Long regarded as one of England’s premier mixed martial artists, Michael Bisping will also likely be remembered in time as one of the great ‘nearly men’ of his time. A tenacious striker who employs a relentless pace and smothering style, Bisping has never contended for a title in the UFC despite competing against the best of the division for almost a decade.
Starting out primarily as a kickboxer, Bisping quickly adapted to the multiple challenges associated with the sport, and as a result is now comfortable wherever the fight may go. Bisping’s best weapon however might be his ability to get inside the head of his opponent thanks to his legendary pre-fight trash talk. Able to generate blinding emotion from almost all of his previous adversaries, Bisping has been relatively, and surprisingly quiet in the buildup to his latest test. Perhaps the Brit is planning to let his actions speak for themselves this time?
A first degree black belt in the effective art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Thales Leites has surprised many with his latest UFC run, relying on his vastly improved striking to secure his five consecutive victories inside the Octagon. Undefeated since 2010 and on a 8-fight winning streak, the Nova União representative might be one of the biggest dark horses at 185-pounds, but a win here would almost surely hurl him back into contention.
While striking has been the key to Leites’ recent success his real strength lies in his elite submission skills. Of his 25 professional wins, 14 have come by the way of tapout with 8 thanks to his arm triangle choke. Should he succeed in driving the fight to the mat, it’s almost guaranteed that Leites will look to this deadly technique first.
Prediction: While a well-rounded fighter in his own right, Michael Bisping’s days as an elite middleweight are rapidly drawing to a close. While still possessing an ability to push a relentless pace and punish his foes on the feet, the Brit however has demonstrated all the signs of a crumbling chin, and has been rocked at least once in all his fights since a brutal knockout loss to Vitor Belfort back in 2013. Add to this his obvious disadvantage on the ground and the result is a particularly poor matchup for the veteran. Expect Thales Leites to overcome a typically game Bisping inside 3 rounds thanks to either an arm triangle or rear naked choke.
UFC Fight Night 72 Main Card Predictions - Picks in bold:
Lightweight - Steven Ray vs. Leonardo Mafra
Welterweight - Leon Edwards vs. Pawel Pawlak
Women's Strawweight - Joanne Calderwood vs. Cortney Casey-Sanchez
Lightweight - Joseph Duffy vs. Ivan Jorge
Lightweight - Ross Pearson vs. Evan Dunham
Middleweight - Michael Bisping vs. Thales Leites
UFC Fight Picks 2015 Record: 53-30
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