Will Brits have the advantage at English fight?
UFC Middleweight superstar, Michael Bisping is making his climb to the top of the middleweight ranks and is hoping to one day challenge for the world title. But for now the British brute will battle it out with Chris Leben in a bout that would propel either fighter to the top of the division.
I am sure you already know of the UFC 89 card headlined by Bisping and Leben, but that's not the point. Did you notice where the event is being held? England. This leads me to believe that the “Crippler” (Leben) has already lost the fight, before it even began.
The UFC has always been the upmost respected and looked up-to organization in MMA, and I don't want to call foul on them or bring them down to the level of EliteXC, but they need to review how exactly these events in England go down.
Just over one year ago Bisping, who is the biggest fighting star to come out of England since Lee Murray, battled it out in to a decision with fellow Ultimate Fighter 3 contestant Matt Hamill. Judges scored it in a split decision in favour of Bisping, while many fans, including myself, believed that Hamill won the fight. While it is the past and there is no sense crying over it, the thought still sticks in the fans mind when Bisping returns to fight in England.
It's understood that the UFC is trying to expand and trying to get bigger world wide. They recently opened up an office in the UK as their fan base has already grown so strong. What needs to be watched is how they go about expanding, and making sure that their squeaky clean image isn't tarnished trying to advance forward.
On the UFC 89 card there are six UK born fighters on it, out of the 10 total fights in order to help sell the home grown material. A great strategy by the UFC but if these fighters lose, they have to realize it's not the end of the world. The UFC has become big enough now that they can sell the fights no matter who is in them, as nice as it is, it's not totally essential to have every UK born fighter fighting in their home country.
Michael Bisping has won his last two fights by TKO and he better keep that trend going, because another split decision in his home country could have many more people crying wolf.
I am sure you already know of the UFC 89 card headlined by Bisping and Leben, but that's not the point. Did you notice where the event is being held? England. This leads me to believe that the “Crippler” (Leben) has already lost the fight, before it even began.
The UFC has always been the upmost respected and looked up-to organization in MMA, and I don't want to call foul on them or bring them down to the level of EliteXC, but they need to review how exactly these events in England go down.
Just over one year ago Bisping, who is the biggest fighting star to come out of England since Lee Murray, battled it out in to a decision with fellow Ultimate Fighter 3 contestant Matt Hamill. Judges scored it in a split decision in favour of Bisping, while many fans, including myself, believed that Hamill won the fight. While it is the past and there is no sense crying over it, the thought still sticks in the fans mind when Bisping returns to fight in England.
It's understood that the UFC is trying to expand and trying to get bigger world wide. They recently opened up an office in the UK as their fan base has already grown so strong. What needs to be watched is how they go about expanding, and making sure that their squeaky clean image isn't tarnished trying to advance forward.
On the UFC 89 card there are six UK born fighters on it, out of the 10 total fights in order to help sell the home grown material. A great strategy by the UFC but if these fighters lose, they have to realize it's not the end of the world. The UFC has become big enough now that they can sell the fights no matter who is in them, as nice as it is, it's not totally essential to have every UK born fighter fighting in their home country.
Michael Bisping has won his last two fights by TKO and he better keep that trend going, because another split decision in his home country could have many more people crying wolf.
