u00a0for more FREE coverage of the UFC and MMA.<\/p>\n Follow MMAKnockout on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>, and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n