Bisping vs. Belcher Official for UFC 159 Co-Main Event | UFC News

A middleweight clash between two veteran fighters is scheduled for the co-main event of UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen. Michael ‘ The Count’ Bisping (23-5) will take on Alan ‘The Talent’ Belcher (18-7) in a fight that both fighters are looking to capitalize on as they are both coming off of losses.

UFC 159 takes place April 27th at the Prudential Center in Newark New Jersey. The main event for the card will be a light-heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and opposing coach on The Ultimate Fighter, Chael Sonnen.

Bisping is coming off of a TKO loss to Vitor Belfort on January 19th on the UFC on FX 7 card from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Bisping was promised, with a win, a shot at Anderson Silva for the middleweight belt but is now plunged back into the deep waters of the 185-pound title picture.

For Belcher, a December loss to Yushin Okami at UFC 155 acted as a brick wall to Belcher’s title hunt as he was quickly emerging as a top contender in the division. With a win over Bisping, Belcher has a chance to break into the top-5 rankings while also starting a making way for a potential winning streak, as Okami broke the four fight streak he previously rode.

Earlier this week, the UFC confirmed three more bouts for the April card in the form of three promising bouts. A lightweight tilt between Jim Miller and Pat Healy showcases Strikeforce crossover Healy taking on hard-headed UFC veteran, Jim Miller; Phil Davis meets Vinny Magalhaes in a light-heavyweight bout; and Roy Nelson takes on Cheick Kongo.

These three fights, along with the co-main event featured in this article will likely serve as the main card for UFC 159.

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