UFC 89 should be a cool showing for Mixed Martial Arts Fans. The much unliked former TUF contestant Chris “The Crippler” Leben will be taking on the UK fighting favorite Michael Bisping. While many fans do not like Chris Leben due to his trouble making antics on The Ultimate Fighter reality TV show, I happen to appreciate his brawling style. While his style often does not match up with the text book MMA stand up, Leben pushes forward with an iron jaw and some powerful punches, making for some very exciting exchanges in the octagon. As admitted by Michael Bisping during an interview with ESPN, Leben is a tough opponent and does have the technical abilities needed to bring him to his current level in the world of MMA.
One thing I really appreciate about Chris Leben as a fighter is his amazing counter punch reflexes. Keep an eye on him during heavy stand up exchanges. Often when fighters get hit square in the face, they back off, evade and look for another angle. Not Leben, when Leben gets hit square in the face, it seems to almost automatically trigger a lightning fast counter punch impulse that has paid huge dividends in Lebens fight game. The only down fall to that is of course he tends to be taking punishment at the times when he is dishing it out, which can be dangerous. That is where his iron jaw comes into play. Few fighters have been able to penetrate Lebens beard.
I don’t mean to count out “The Count” Michael Bisping in this article. We all know he is a top level fighter that has proven his worthiness to fight in the UFC. Bisping has been training at the Wolfslair with a new member, Rampage Jackson. Anyone who trains with Rampage in my opinion has got to be a tough guy, and is probably learning quite a bit about MMA. I fully expect to see a new and improved Bisping at UFC 89.
To pump you up on this fight, here is the fight trailer, enjoy!
