Chris Leben (16-4) will take on Terry Martin (16-2) at UFC Fight Night 11 in a hard-hitting middleweight showdown on September 19, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
So much for all the talk about Leben ducking tough opponents -- Martin is very dangerous.
Here's a snip from Martin:
"Leben will sit there and bang with me, so this is perfect for me. He's a big name, and it's going to be on Spike, so it will be free and more viewers will see it.''
The last time Leben went up against a talented striker -- Anderson Silva -- he endured a beating that didn't even last one minute. Now, Martin doesn't have the technical skill of "The Spider" but he does have dynamite in his fists.
Point: Leben is going to stand in there and throwdown with Martin. And Martin is going to oblige. It should be a slugfest. Or, the way these two guys fight, a slug.
Martin is riding a two-fight UFC T(KO) win streak, which combined is less than three minutes of work. He most recently dispatched of veteran Ivan Salaverry at UFC 71 by smashing him to the canvas on his head and finishing the fight with unanswered strikes.
Leben has made headlines this week for allegedly declining to rematch Mike Swick during the same Spike television special, which would have been the main event of the evening. Swick later agreed to make his welterweight debut against Canadian Jonathan Goulet.
"The Crippler" will look to rebound from back-to-back losses, the most recent of which was a unanimous decision defeat to Kalib Starnes at UFC 71. He has dropped three of his last four fights inside the Octagon.
There's no clash of styles when it comes to this fight. We pretty much know what each fighter plans to do. Get ready for some fireworks.
For the developing UFC Fight Night 11 Fight Card, which takes place at the The Palms Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, click here.
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