185 lbs: Michael Bisping vs. Denis Kang
Odds: (+115 Bisping / -145 Kang)
The semi main event of the card features Ultimate Fighter winner Michael “The Count” Bisping entering the Octagon to face heralded PRIDE veteran Denis Kang. All the momentum Bisping had gained by dropping to 185 pounds went out the window when he was completely destroyed by Dan Henderson, while Kang has thus far failed to live up to the considerable hype in his UFC appearances, so both men have a lot to fight for in this one.
Denis Kang, a very well-rounded fighter who made quite a name for himself with a string of impressive wins on PRIDE’s Bushido shows, has all the tools necessary to be one of the top Middleweights in the world. A technical striker with knockout power and a skilled grappler, Kang has the ability to finish fights in a huge variety of ways. Since his loss to Kazuo Misaki in his last Bushido appearance, though, Kang has had a lot of trouble translating his skill set into wins. He enters this fight having won only 3 of his last 6, with all three wins coming against unimpressive opponents and all three losses being finishes at the hands of good opponents
Michael Bisping is, to say the least, a good opponent. A talented kickboxer with very good wrestling and a solid submission attack, Bisping is equally, if not more, well-rounded than Kang is. While, over their careers, Kang has more impressive wins than Bisping does, Bisping’s recent results are more than a match for Kang’s. The one area where Bisping trails Kang is in submission offense. That said, though, Bisping’s takedown game and top control are worlds better than Kang’s, which should allow him to neutralize Kang’s advantage on the ground.
Call me crazy, but this seems like a bit of a mismatch to me. Kang is certainly a good fighter with a lot of hype behind him, but I think that even his strengths play right into Bisping’s. Bisping is probably the more patient and technical striker, and certainly the better wrestler. I think he will do some damage standing, but ultimately he will take this one down and pound Kang out, probably midway through the third.
Fight Prediction: Bisping via ground & pound in round 3
