The three stars of 'UFC Fight Night 72: Bisping vs. Leites' in Glasgow

The UFC plans to stage 45 events in 2015, and during that time, hundreds of fighters will enter and exit the octagon.

While pre-fight hype is an enjoyable aspect of the sport, it’s ultimately the in-cage performances that speak most to fans. For the majority of fighters, the opportunity to present their skills to the world only comes along a few times per year.

A total of 24 fighters got the chance on Saturday as part of UFC Fight Night 72 at SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. Now that the event is in the books, it’s time to commence MMAjunkie’s “Three Stars” ceremony.

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Michael Bisping

Third Star: Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping (27-7 MMA, 17-7 UFC) earned back-to-back UFC victories for the first time since 2011 when he outpointed Thales Leites (25-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) for a split decision.

Bisping received a hero’s welcome at the organization’s debut event in Scotland – it was his first bout in the U.K. in nearly five years. He thrived in that setting when he got the better of Leites on two of the three judges’ scorecards.

“The Count” delivered a classic performance and with the win moved into a tie with Yushin Okami for the second most victories in UFC middleweight history behind Anderson Silva. He also etched his name in other categories in the UFC record books, which made the win all the more significant.

Joanne Calderwood and Cortney Casey

Second Star: Joanna Calderwood

Joanne Calderwood (10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) proved she could overcome adversity in a fight when survived an early flurry of strikes from UFC newcomer Cortney Casey (4-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and rallied for a unanimous decision victory.

Calderwood admitted prior to the fight that she had a poor training camp and was only competing because the event took place in her hometown of Glasgow. That was worrisome news after a UFC newcomer trounced her in her last bout for a major upset loss.

For a brief moment it looked as if history was going to repeat itself against Casey. “JoJo” refused to fold to the early damage, though, and used a mixed offensive attack to rack up points over her opponent.

Calderwood was in the discussion earlier this year for a shot at UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Her recent fights have slowed that momentum, but if she can get her head straight and add up wins, she has the potential to be a title contender.

Joseph Duffy

?First Star: Joseph Duffy

Ireland is producing strong UFC-level talent at an astonishing rate, and lightweight Joseph Duffy (14-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) might be one of the best among the crop.

Duffy earned his 13th stoppage out of 14 wins when he scored a triangle choke submission over durable Brazilian Ivan Jorge (26-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) in his second octagon appearance.

The win showed all facets of Duffy’s talent. He landed precise and damaging strikes on the feet, and when the action spilled to the ground he locked up the fight-ending submission in slick and effortless fashion.

Duffy had the attention of the MMA community prior to his entrance into the UFC because of his November 2010 victory over interim UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor. “Irish Joe” is the last person to defeat McGregor and will continue to use that feat to boost his own popularity.

The 27-year-old has all the attributes to rise to the elite level of the loaded 155-pound division. He’ll be tested against tougher competition are his career goes on and time will only tell if he can surpass McGregor as Ireland’s most successful talent.

For more on UFC Fight Night 72, check out the UFC Events section of the site.