UFC FN 48: Bisping x Cung Le opens double round Saturday with card in China

The atmosphere became heated in the face between M. Bisping (left) and C. Le (right). Photo: Reproduction/YouTube

With an eye on the largest consumer market on the planet, China, the UFC arrives this Saturday (23) for the third time in its history in the nation of more than 1,3 billion inhabitants and again with its main poster boy in Asian markets, Cung le, in front of the card. At UFC Fight Night 48, which takes place in the Chinese special administrative region of Macau, Le faces the British Michael Bisping in the main fight of the night.

For Cung le, the duel in Macau is his return to the octagon after almost two years away. Le's last time in the UFC was precisely in the first edition of UFC China, in November 2012, when he beat Rich Franklin by knockout. During the week, the Vietnamese player was involved in a major controversy, after raising suspicions about his physical shape by publishing a photo of himself after training on social media.

Yes, Michael Bisping sees the duel as a chance for his recovery. The Englishman, TUF 3 champion and who was very close to challenging for the middleweight title, has alternated wins and losses in his last six fights and is coming off a defeat to Tim Kennedy, by unanimous decision from the judges, on April 16th.

This Saturday morning (Brazilian time), UFC FN 48 opens the double round of Ultimate, which ends at night with the 49th edition of the “Fight Night” series in Tulsa (USA). In addition to the duel between Bisping and Le, the fight night features a challenge between top 10 of the welterweight category Dong Hyun Kim, currently in tenth position, and Tyron woodley, which occupies fourth place.

Brazil has only one representative at the event

With 20 athletes scheduled in ten fights on the schedule, UFC Fight Night 48 only has one Brazilian representative: Alberto Mina. Based in the East, the athlete from the “Epic MMA” academy faces Japanese newcomer Shinsho Anzai on the main card, whose career has almost entirely been made up of the Pancrase event and who also goes by the nickname “Animal”.

With a five-month delay, TUF China will meet its champion

An injury shortly before the TUF China Finale took place in March this year meant that the reality show's featherweight decision between Guangyou Ning and Jianping Yang was postponed until the next event in the country. Now, more than five months later, the pair will finally face each other and decide who will join Zhang Lipeng, winner of the show in the welterweight division, and become the second champion of the The Ultimate Fighter: China.