Chris Leben prepares for his historic 5-round bonfire night battle with Mark Munoz in Birmingham on Saturday, returning to the city where he lost to British fighter Michael Bisping at UFC 89. Leben even had time for a sideswipe at the TUF coach, who faces off against Jason Miller in Las Vegas on Dec 5.
"Yeah, I remember Birmingham. I fought Bisping, he must prepare for his fights by running five miles backwards," Leben told The Telegraph. Leben was comprehensively outpointed on the night. Leben also said all he could find to eat in the hotel was "a salad". The American was not in too jovial a mood in the workouts in Birmingham. Good sign. Both Leben and Munoz love to battle, and it should be thrilling as long as it lasts.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS LEBEN
CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK's BUMPER ESPN UFC PODCAST WITH GUESTS GALORE ON UFC 138. JUST OUT…
HEAVYWEIGHT CLASH SET FOR MAINSTREAM ON FOX BETWEEN VELASQUEZ AND DOS SANTOS
With the world heavyweight championship fight set to air live on FOX a week on Saturday – Nov. 12 – from Honda Center in Anaheim, a major step change for the UFC on network television in the United States, Dana White, UFC President, said yesterday: “This is going to be a different format than we’ve ever done before. Obviously this is a show featuring one fight so we’re doing a lot of things differently. We are going to be rehearsing for this from Thursday."
“This is a throw-back to the old days of boxing; we are putting a big fight – a huge fight – on free TV to expose this thing to a new audience. Our goal has always been to bring big fights back to network television; we are thinking long-term for the future of this sport. It is an investment in the future of the UFC. Fans that have never seen the UFC before will see this show and that’s why we decided to put Cain and Junior in this position."
“I know for a fact this is going to be an awesome fight. I know it is going to be great. That’s why it was these two in this position. I have no worries at all this is going to be a great fight.
“There’s going to be a lot of backstage features, we are going to be talking to both guys backstage before they fight which isn’t something we’ve done for a very long time.”
The two protagonists are also primed. Cain Velasquez, the UFC heavyweight champion, who has not fought for a year, said:
“There’s always butterflies when you have a fight. It is natural to feel nervous, it means you are ready. But I’m not more nervous because I’ve been out (hurt) for more than a year. I know from my training camp I’m 100 percent and ready to go. I was 100 percent in July."
“I’m excited and it is a great honor to have this fight chosen by the UFC to be the first one on FOX. But I am not focused on the event, the hype or the (expected large TV audience), like any other fight I am focused on my opponent and not much else. Dos Santos is a great opponent. He’s very dangerous.”
Junior dos Santos, No. 1 ranked UFC heavyweight contender, added: “It was such a long wait for my title shot, but I am not sorry. This, right now, is the greatest opportunity I could have had, fighting for the world heavyweight title live on FOX for the very first time."
“I’m very happy in my life right now. I’m in such a good place mentally and physically. I’m proof that if you work hard, treat people right and don’t doubt yourself, you can achieve your dreams. I genuinely believe that Cain is the greatest heavyweight in the world and it is an honor to fight him."
“Yes, I come from humble beginnings, but I have been very lucky in my life. I don’t think this fight will go five rounds. I have trained for five rounds but I don’t expect this to do the distance.”
UFC 138 events this week:
Thursday Nov 3
Evening (5pm), Evans and Pearson will attend Hunt@UFC at Birmingham Bull Ring Shopping Centre, followed by Tesco DVD signing with the pair at Town Gate Retail Park, Birmingham Road.
Friday Nov 4
There is a Fight Club Signing at 1pm with Arianny Celeste, and Pearson, a Fight Club Q&A with Rashad (TBC) at 2pm, with the UFC 138 official weigh-in – at Community Hall, National Indoor Arena, King Edwards Road, B1 2AA – with fighters on the scales at 4pm. Doors open at 3pm. At 5pm, there is a Fight Club after party with Pearson.
From 6pm to 8pm, a signing session at HMV with Rashad Evans.
Saturday Nov 5
10am: JD Sports Signing with Rashad and Ross (Arianny to join from 12noon – 1pm)
1:30pm: Hunt @ UFC (Dana White TBC) with Pearson at Birmingham Bull Ring shopping centre
2pm: THQ Press Conference for UFC game at LG Arena
UFC 138 Leben vs Munoz, LG Arena, National Exhibition Centre, B40 1NT:
5:30pm: First Bout
11pm: UFC 138 Concludes
11.15pm: Post-fight press conference.
Main card
Middleweight bout: United States Chris Leben vs.United States Mark Muñoz
Bantamweight bout: England Brad Pickett vs. Brazil Renan Barão
Welterweight bout: Brazil Thiago Alves vs. Sweden Papy Abedi
Lightweight bout: England Terry Etim vs. United States Eddie Faaloloto
Light Heavyweight bout: France Cyrille Diabaté vs. Australia Anthony Perosh
Preliminary card (Facebook)
Welterweight bout: England John Maguire vs. United States Justin Edwards
Featherweight bout: Japan Michihiro Omigawa vs. England Jason Young
Heavyweight bout: England Rob Broughton vs. England Philip De Fries
Welterweight bout: United States Chris Cope vs. England Che Mills
Bantamweight bout: United States Chris Cariaso vs. England Vaughan Lee
UFC 138 is live on ESPN UK on Saturday night.
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