UFC 89
Encyclopedia
UFC 89: Bisping vs. Leben was a mixed martial arts
event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC) on October 18, 2008 at the National Indoor Arena
in Birmingham
, England
. The event was headlined by a middleweight bout between Michael Bisping
and Chris Leben
. This event aired live in Great Britain and Ireland on Setanta Sports
and via tape delay in the United States and Canada on Spike TV
. It also aired live via Rogers Sportsnet
in Canada. The broadcast peaked with 3.4 million viewers on Spike TV.
was scheduled to face fellow undefeated light heavyweight Thiago Silva, but a back injury forced Silva to withdraw from the fight. The fight was rescheduled for UFC 94
.
After the event, Chris Leben tested positive for Stanozolol
, a banned substance. He was suspended for a period of 9 months and fined one third of his purse. Leben admitted he had used the substance several months prior to the fight, but stated he had assumed it would have been out of his system by then.
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
(UFC) on October 18, 2008 at the National Indoor Arena
National Indoor Arena
The National Indoor Arena is a large indoor arena and is owned by the NEC Group. It is situated in central Birmingham, England and was opened in 1991, as the largest indoor arena at the time in the UK...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The event was headlined by a middleweight bout between Michael Bisping
Michael Bisping
Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping is an English mixed martial artist born in Cyprus but living in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, former Cage Rage light...
and Chris Leben
Chris Leben
Christian Cyrus Leben is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights as a middleweight....
. This event aired live in Great Britain and Ireland on Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
and via tape delay in the United States and Canada on Spike TV
Spike TV
Spike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
. It also aired live via Rogers Sportsnet
Rogers Sportsnet
Sportsnet was launched on October 9, 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. The name was chosen to match the regional "Fox Sports Net" operations across the United States...
in Canada. The broadcast peaked with 3.4 million viewers on Spike TV.
Overview
Lyoto MachidaLyoto Machida
Lyoto Carvalho Machida is a Japanese-Brazilian mixed martial artist from Belém, Brazil who fights as a light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
was scheduled to face fellow undefeated light heavyweight Thiago Silva, but a back injury forced Silva to withdraw from the fight. The fight was rescheduled for UFC 94
UFC 94
UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn 2 was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 31, 2009. The card featured five televised MMA bouts, as well as five un-aired preliminary bouts...
.
After the event, Chris Leben tested positive for Stanozolol
Stanozolol
Stanozolol, commonly sold under the name Winstrol , Tenabol and Winstrol Depot , was developed by Winthrop Laboratories in 1962...
, a banned substance. He was suspended for a period of 9 months and fined one third of his purse. Leben admitted he had used the substance several months prior to the fight, but stated he had assumed it would have been out of his system by then.
Preliminary card
- Lightweight bout:
Samy Schiavo vs. 
Per EklundPer Eklund (fighter)Per Eklund is a Swedish lightweight mixed martial artist. He was the first Swedish fighter to compete in Ultimate Fighting Championship, and holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu....
- Eklund defeated Schiavo via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:47 of round 3.
- Lightweight bout: David Baron vs.
Jim MillerJim Miller (fighter)James Andrew Miller is an American mixed martial artist. He has held the Cage Fury Fighting Championships Lightweight Championship and Reality Fighting Featherweight Championship. He currently fights for the UFC's lightweight division. He is the younger brother of fellow MMA fighter Dan Miller...
- Lightweight bout:
- Miller defeated Baron by submission (rear naked chokeRear naked chokeThe Rear naked choke is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. Depending on the context, the term may refer to one of two variations of the technique, either arm can be used to apply the choke in both cases...
) at 3:19 of round 3.- Lightweight bout: Jess LiaudinJess LiaudinJess Liaudin is a French mixed martial artist who currently fights out of London, England. Jess trained in martial arts from eight years old; in karate initially and then moving on to kickboxing....
vs. David BielkhedenDavid BielkhedenDavid Bielkheden is a Swedish mixed martial artist and has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.- Mixed martial arts career :...
- Lightweight bout:
- Bielkheden defeated Liaudin via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 29–28).
- Lightweight bout:
Terry EtimTerry EtimTerence Lee "Terry" Etim is an English mixed martial artist and Thai boxer who trains with Team Kaobon and RFT. He is trained by Colin Heron and Marcelo Brigadeiro...
vs.
Sam StoutSam StoutSamuel James "Hands of Stone" Stout is a Canadian mixed martial artist from London, Ontario. Currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, he is primarily known as a striker with an iron chin.- Mixed martial arts career :...
- Lightweight bout:
- Etim defeated Stout via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 29–28).
- Welterweight bout: Dan HardyDan HardyDan Hardy is an English professional mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2004, Hardy fought in various promotions such as Cage Force and Cage Warriors before signing a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2008. He was...
vs.
Akihiro GonoAkihiro Gonois a Japanese mixed martial artist who currently fights as a welterweight. He is best known for his clever and deceptive fighting style, and for his flashy ring entrances. His fighting style is characterized by skillfully avoiding strikes, using fast counter punches and generally getting the...
- Welterweight bout:
- Hardy defeated Gono via split decision (29–28, 29–28, 28–29).
- Heavyweight bout: Shane CarwinShane CarwinShane Bannister Carwin is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , where he was previously the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
vs. Neil Wain
- Heavyweight bout:
- Carwin defeated Wain by TKO (punches) 1.31 of round 1. This preliminary bout was aired on the Setanta Sports PPV broadcast.
Main card
- Welterweight bout: Paul Kelly vs. Marcus DavisMarcus DavisMarcus Paul Davis , is an Irish-American mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a welterweight. He was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 2 on Spike TV. He holds notable wins over Chris Lytle, Paul Taylor, Jonathan Goulet, and Shonie Carter.-Boxing career:Marcus began boxing at 14...
- Davis defeated Kelly by submission (guillotine chokeGuillotine chokeThe guillotine choke is a chokehold in martial arts and wrestling applied from in front of the opponent. The choke involves using the arms to encircle the opponent's neck in a fashion similar to a guillotine. The technique is either a type of tracheal compression restraint that prevents air flow...
) 2:16 of round 2.- Welterweight bout: Paul TaylorPaul Taylor (fighter)Paul Simon Taylor is an English mixed martial artist from Walsall. He stands 6'0" and weighs . He has fought regularly for Ultimate Fighting Championship. He holds notable wins over Jess Liaudin and Gabe Ruediger....
vs. Chris LytleChris LytleChris Scott Lytle is a retired American mixed martial artist, boxer and a veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Lytle was prominently featured as a welterweight on The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback. In Chris's MMA and boxing career he was never knocked out or submitted, though he did...
- Welterweight bout:
- Lytle defeated Taylor via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 29–28).
- Light Heavyweight bout:
Rameau Thierry SokoudjouRameau Thierry SokoudjouRameau Thierry Sokoudjou Nkamhoua , sometimes billed simply as Sokoudjou, is a Cameroonian mixed martial artist and judoka, and the former KSW Light Heavyweight Champion, who came to prominence in Japan's PRIDE Fighting Championships. He has since had mixed success with stints in the UFC, WEC,...
vs.
Luiz Arthur CaneLuiz CaneLuiz Arthuro Cané Jr. is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. Born and raised in the Jardim Bonfiglioli neighborhood, located in the district of Butantan, west side of the city of São Paulo, Luiz Cane alternated working hours in the , with their parents, with hours of training in Jiu-Jitsu Academy...
- Light Heavyweight bout:
- Cane defeated Sokoudjou by TKO (punches) 4:15 of round 2.
- Light Heavyweight bout: Keith JardineKeith JardineKeith Hector Jardine is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division and is best known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
vs. Brandon VeraBrandon VeraBrandon Michael Vera is an American mixed martial artist. He competes as a light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the winner of the WEC 13 Heavyweight Tournament and currently resides in San Diego, California. He holds notable victories over Frank Mir, Assuerio Silva,...
- Light Heavyweight bout:
- Jardine defeated Vera via split decision (29–28, 29–28, 28–29).
- Middleweight bout:
Michael BispingMichael BispingMichael Gavin Joseph Bisping is an English mixed martial artist born in Cyprus but living in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, former Cage Rage light...
vs. Chris LebenChris LebenChristian Cyrus Leben is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights as a middleweight....
- Middleweight bout:
- Bisping defeated Leben via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 29–28).
Bonus awards
All fighters were awarded an extra $40,000.- Fight of the Night: Chris Lytle vs. Paul Taylor
- Knockout of the Night: Luiz Cane
- Submission of the Night: Jim Miller