Who is Zhang Mingyang? Everything you need to know about Anthony Smith's last UFC opponent before retirement

Zhang Mingyang attempts a knockout win streak in UFC. [Image courtesy: @mingyang08 on Instagram]

Zhang Mingyang is set to face Anthony Smith in a light heavyweight bout in the co-main event of UFC Kansas City this weekend. The Chinese fighter, known for his knockout prowess, will look to climb the UFC ranks by putting together an impressive win streak in the promotion.

Smith has already announced that his upcoming fight with Mingyang will be his last MMA outing. The former light heavyweight title challenger will look to end his MMA career on a high note.

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Who is Zhang Mingyang?

Zhang Mingyang (18-6) is a Chinese emerging prospect who made his promotional debut against Brendson Ribeiro on the preliminary card of UFC 298 last year and secured an opening-round knockout win. In his next octagon outing at UFC Fight Night 248, the 26-year-old secured another first-round finish against Ozzy Diaz.

Mingyang is renowned for his striking ability and is on an 11-fight winning streak, nine of which are by first-round knockouts, making him a difficult opponent for a veteran like Anthony Smith. Mingyang hasn't tasted defeat since 2019, when he was submitted by Luan Aguirre Elias at WLF: W.A.R.S. 39.

Anthony Smith previews the Zhang Mingyang fight at UFC Kansas City

Anthony Smith is set to make one last octagon appearance at UFC Kansas City this weekend against Chinese knockout artist Zhang Mingyang. Ahead of the matchup, Smith spoke to Ariel Helwani and discussed his mindset, saying:

''I came from nothing, Ariel. People like me who come from where I come from don’t do things like this. They just don’t. I should be happy that it happened and not just think about the things I didn’t accomplish.”

When asked about his thoughts on Mingyang, Smith responded:

''I didn't know him, I never heard his name and looked him up briefly, and liked what I'd seen.”

Check out Anthony Smith's comments below (34:10):

After securing an impressive first-round submission win over Vitor Petrino at UFC 301, Smith suffered back-to-back losses against Roman Dolidze and Dominick Reyes at UFC 303 and UFC 310, respectively.

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Anurag Mitra