UFC Fight Night Glasgow: Michael Bisping Defeats Thales Leites By Split Decision

Michael Bisping’s first fight in the United Kingdom since October of 2010 was a winning one Saturday, but the middleweight contender had to dig deep to eke out a five-round split decision win over Rio de Janeiro’s Thales Leites in their UFC Fight Night main event at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.

The No. 9-ranked Bisping, now 28-7, saw scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 47-48; the tenth-ranked Leites, who saw an eight-fight winning streak snapped, falls to 25-5.

The 36-year-old Bisping had a solid opening round, especially when he fired off combinations at Leites. The Brazilian didn’t panic as he stalked the Brit, and even when Bisping set the pace on the mat late in the first, Leites took his time, eventually getting his opponents back just before the end of the frame.

Leites, 33, had success with his strikes in spurts, but Bisping kept outworking him with volume in the stand-up game. The heavier shots were definitely being landed by the former world title challenger, yet a flush kick to the body by “The Count” may have been the hardest strike landed up until that point in the fight.