Does Chris Leben have a chance against Michael Bisping?

Kelly-No. This fight will not go to the ground because neither man is proficient on his back or comfortable there. Leben used to be a buzzsaw of punches, but seems to have developed a little maturity in his game and taken things a little slower. His striking is still very good, but he’s facing a man who seems to show new skills with every fight. Leben couldn’t get out of Anderson Silva’s clinch or avoid his knees and he’s fighting a guy who threw 18 million of them against Charles McCarthy. Bisping’s last two fights (Jason Day & Charles McCarthy) weren’t on the same striking level as Leben, but his questionable win against Matt Hammill showed he can stand in there and bang as well as take a punch. Add to that this fight is going down in Bisping’s back yard and I don’t see The Crippler having much of a chance.

Mark- See, you glossed over the most important factor in this fight. It’s in Bisping’s back yard. I hate to sound jaded, but that Hamill left a bad taste in the mouths of many when it comes to Bisping. I think Leben will have to KO Bisping to have any chance here. That being said, I think he is capable of it. I agree that the fight won’t go to the ground but I’m not nearly as confident as you are in Bisping’s stand-up game. Leben couldn’t escape the clinch of Anderson Silva, who happens to be the best pound-for-pound fighter n the world. Bisping is no Anderson Silva and hey, maybe he’s tired after throwing 18 million knees. That can wear anyone out. I covered Leben’s last fight and he looked better than I remembered so I would be inclined to say he had a chance if this fight was in the U.S. It’s not, but I still give Leben a chance here. The Hamill thing was so awful that I think we’ll never see anything like that again because it would be dancing dangerously close to the line of dubious decisions we’ve seen in other promotions (and in the UFC, but not on the same level).

Is the Jardine-Vera fight a must win situation for both?