Dana White promised a big announcement tonight, aside from SpikeTV airing UFC 84: Ill Will to try and steal thunder from EliteXC's Saturday Night Fights. The big announcement is that UFC 89: Bisping vs. Leben (Oct. 18th) will air free on SpikeTV, probably on tape delay. Here are the details for the event: <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Location: Birmingham, England Venue: The National Indoor Arena Broadcast: Spike TV (tape delay) MAIN CARD * Michael Bisping vs. Chris Leben * Lyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva * Keith Jardine vs. Brandon Vera * Luiz Cane vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou * Akihiro Gono vs. Dan Hardy PRELIMINARY CARD * Shane Carwin vs. Neil Wain * Marcus Davis vs. Paul Kelly * Terry Etim vs. Sam Stout * Chris Lytle vs. Paul Taylor * David Bielkheden vs. Jess Liaudin * Per Eklund vs. Sammy Schiavo</div>
Lol, the announcment wasn`t very huge. Nice to have a free fight though. I`ll probably want to see some of the undercard matches. Like Lytle vs. Paul Taylor Carwin vs. Neil Wain (Carwin`s first fight was explosive) Marcus Davis and Stout have had good fights before. Sokoudjou was pretty impressive in his first UFC fight. Jardine doesn`t get me excited, but if he beats Vera. It`ll make me laugh, beats Liddell and Forrest, and he isn`t really a contender. Bisping vs. Leben feels like a gimmie for Bisping so I don`t know why but I`m not looking forward to it, I guess if I see Brits going crazy for Bisping then I might get a little more into it. I`ll probably want to see Machida vs. Silva the most, that fight both guys need to win to help push them forward.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ Jul 26 2008, 08:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Sokoudjou was pretty impressive in his first UFC fight.</div> He lost his first UFC fight though.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Chocolove @ Jul 27 2008, 04:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ Jul 26 2008, 08:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Sokoudjou was pretty impressive in his first UFC fight.</div> He lost his first UFC fight though. </div> lol, good point then. His second fight.
Should be an interesting night of fight's. Silva/Machida should be a fun fight to view, just because it will help to see which is the real deal in that division. It sucks no one else want's to step up and fight Machida. Bisping I think will KO Leben in that fight, probably in the second. Leben's tough and throw's some leather, but he just seem's way outmatched by Bisping to me. I like the Jardine/Vera fight, as long as Vera is swinging, which I think he will be. Jardine doesn't do to well against guy's that are agressive striker's like Alexander/Wanderlei Silva. So if Vera comes out swinging, looking for the KO like he used to, this could turn into a good fight. Jardine does well against counter striker's, like Chuck Liddell. So this should be an interesting fight between the two, as long as Vera is throwing.
The Vera/Jardine fight will show us if Vera looked lethargic because it was his first time dropping to 205, like Mike Swick's first fight at 170, or if dropping to 205 has caused him to lose some power in the process.
Better be free Leben sucks and is way over hyped by UFC just like Jorge Gurgel Would people actually pay to see Leben in the main event? I wouldn't I think the surprise is the fact it was for PPV. If that card was PPV it would not do so well so why not make it free and get money a television network
I like Leben. I don't think he's top 5 185'er but I enjoy his fights. Dude is just a character. I also don't see him being a main event fighter, but I think the UFC is banking on Bisping being that big of a draw in England. besides, Machida vs Thiago Silva and Jardine vs Vera make this a balanced main card rather than a top heavy one like Griffin vs Rampage was.
