MACAU, CHINA – NOVEMBER 23: (R-L) Zhang Mingyang of China punches Ozzy Diaz of their mild heavyweight battle in the course of the UFC Combat Night time occasion at Galaxy Enviornment on November 23, 2024 in Macau, China. (Photograph by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Gentle heavyweight Zhang Mingyang welcomed Ozzy Diaz to the UFC in the primary card opener at UFC Macau on Saturday.
MMA followers may keep in mind Diaz because the opponent of Joe Pyfer on Dana White’s Contender Collection again in 2022, within the notorious “Be Joe Pyfer” battle.
Mingyang opened the motion with a kick to the physique, earlier than chopping on the legs of Ozzy Diaz. Diaz stayed on the skin early, circling, as Zhang Mingyang continued to cut away with kicks. Diaz lastly received his jab going a minute in, only a single punch, then one other. The leg kicks continued to move from Mingyang; at the least a pair had some head behind them. Mingyang additionally fired off a couple of combos, principally blocked in the event that they landed in any respect.
Nonetheless, it solely took one blow to alter the course of the battle. Simply previous two minutes in, Zhang Mingyang sat Diaz down with an elbow! The Chinese language mild heavyweight then swarmed as Diaz tried to get to his knees. Floor n’ pound flowed, and the ref waved issues off sooner or later, giving Zhang Mingyang his second win underneath the UFC banner, and 18th profession win total – with 18 finishes throughout them.
“This knockout is for you, for my hometown crowd,” Mingyang stated following the victory, talking through a translator with Michael Bisping.
Official End result: Zhang Mingyang def. Ozzy Diaz by TKO (elbow and punches), Spherical 1, 2:25
