UFC China brings a chance of redemption for Bisping and the debut of a Brazilian

Bisping (right) wants redemption against Gastelum (left) (Photo: Reproduction Twitter ufc_asia)

Exactly three weeks after losing the middleweight belt to Georges St Pierre in the biggest fight of his career, Michael Bisping returns to the octagon in search of redemption. Close to retiring, the Englishman faces Kelvin Gastelum in the main fight of UFC China, this Saturday (25). The “Count” chose to replace Anderson Silva, withdrawn from the duel after failing to take a doping test for the second time, to put the tough defeat to GSP behind him, who eliminated him with a rear-naked choke in the third round of the historic UFC 217.

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In addition to the big duel between middleweights, UFC China, which marks the debut of Ultimate within the country (the other events were in Macau, an island), will also feature the debut of Brazilian Sheymon Moraes. Former WSOF bantamweight title challenger, the fighter will make his first fight in the organization against Zabit Magomedsharipov, a Russian athlete who made a great impression in his first fight.

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Also on the fight program is the UFC's biggest Chinese fighter at the moment: Jingliang Li faces Zak Ottow in search of becoming, in fact, the face of Ultimate in China, a country with more than a billion inhabitants and a market that is still little explored by the company.

Recovery on the agenda

M. Bisping seeks to recover from defeat to GSP (Photo: Reproduction Facebook ufc)

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Since winning the belt with an unexpected victory over Luke Rockhold, Michael Bisping defended him once, against Dan Henderson, but avoided some of the main challenges, such as Yoel romero e Ronaldo Jacare, until the fight against the star Georges St Pierre materialized – and with it, the chance at a big paycheck. Despite getting the duel he wanted and earning a lot of money, Bisping ended up defeated by the Canadian. Contrary to what happened during his reign, he decided to accept a fight right away, three weeks after the setback to GSP.

Bisping will face a young man hungry for titles and glory. Kelvin Gastelum faced two former champions in a row, winning Vitor belfort by knockout and being finished by Chris Weidman. Facing another former belt holder, KG can finally put himself close to a title shot, even if he insists that his natural category is welterweight (up to 77 kg).

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For Bisping, the duel with Gastelum is the chance to redeem himself for his performance against St. Pierre. The Englishman admits that he no longer thinks about the title, and should retire after the UFC London. Beating Gastelum is a matter of honor, not just reaching the title again.

New star for UFC

Li (right) seeks stardom against Ottow (left) (Photo: Reproduction Twitter ufc_asia)

Ultimate has not hidden the difficulty of entering the promising Chinese market. After events in Macau, an island annexed to China, the organization debuts in a major city in the country in Shanghai and is looking for a face for its foray into the new market. And he can be Jingliang Li. The 29-year-old welterweight has a record of 13 wins and four losses, but he's doing well in Ultimate so far: there are five wins and two setbacks and he faces Zak Ottow on a three-fight win streak.

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If “The Leech” puts in a dominant performance, the UFC may have found its top name to help it in the tough task of exploring its brand in the vast country. Jingliang Li, with his heavy hands and three knockouts in five UFC victories, wants to maintain a positive average to explode in his country and become an idol.

Quarry at debut

Sheymon (right) catches the quarry Magomedsharipov (left) (Photo: Reproduction Youtube ufc)

After touring North American events and shining on the national scene, Sheymon Moraes will finally have his big chance in the UFC. But the Brazilian will not have an easy time on his debut. He faces the tough Russian Zabit Magomedsharipov, who shone in his debut, showing a striking style similar to that of the former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, in addition to a very fair jiu-jitsu game – he submitted his opponent with a rear naked choke.

For the Brazilian, who has excellent striking and a great ground game, the victory will come with an increase in level, as Magomedsharipov is already well liked by fans and experts. In fact, Sheymon is the biggest underdog of the night, which shows confidence in the Russian. If he surprises, Moraes can already expect another quarry ahead. However, he shouldn't complain, as, at 27 years old, the Brazilian has no time to waste.