Penick's Take
UFC FIGHT NIGHT 72 PREVIEW: Penick's main card quick thoughts and fight picks for "Bisping vs. Leites" event
Jul 17, 2015 - 7:40:47 PM UFC FIGHT NIGHT 72 PREVIEW: Penick's main card quick thoughts and fight picks for "Bisping vs. Leites" event

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The UFC brings another Saturday morning card to Fox Sports 1 this weekend, as Michael Bisping vs. Thales Leites headlines UFC Fight Night 72 live from Glasgow, Scotland. The card itself is far from the strongest in 2015, and after three UFC events in less than a week already, it's an easy event to overlook. Still, the main card features a few intriguing matchups, and could be the final opportunity for Bisping to give himself hope of a future title fight.

Here's what's coming up on the main card tomorrow afternoon:

Michael Bisping vs. Thales Leites (Middleweight): Leites has had a remarkable career resurgence since returning to the UFC, and in taking on Bisping in the UK, he has a chance to take another big step up in the field. Despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, Bisping still believes he's going to compete for the UFC Middleweight Championship one day, but time's really ticking on that being a legitimate path.

Bisping's problem in this matchup is that Leites is dangerous wherever the fight goes. There was a time when Leites was extremely one dimensional, but those days are long gone. He's added a very effective and powerful striking game to his arsenal, allowing him to compete on the feet and still dominate on the ground when he gets it there.

What that means for this matchup is that Bisping can't be too comfortable on the feet. He'd rather keep it there, trying to utilize his still effective boxing, but seeing as how he's been cracked a few times over the last couple of years, Leites is likely to have his openings. Though Bisping historically is very good with defending takedowns, if he gets rocked and brought down - as he was against Luke Rockhold - he's going to be in serious trouble. Bisping may yet prove doubters wrong, but I have a hard time seeing this end with his hand getting raised. Leites by submission in the second round.


Ross Pearson vs. Evan Dunham (Lightweight): Dunham kept his career in the UFC alive with a decision over Rodrigo Damm in his last outing, but I think he's in for a lot of trouble in this fight. He's always been a tough, capable competitor, but he's faded in the last few years. Pearson's not been what one might call elite, but he still has ridiculous KO power to go along with underrated takedown defense. He's not going to be held down and submitted by Dunham, so it comes down to whether or not Dunham survives three rounds. He might, but I'm going with the finish for Pearson not too far from home. Pearson by TKO in the second round.


Joseph Duffy vs. Ivan Jorge (Lightweight): Jorge is a pretty stiff test for Duffy, who made a big impression in his UFC debut. Jorge is quite adept in his submission game, but hasn't been able to score a finish in the UFC. However, at 25-4, he's experienced and hard to put away. Duffy may be something special, and his flashy, exciting striking game certainly suggests that, but he's going to have to continue proving as much as his UFC run continues. It's not impossible for him to do just that in this fight, but I'd expect Jorge's chin to hold up, and for him to make it at least seem like a closer fight than some perhaps expect. Duffy by decision.


Joanne Calderwood vs. Cortney Casey-Sanchez (Women's Strawweight): JoJo's loss to Maryna Moroz caught everyone by surprise, and she needs to bounce back big in front of her home country fans. Unfortunately, she's facing a short notice opponent who has a propensity for finishing fights. It's hard to know what we have in Calderwood. She was good, but not spectacular, during her time with Invicta, and in addition to her TUF loss to Rose Namajunas, she's now been submitted twice. Casey-Sanchez isn't necessarily a top level competitor, but she's getting an opportunity to prove that she is, and if she can do what Moroz did then Calderwood may simply be making names for other fighters. I think the talent is there for Calderwood to win this fight, but it's hard to have confidence in her given recent memory. Calderwood by decision.


Leon Edwards vs. Pawel Pawlak (Welterweight): Pawlak got a workmanlike win over Sheldon Westcott in April, but his inactivity over the last couple of years leaves a question mark on his overall game. He's only lost once, by decision in his 2014 UFC debut, but again, he's fought just once since then. Edwards has some serious power, and is a finisher more often than not, but despite his eight second win in April, it's not going to be easy to put Pawlak away. This one is likely to be competitive, but if Pawlak can make it ugly, he can make it close. This one could go either way. Edwards by TKO in the third round.


Stevie Ray vs. Leonardo Mafra (Lightweight): Scotland's Ray looked great in his April debut in the Octagon, and hopes to follow that up with a big performance in front of a home crowd. He's got a fairly well-rounded skill set, and at 25 is improving fight to fight. Mafra has ten stoppage wins to his credit, but he hasn't shown that much in the UFC thus far. If Ray gets a bit too excited and overzealous, he absolutely can get caught here, but I think his upside is higher of the two, and he's got the skills to finish this one off wherever it goes. Ray by submission in the second.