MANILA, Philippines –The Ultimate Fighting Championship® returns to the Cotai Arena in Macao on August 23 with a middleweight showdown pitting two of the division’s elite against one another as No. 8-ranked Michael “The Count” Bisping takes on former Strikeforce champion, Cung Le. With contrasting styles and 26 finishes between them, this bout has the potential to be a classic.
Vietnamese born Le (9-2) in his professional mixed martial arts career, fighting out of San Jose, California), makes his return to the Octagon® after a two-year hiatus that saw him serve as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter China, the organization’s long running reality series, as well as further his action movie career. In his return to the Cotai arena, the scene of his highlight reel knockout of Rich Franklin, Le will look to build on his reputation as one of the most exciting fighters in combat sports history when he meets Manchester, England’s Bisping (24-6, fighting out of Orange County, California) in the Octagon.
The Briton is consistently on the verge of title contention and a win over Le would mark his first victory over a former champion, ensuring his name stays in contention with the division’s best.
In the co-main event, the hard-hitting No. 4-ranked welterweight, Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley (13-3-0) - who boasts wins over top names such as former UFC champion Carlos Condit, Josh Koscheck, Paul Daley and Tarec Saffiedine -faces off with the surging No.9 ranked Dong Hyun Kim (19-2-1, 1 no contest, fighting out of Busan, South Korea).
The 170lbs clash has major UFC world title implications. “Stun Gun” has a ton of momentum after crushing victories over John Hathaway and a knockout of the night performance against Erick Silva, while Woodley is potentially one huge win away from a shot at UFC gold. Both fighters will be looking to cement their place amongst the division’s elite in this three-round bout.
Also on the stacked card, Yang Jianping (7-3-1) and Ning Guangyou (4-2-1) will also take to the Octagon® to decide who will be become the featherweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter® China and win the coveted UFC contract.
UFC Filipino fans can get to catch this momentous fight. Tickets are priced approximately at PHP 26,400 (HK$4,680), PHP 14,500 (HK$2,580), PHP 9,500 (HK$1,680), PHP 5,000 (HK$880), PHP 3,300 (HK$580), PHP 2,200 (HK$380) and PHP 1,600 (HK$280), with a 20% off Early Bird promotion through July 8th. Around PHP 495 (HK$88) adds a round trip Cotai Water Jet ferry ticket between Hong Kong and Macao (HK$280 tickets excluded).
Tickets are available for purchase at www.cotaticketing.com. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Cotai Ticketing at +852 6333 6660. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.