BROOMFIELD, Colo. – World Extreme Cagefighting officials – and
approximately 1.3 billion Chinese – can breathe a sigh of relief;
newcomer Tiequan Zhang’s debut in American mixed martial arts was a
successful one.
Zuffa LLC’s first-ever Chinese fighter – an undefeated lightweight who officials hope can help the UFC and WEC’s expansion into the world’s most populous country – secured a quick first-round submission victory over late replacement Pablo Garza.
The bout was the featured attraction on the unaired preliminary card of “WEC 51: Aldo vs. Gamburyan,” which took place Thursday at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo.