Munoz gains biggest win; Leben hits another setback

By Alex Mattis

 You may or may not (probably not) have known the UFC had a free night of fights on Spike tonight. What looked to be a “Huh?” of a card turned out to be very entertaining and elevated a new player in the middleweight division.

The UFC’s first ever, five-round non-title main event pitted Chris Leben against Mark Munoz. These two put on the war that was anticipated. Munoz superior wrestling was on display from the very start as was the trademark toughness of Chris Leben. Expectedly, this bout turned into a pier-six-brawl with both men swinging wildly on occasion. Though Leben landed some solid shots, and had the crowd in his favor, he was never truly in control.

The relentless ground-and-pound of Munoz opened a gnarly cut over the left eye of Leben in the 2^nd round. The cut caused serious swelling and blood flow. Leben hung tough for the remainder of the round. However, Leben’s cornermen stopped the bout before a 3^rd round could be reached. They made the right call.

For Mark Munoz, this is a serious step up. His move to middleweight set a new career path for him and this win puts him at a career high. For Leben, this is familiar territory; coming in on a wave of momentum and getting put back down. The wind is right for Munoz to clash with the top of the division and for Leben to, once again, assess his game.

Tonight, Mark Munoz proved he is ready to hang with the top of the pack.

For full event coverage of UFC 138, click here!