UFC President Dana White, talking to the assembled media at UFC 173, broke some interesting news regarding the promotion’s upcoming event in China, that UFC Fight Night 48 (also known as UFC: Macau 3) will be headlined by a middleweight tilt between perennial contender Michael Bisping and former Strikeforce champion Cung Le. It’s an interesting, exciting bout between two seasoned strikers looking to cement their spots in the division.
Bisping has long been one of the highest-profile fighters in the UFC’s middleweight division, but has never gotten his chance at a title shot. He has come close on several occasions, but dropped top-contender bouts to Chael Sonnen at UFC on Fox 2 and, more recently, to Vitor Belfort at UFC on FX 7. He is coming off an ugly loss to Tim Kennedy, who handily outwrestled him at The Ultimate Fighter: Nations Finale but remains a huge draw and popular fighter for the UFC.
Cung Le, meanwhile, is making his long-awaited return to the Octagon after what will almost be a two-year hiatus. The Sanshou practitioner headlined the UFC’s first foray to Macau in 2012, where he knocked out Rich Franklin with one massive right hook, but hasn’t fought since.
While he hasn’t been fighting, he recently appeared as the boss of The Ultimate Fighter: China, a season dedicated to developing talent in the huge nation. That increased his standing with the UFC and further built his fanbase in East Asia.
UFC Fight Night 48 is slated for August 23 and will go down in Macau, China. Le vs. Bisping will be a five-round main event, and will share billing with a welterweight bout between Dong Hyun Kim and Hector Lombard. Another UFC event will go down later that day in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Stick with Bleacher Report for more details on the card as they become available.
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