Michael Bisping vs. Mark Munoz Expected to Headline UFC Event in Manchester

The UFC is returning to Manchester for the first time in four years, and it looks like home-country favorite Michael Bisping will headline the fight card in a middleweight bout with Mark Munoz.

Bisping vs. Munoz is expected to headline a UFC on Fox Sports 1 event on Oct. 26 in Manchester, England. MMAWeekly.com sources confirmed the original report by MMAJunkie.com.

The UFC last made the trip to Manchester for UFC 105, which featured Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera in the night’s main event.

This time around, Bisping will be counted on to draw the crowd to Manchester Arena, when he and Munoz square off in a five-round, non-title fight at top end of the fight card.

Bisping (24-5) most recently fought at UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen. He defeated Alan Belcher by a unanimous technical decision after the fight was stopped following an injury to Belcher’s eye. The injury was a result of an incidental poke to the eye by Bisping.

Bisping has been on the cusp of a title shot for the past couple of years, but has twice been derailed; once by Chael Sonnen and then by Vitor Belfort.

Munoz (13-3) is fresh off of a dominating performance over Tim Boetsch at UFC 162: Silva vs. Weidman on July 6 in Las Vegas. He had been out of action for a year prior to that bout, battling injuries, depression, and extreme weight gain, but if anything, he seemed to gain strength from overcoming adversity.

Munoz had also been a step away from a shot at the UFC middleweight championship, but was stopped last summer by Chris Weidman, who recently upset Anderson Silva to win the belt.

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