Leben Out, Day In For Bisping at UFC 85

Middleweight Jason Day (17-5 MMA, 1-0), who defeated Alan Belcher as a late replacement last month at UFC 83, will now replace Chris Leben and fight Michael Bisping (15-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) at London's UFC 85.

The UFC today revealed the June 7 bout, which will remain on the televised main card of the pay-per-view event.

Leben was recently sentenced to 35 days in jail due to a probation violating stemming from a 2005 DUI arrest. He would have been released just two weeks before the event.

Leben had hoped to transfer his probation in 2007 after moving from Oregon to Hawaii for a teaching position at T. Jay Thompson's ICON Fitness facility. However, the request was denied, and a bench warrant was issued when Leben went ahead with the move. Leben, who voluntarily turned himself into Clackamas County Sheriff's Department early last week, was optimistic that he'd be released during his hearing on Thursday and granted his visa, but he was instead sentenced to further jail time.

In his place steps Day, who replaced an injured Patrick Cote and scored a first-round TKO upset of rising contender Alan Belcher on April 19. He'll go for his sixth straight victory when he meets Bisping, who most recently defeated Charles McCarthy via first-round TKO at UFC 83.

This fight could be a bad matchup for Bisping. Even though he's an unknown, Jason Day is a superb fighter and has defeated UFC vets Jonathan Goulet, and David Loiseau. This fight won't have the star power it would if it were Leben fighting but it shouldn't be any less exciting.