MICHAEL ‘THE COUNT’ BISPING v CHRIS ‘THE CRIPPLER’ LEBEN

THE EAGERLY AWAITED MIDDLEWEIGHT SHOWDOWN

Plus more exciting match-ups to be announced

LIVE FROM THE NATIONAL INDOOR ARENA, BIRMINGHAM, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2008

Tickets On Sale Next Week!

London, England - The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization will storm into the British Midlands for the first time when UFC 89: BISPING v LEBEN touches down at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, on October 18.

In a middleweight showdown, which has set mixed martial arts fans ablaze with anticipation, England’s own Michael ‘the Count’ Bisping will finally collide with Chris ‘the Crippler’ Leben. Two of the most explosively exciting strikers in the 185lbs division, Bisping and American Leben were originally set to face off in London at UFC 85 in June but, now, are set to do battle in Britain’s Second City.

“This is one of the most exciting fights we could have made in the middleweight division,” said UFC President Dana White. “Bisping has looked a monster since dropping down to 185lbs, and he’s dominated Charles McCarthy and Jason Day inside a round already this year. And Leben is coming into UFC 89 with a ton of momentum, too, having just knocked out Terry Martin and Alessio Sakara; two of the biggest wins of his career.”

White added, “That these two guys were willing to fight each other in London with six weeks’ notice shows you the kind of warriors they are. But now we will see this fight probably as it should have always happened, with both guys getting plenty of notice and coming in 100% ready for each other.”

Tickets for UFC 89: BISPING v LEBEN are priced £40, £50, £75, £125 and £225 and will be available from 10AM on July 2 to UFC Fight Club members, from 10AM July 4 to UFC Newsletter members and then they go on sale to general public at 10AM on July 6 at http://ticketfactory.co.uk, call 0871945 6000

UFC UK Division President Marshall Zelaznik said “We’ve wanted to come to Birmingham for a long time, and we’re delighted to finally be bringing the world’s most exciting sport to Britain’s Second City. In the coming weeks we will be announcing a stacked UFC card for the National Indoor Arena and I know the Midlands are very excited to be able to see Bisping v Leben live.”

The winner of season 3 of the Ultimate Fighter, Michael ‘the Count’ Bisping, 17-1 in MMA, has fought his way to super-stardom in his native England. An attack-minded striker with lightning fast fists, feet and knees, Bisping has been in devastating form since moving down to the middleweight division. The Clitheroe, Lancashire native will be stepping into the Octagon™ for the third time in less than six months when he faces Leben.

Bisping said: “I cannot wait for this fight. Chris Leben is an extremely dangerous fighter, and he will keep coming until you nail him to the floor. Fans were talking about this as a great match-up long before Chris’ name was even mentioned to me as a potential opponent, and I think this fight will more than live up to the anticipation.

“I believe I am now showing what I can really do in the UFC - dominate opponents and get them out of there inside one round. Leben will be swinging every second of the fight, I know, but I don’t plan on anything different happening in this fight.”

Born in Portland, Oregon, and fighting out of Hawaii, Chris ‘the Crippler’ Leben is a human highlight reel of a fighter. Possessing chilling one-punch power, a cast-iron jaw and fiery fighting spirit, Leben has an 18-4 MMA record, including victories over Mike Swick, Patrick Cote,
Jorge Rivera, Terry Martin. Most recently, Leben blasted Alessio Sakara to a Knockout of the Night defeat at UFC 82: Pride of a Champion on March 1, 2008.

Leben said: “I think me and Bisping fighting is the fight everybody wants to see. I really do think this is going to be a Fight of The Year candidate. Michael Bisping is never an easy fight, never an easy win, and he never has been. And it’s the same with me. This is definitely one fight you’re gonna want to watch. It’s a challenge for both of us to see who is going to rise to that elite level.”

And ‘the Crippler’ – added: “I’m super excited about fighting in England. I don’t mind being the bad guy at all, so I’ll go over there, represent the United States, and get some boos.”

Further fights for UFC 89 will be announced shortly. For further information on the UFC visit www.ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or www.ufcespanol.com.

About The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship® brand is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the UFC® organization produces approximately twelve to fourteen live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed through cable and satellite providers. In addition to its U.S. distribution, UFC fight programs are distributed throughout the world including broadcast on MAIN EVENT in Australia, Globosat in Brazil and Setanta Sports in the United Kingdom. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit www.ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or www.ufcespanol.com.

Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa™, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.