Bisping: The Main Event in Macao Will be the “Demise of Cung Le”
This Saturday (August 23, 2014) Michael “The Count” Bisping will face off against Cung Le in the main event of a UFC Fight Night Card in Macao, China, airing live on UFC Fight Pass. Bisping currently sits at No. 8 in the middleweight division, while Cung Le is currently unranked. The two men will cap off a four-fight main card with a five round battle.
This fight is a very interesting one for both men. Cung Le has not fought since November of 2012 when he viciously knocked out former middleweight champion Rich “Ace” Franklin in the very first round of a UFC Fight Night card, ironically also in Macao.
This means Le has been out of the cage for 18 months. On top of this, Le is 42 years old, with his best days undoubtedly behind him. However, this is still a big match-up for him in what could be his last fight ever. He could be looking to end his storied career on a high note with another highlight reel knockout in Macao, just a few hundred miles away from his home of Vietnam.
For “The Count”, this is just as big a fight. After returning from an eye injury earlier this year, Bisping suffered a very one-sided loss to No. 6-ranked Tim Kennedy at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Nations Finale on April 16, 2014. That gave him his third loss in his last five fights.
Bisping is considered not only of the most popular, but one of the most talented fighters to never receive a title shot. The outspoken Brit is without question looking to mount one more title run, but he has hit 35 years old and may have also surpassed his prime. A lost to Le would do great harm to Bisping’s goal. It would not only end his hopes of moving up the middleweight ladder, but another loss may signal the end of his entertaining career.
However, although he has a tough fight ahead of him Bisping seemed very confident in himself when speaking to Bloodyelbow.com:
“This will be the rise of Michael Bisping and the demise of Cung Le. The demise, downfall and the destruction is over. This is the rise of the man that is going to beat him.”
Although age and ring rust may be huge factors playing against Cung Le, Bisping cannot look past him. Le is still one of the very best kickboxers in MMA and has devastating knockout power. If his cardio is on point, Le possesses a tough test for Bisping.
On the other hand, it is most definitely a winnable fight for the Brit despite his back being up against the wall. Will Le be able to secure one more win, or will Bisping be able to get back to on the winning track?
