Rong Zhu knew he’d be in for a Fight of the Night-style brawl with Kody Steele at UFC 312

Rong Zhu beat Kody Steele with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 312 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

Take a look inside the fight with Zhu, who pulled off the event’s biggest upset and won Fight of the Night.

Rong Zhu def. Kody Steele

Result: Rong Zhu def. Kody Steele via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Updated records: Zhu (26-6 MMA, 2-3 UFC), Steele (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stats: Zhu outstruck the heavily favored and previously unbeaten Steele by more than 2-1 at 126-59.

Rong Zhu vs. Kody Steele

Zhu on the fight’s key moment

“This is the type of fight I expected. I really enjoyed this fight. I know Kody. I know he’s a grappler, but I know he’s also a brawler. When they sent me Kody as an opponent, I knew that was going to be the fight I wanted. My previous opponents were always running away and trying to win on points.”

Zhu on his City Kickboxing team

“I think City Kickboxing is the best gym in the world. We have the best coaches, best fighters and also the best teammates. Everybody helps me a lot.”

Zhu on what he wants next

“I want a $50-G bonus. This is my fifth UFC fight, and I haven’t won a bonus yet. I need the bonus to keep chasing my dream.”

To hear more from Zhu, check out his post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 312.