UFC Fight Night 83 Rumors: Gegard Mousasi Set to Face Thales Leites
The upcoming UFC Fight Night card in O2 Arena in London features a very interesting main event with British fighter Michael Bisping taking on the recently activated Anderson Silva. Everyone knows about the suspension handed to the Brazilian Silva after failing two drug tests; and now he is slated to bring his popularity and fiery form inside the Octagon.
But before the UFC announced the main event, it was originally planned that Bisping is to face Gegard Mousasi in this very same card. However, the promotion changed its mind just last week and eventually decided to pit the Brit with Silva.
At first, Dana White couldn't make any official statement as to whether or not Mousasi will go on and fight in the card. The problem is he initially didn't have any opponents yet as the Feb. 27 fight date nears. The Ultimate Fighting Championship had to find a worthy middleweight replacement fighter to step in and face Mousasi.
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The good news is that it seems like White finally found someone in order to preserve Mousasi's presence in the card. His new opponent: Thales Leites.
Although there is still no official announcement, multiple reports are saying that the Mousasi-Leites fight will serve as the new co-main event in February. Both fighters have reportedly verbally agreed to the offer and Mousasi is more than happy to accept it rather than waste away the early training he endured in anticipation of the originally planned Bisping outing. The Dutch fighter is carrying a mixed martial arts record of 37-6-2, but was soundly defeated via knockout by Uriah Hall in his last outing. The 30-year-old Mousasi, on the other hand, is a formidable fighter, boasting victories against UFC's biggest names like Dan Henderson, Hector Lombard, and Ronaldo Souza.
Leites, meanwhile, sports a 25-5 record and was supposed to be on an eight-fight winning streak before getting defeated by Bisping in a close fight last July. Also, it is interesting to learn that the 34-year-old also lost to Silva in 2009.
