On August 23rd, the UFC returns to Macau, China with a card headlined by a Middleweight tilt between Cung Le and Michael Bisping. This is an extremely difficult match to put a line on, as Le is now 42 years old and has not fought since November of 2012, while Bisping is coming off a loss that signals the end of his time as a title contender in the UFC.
Le’s skill set are such that he can still compete at a high level in MMA despite being 42 years old. His last outing was also a main event in China, and he defeated former UFC Middleweight kingpin Rich Franklin by KO, and the UFC seems content to use Cung Le on a limited basis in main events. In Britain’s Michael Bisping, the UFC has put together a truly international match than can be marketed to a Chinese audience.
Bisping had several shots throughout his career that would have led to a title match, however he faltered and lost matches to Chael Sonnen, Dan Henderson and Vitor Belfort that de-railed his title aspirations. Despite a revent loss to TIm Kennedy and being on the higher end of the pay scale, the UFC is sticking by Bisping.
But really what is Bisping going to do that is different against Cung Le. It is Le who is the better striker, and has more potential for finishing the fight on the feet. If Bisping is going to look to slug it out, he is going to get hit with precision strikes and he has had particular trouble against big strikers before. On the ground is where Le might be weakest, however Bisping has never had a submission in the UFC and his less than average wrestling leave him hard pressed to get takedowns.
Le too, isnt likely to change much, which leaves him hunting for the TKO in this match against an inferior striker. ANnother bet to look at might be Le by KO, or take Le by KO in one of the later rounds, as his technique and patience are bound to catch up with Bisping as the fight goes long and he tires.
