Yahoo Sports UFC Fight Night 72 Results: Michael Bisping Wins Split Decision Over Thales Leites
Michael Bisping defeated Thales Leites by split decision in the main event at UFC Fight Night 72 in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday.
The two middleweights contested in a close fight, but it was Bisping who won two of the three scorecards with marks of 47-48, 49-46 and 48-47.
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Bisping landed a number of combinations in the first round, utilizing punches that led into head kicks. Leites tried a takedown, but ended up on his back with Bisping on top. Eventually, he worked his way to Bisping’s back before the end of the opening round.
Leites landed some leg kicks to slow down his opponent, but Bisping continued to have the edge in striking through the second round. Bisping attempted a spinning back kick and Leites responded with a flying knee near the end of the second.
Early in the third, Leites caught Bisping against the cage, rocking him with strikes, but the two tied up before Leites could follow through. The same thing happened later in the round when Leites landed a strong uppercut and tied up with his opponent against the fence.
The leg kicks continued to land for Leites in the fourth round. Bisping visibly slowed down, but his opponent’s pace wasn’t much faster as the two fought deeper into the final round.
Leites turned up the offense in Round 5, coming out aggressive from the corner. Although he was looking for the knockout punch for a majority of the final frame, Leites couldn’t find the mark and Bisping did well to counter and avoid danger.
With the win on Saturday, Bisping starts a winning streak with two consecutive victories in the Octagon.
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