Zhang-Reinhardt Likely for UFC 127 in Sydney

Tie Quan Zhang: rxtremesports.com

Last September, Tie Quan Zhang became the first Chinese fighter ever to compete in World Extreme Cagefighting. Now, the “Mongolian Wolf” appears poised to make the transition to the UFC.

Sherdog.com has learned that a delayed showdown between Zhang and Jason Reinhardt is likely to take place at UFC 127. The promotion has not yet made the bout official for the event, which takes place Feb. 27 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. News of the matchup was first reported by MMAWeekly.com.

Zhang and Reinhardt were slated to meet in Zhang’s stateside debut last fall, but Reinhardt was forced from the match after failing a prefight eye exam. Zhang instead faced and defeated late replacement Pablo Garza, while Reinhardt underwent laser eye surgery.

The China Top Team-trained Zhang tasted defeat for the first time in his career on Dec. 16, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Roufusport prospect Daniel Downes at WEC 53. Prior to that loss, Zhang had finished 11 straight opponents inside the opening round while competing mainly for China’s Art of War and the Philippine-based Universal Reality Combat Championship. Zhang gained notoriety in his home country after his win over Garza, which was broadcast live on Chinese television and viewed millions of more times online.

Reinhardt, meanwhile, will see his first action in two years. The Illinois-based fighter was a perfect 18-0 before entering the UFC in 2007. Following a 74-second rear-naked choke submission loss at the hands of Joe Lauzon, Reinhardt returned to the Midwest circuit, scoring a pair of wins before encountering injuries which have kept him sidelined since January 2008.

UFC 127 marks the promotion’s second trip to Australia, following the successful UFC 110 in February 2010. All fights, save the Zhang-Reinhardt matchup, have been officially announced for the card, which is headlined by a welterweight clash between B.J. Penn and Jon Fitch.