UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Le

In the first of this weekend’s double-header of Ultimate Fighting Championship action, the Octagon returns to Macau, China, for a third time.

UFC Fight Night 48 will emanate live from The Venetian Macau’s CotaiArena, with combat beginning at 6:30 a.m. ET. / 6:30 p.m. local time.

The headline bout of the evening pits veteran British middleweight Michael “The Count” Bisping against former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le.

Meanwhile, top 10 welterweights Tyrone Woodley and Dong Hyun Kim will square-off in the co-main event bout.

Betting Sports brings you a rundown of these two bouts now.

No. 8 Bisping vs. Le

Lately, Michael Bisping (25-6-0, 14-6-0 UFC) has made a name for himself as much by running his mouth as by his action inside the cage.

The 35-year-old goes into battle Saturday on the back of a decision loss to Tim Kennedy back in April, a bout that was as tiresome for The Count as it was for anybody that watched the humdrum affair. That loss marked a third in five fights for Bisping.

If the Brit wishes to climb the ladder and once again reach a level where a shot at the middleweight title would be realistic, he’ll need to pick up a decisive win in his first trip to the Far East. Winning against Le is a distinct possibility. Bisping’s losses – Rashard Evans, Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva, Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Kennedy – have always come against much stiffer competition.

For Cung Le (9-2-0, 2-1 UFC), Saturday’s bout could play out like a last hurrah.

The 42-year-old hasn’t stepped into the Octagon since November 2012, the first time the UFC visited Macau. He’s coached on The Ultimate Fighter: China since then, but hasn’t actively participated.

Le, who spent most of his MMA career in Strikeforce, will look for a third straight victory, albeit during a two year stretch. Pictures that emerged this week suggested that a) his training has gone well, or b) that something’s awry. Bisping wasn’t above a certain speculation.

So, will Bisping return to winning ways or will Le shock the world?

Odds: Bisping (-335) is a comfortable favorite over Le (+255), but with three losses in his last five, bettors shouldn’t be surprised if The Count loses this one.

No. 4 Woodley vs. No. 10 Kim

In a battle of top 10 welterweights, Tyrone Woodley (13-3-0, 3-2-0 UFC) will go head-to-head with the “Stun Gun”, Dong Hyun Kim (19-2-1, 1NC, 10-2-0 UFC).

Woodley is coming off a disappointing loss to Rory MacDonald, a loss that leaves the 32-year-old looking up at the Canadian in the standings. “The Chosen One” has in fact had a disappointing start to his UFC career, winning just three of five. He needs a win to earn a title eliminator bout at least.

Across the cage, Kim enters the bout on the back of a four-fight winning streak, a streak that coincides with a four-fight stretch outside of the United States. Kim has picked up wins in Brazil, Japan and two in Macau, including a knockout victory over John Hathaway in his last fight (Mar. 1).

Kim has also earned post-fight bonuses in his last two, and will be looking to bring the crowd to its feet in Macau.

Can the “Stun Gun” earn his third victory at The Venetian or will Woodley, fighting outside of North America for the first time, spoil the party?

Odds: Woodley (-190) is the favorite over Kim (+155), but the latter is very familiar with The Venetian which could give him an edge in this one.

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Below you’ll find the fight card in its entirety, complete with odds for each bout.

UFC Fight Night 48 will be broadcast in its entirety on UFC Fight Pass, with proceedings commending at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Bet on UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Le

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Following Saturday morning’s event in Macau, the UFC will return on Saturday evening with UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos.

Betting Sports will bring you a preview of the event shortly.