Elkins is currently sitting at number 20 and Zhang is currently unranked on the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings. Elkins is there due to his close win over highly-ranked Michihiro Omigawa at UFC 131, while Zhang is still looking for a defining victory in the UFC. This featherweight UFC 136 fight will be on the preliminary card, which will be streamed live on Facebook. The Facebook stream begins at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
How do these two stack up?
Elkins: 27 years old | 5'10" | 71" reach
Zhang: 33 years old | 5'8" | 69" reach
What have these two done recently?
Elkins: W - Michihiro Omigawa (UD) | L - Charles Oliveira (SUB) | W - Duane Ludwig (TKO) |
Zhang: W - Jason Reinhardt (SUB) | L - Daniel Downes (DEC) | W - Pablo Garza (SUB)
How did these two get here?
After picking up 8 wins in 9 fights on the regional circuit including a win over Bellator fighter Pat Curran, Darren Elkins entered the UFC at UFC on Versus 1 as a late replacement for Spencer Fisher. His opponent Duane Ludwig badly injured his ankle and Elkins picked up a TKO victory. His next outing was a lot tougher though, where he was submitted in 41 seconds by Charles Oliveira. After that, the wrestler decided it was time to drop to 145 and he made a successful debut at UFC 131 when he defeated former Sengoku standout Michihiro Omigawa by decision.
Tiequan "The Mongolian Wolf Zhang is the UFC's first Chinese fighter and made his debut in the WEC, where he went 1-1. He quickly submitted Pablo Garza in his debut, but dropped a decision to Daniel Downes in his next outing. After the merger they decided to give Zhang just about the easiest opponent the UFC had to offer - Jason Reinhardt. As expected, Zhang won quickly by guillotine and now steps up to face the much tougher Elkins.
Why should you care?
Zhang's status as the only Chinese fighter in the UFC makes him very unique, and he's got a crazy guillotine choke too. Elkins can hang with just about anyone though, so it's likely to be an ugly but entertaining battle.
You can catch more UFC 136 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
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UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III - Bloody Elbow Staff Predictions
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UFC 136: Chael Sonnen Denies Gameplanning for Brian Stann - Mike Fagan
UFC 136: Frankie Edgar Talks Gray Maynard, Jose Aldo - Mike Fagan
UFC 136: Melvin Guillard vs. Joe Lauzon Dissection - Dallas Winston
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 87: UFC 136 Preview
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UFC 136: Time Aplenty for Chael Sonnen Despite Competition for Contention - Leland Roling
UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC 136: Spike TV Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 136: Did Promotion Need More Chael Sonnen and Brian Stann? - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 136: Jose Aldo's Second Chance to Destroy Foolish Assumptions - Leland Roling
UFC 136: A Running Diary of Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard II - Mike Fagan
UFC 136 Pre-Fight Press Conference Video and Updates - Tim Burke
UFC State of the Union: UFC 136 and the Lightweight Division - Fraser Coffeen
Countdown to UFC 136 Video
UFC 136: Melvin Guillard's Continuing Quest for a Title Shot - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 136 Preview: Looking Back at Edgar vs. Maynard 2 Highlights and Reaction - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 136: Facebook Undercard Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 136: Dana White Video Blog, Day 1