UFC light heavyweight contender Zhang Mingyang issued a statement following his knockout loss against Alonzo Menifield at UFC Macau.
Despite entering the fight as a big favorite, Zhang was brutally finished with strikes in the first round by Menifield. It was the second straight defeat in the Octagon for Zhang as a big betting favorite after losing to Johnny Walker in his last bout. Bout of the fights took place in his native China, so he lost twice in vicious fashion in front of his home-country fans.
With the defeat, Zhang’s UFC record drops to 3-2 after beginning his UFC career with three straight first-round knockout wins.
Zhang Mingyang Releases Statement Following UFC Macau KO Loss
Taking to social media several days after the loss, Zhang issued a short statement to his friends, fans, and family on his Instagram.
“Thank you coach for your help. Thanks everyone for your support. I will be back,” Zhang wrote.
The loss for Zhang was a tough one, as the UFC was clearly trying to get him a win over a ranked opponent whom they thought that he could beat in his home country.
Instead, things did not go well for Zhang at all, as he was viciously finished with punches by Menifield in the first round, handing him two straight knockout losses in a row.
Where Does Zhang Mingyang Go From Here?
Following his second straight bad loss, Zhang will have to essentially start over in the UFC light heavyweight division, as there’s no way he will get a ranked opponent in his next fight.
Instead, the UFC is going to try to rebuild him by giving him someone he should beat. He’s only 27 years old, so time is still on his side. But clearly, Zhang is not ready for ranked competition, and he needs to take a serious step back in competition.
Looking at the UFC light heavyweight roster, here are some potential opponents for Zhang, along with their UFC record in parentheses: Luke Fernandez (0-1), Rafael Tobias (0-1), Christian Edwards (0-1), Kevin Christian (0-2), and Bruno Lopes (1-2). These are all realistic options for Zhang, as they are all struggling fighters who also need to get back into the win column.
Overall, Zhang is still a powerful knockout artist who is young enough that he can turn his career around. But he has to be smarter in the way he approaches his fights, as he can’t just brawl, and he also has to improve his conditioning, as he once again looked tired in the fight against Menifield.
A potential camp change could be in the works for Zhang, who needs to do something to turn his career around after starting it off so well with back-to-back-to-back finishes over Brendson Ribeiro, Ozzy Diaz, and Anthony Smith. While he’s not as bad a fighter as he’s looked in his last couple of bouts, he’s not as great as he looked in those wins, either, so it will be interesting to see who the UFC matchmakers give him next as Zhang tries to rebound into the win column.
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