On Nov. 5, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will present UFC 138, live from the LG Arena in Birmingham, England. The card is the headlined by a middleweight showdown between Chris Leben and Mark Munoz. Leben is one of the most seasoned veterans in the Octagon, while Munoz has seen his stock in the promotion gradually rise over the past 18-months. When the two men meet in the first non-title five-round main event in UFC history, which fighter will emerge as a legitimate contender in the middleweight division?
Leben has been down this road before. This is the third time he has appeared to be a top challenger for the middleweight title, but has suffered devastating losses each of the first two times. He won his first five fights in the Octagon before he played a part in the legacy of Anderson Silva. After the Silva loss, Leben went 1-2 before winning two straight fights.
At UFC 89, the first event held in Birmingham, Leben was overpowered by Michael Bisping and tested positive for steroids. After returning from suspension, he lost to Jake Rosholt, before going on a three-fight win streak. After his submission victory over Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116, in what was one of the best fights of 2010, he was one fight away from possibly earning another crack at Silva.
Brian Stann was put in front of him, and Leben couldn't make it out of the first round. He would then return the favor to Wanderlei Silva, knocking out the legend in 0:27.
For Munoz and his 6-2 UFC record, including three straight wins, nobody has seen their stock rise in the promotion more this year (outside of Donald Cerrone). Most recently, Munoz earned a unanimous decision victory over Demian Maia and a first round knockout over C.B. Dollaway. Ever since making his debut in the UFC, Munoz has learned from each defeat. When it comes to mixed martial arts, how you bounce back from a loss tells a lot about the fighters heart and character, and for Munoz, he has shown a great deal.
This fight could end up as a five-round slugfest, or a first round knockout, with either man able to claim the victory. In the end, it is the fans that will win out, as this fight will be great show on Spike TV. The winner will be another step closer to gold, while the loser will move back to the end of the line.
For a look at the best fights for some of the most popular fighters in UFC history, go here .
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