Chuck Liddell's Seven Defining Moments

What separates a champion from a contender, a star from an average Joe scraping out a few dollars here and there on the club fight circuit?

In a lot of ways it comes down to what a fighter does when faced with challenges that would make most crumble. And even though a fighter won’t always win in these situations, how he learns from adversity will shape who he eventually becomes.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell is one of the sport’s legitimate superstars; what were the seven defining moments of his career?

An article by UFC's Thomas Gerbasi

1) Kevin Randleman – May 4, 2001 – UFC 31
Result – Liddell KO 1
When Liddell entered his bout with former heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman in Atlantic City, he was seen as a solid contender, but also one who was expected to be a stepping stone for ‘The Monster’, who was making his UFC debut at light heavyweight. Liddell had other plans, and there was no denying the fight ending power or quiet charisma of Liddell, who would hence be known simply as ‘The Iceman’. And this time it wasn’t just a catchy nickname; it was a warning of what Liddell could do to you if he landed cleanly – you were iced.

2) The Randy Couture Trilogy
June 6, 2003 – UFC 43
Result – Couture TKO 3
Two years after truly arriving on the scene with his win over Randleman, Liddell finally got his long awaited-title shot against ageless Randy Couture. Couture was undoubtedly the real deal, but to many, the coronation of a new king from San Luis Obispo, California appeared to be a mere formality. Not so, as Couture grounded and pounded him out in round three. It was a costly lesson for ‘The Iceman’, who learned never to read your press clippings and enter a bout overconfident.

April 16, 2005 – UFC 52
Result – Liddell KO 1
It was fast – only 2:06 – but in winning the UFC light heavyweight title after close to seven years in the fight game, Liddell finally had the validation all fighters hope to one day get. Sure he says all the right things and insists that he would fight even without the belt on the line, but at the end of the day, every fighter wants to be a champion, and Liddell finally got to the top, and by knockout against a fighter who stopped him no less. That’s redemption.

February 4, 2006 – UFC 57
Result – Liddell KO 2
A bout overshadowed by the post-fight retirement by the legendary Couture, Liddell’s knockout win over ‘The Natural’ not only put a definitive stamp on the UFC’s first great trilogy (in the Iceman’s favor), but it became a true changing of the guard for the organization and Liddell, who became not only the biggest star in mixed martial arts, but also one that transcended the sport into the realm of mainstream acceptance. In other words, whether you’re a fan of MMA or not, when Chuck Liddell fights, you’ll find a way to check it out.

3) Bad Blood with Tito Ortiz
April 2, 2004 – UFC 47
Result – Liddell KO 2
If Chuck Liddell never wins another mixed martial arts match, he’ll always be remembered for this bout – a one-sided beatdown of his former buddy Ortiz - which was one of the sport’s most anticipated fights, even with the dilution of both fighters having lost to Couture. In the process, he showed an ability to not only handle his business inside the Octagon, but outside of it, as he became a much-requested interviewee among the media in the weeks leading up to the bout, and in the over three years since.

December 30, 2006 – UFC 66
Result – Liddell TKO3
Despite the one-sided nature of bout number one, by the time the rematch was signed, the entire MMA world was eager to see if Ortiz could reverse the result the second time around. He couldn’t, but in defeat Ortiz showed a ton of heart and he even made it to the third round. But Liddell’s ability to keep his rival on the end of his punches made it impossible for Ortiz to implement his gameplan. But given Liddell’s performance, no one expected that he would be winless since that fight.

4) Vernon White – August 21, 2004 – UFC 49
Result – Liddell KO 1
Beating someone you chased for a couple of years has to be a high most of us never could experience. Fighting off the inevitable letdown of such a win has to be even tougher. That was what Liddell faced in his first post-Ortiz fight against the always tough Vernon White, who helped motivate his foe with plenty of pre-fight trash talk. What resulted was four minutes and five seconds of war, with Liddell showing not only his punching power (which resulted in a KO victory), but a solid beard, which allowed him to take White’s bombs and continue firing. The only thing left was to get that title belt.

5) Jeremy Horn II – August 20, 2005 – UFC 54
Result – Liddell TKO 4
Most fighters will tell you that it’s harder to keep the title than to win it. Well, Liddell got no easy mark in his first 205-pound title defense when he faced the first man to beat him, Jeremy Horn. But despite their history and Horn’s pedigree, the fight wasn’t even close as Liddell slowly and methodically broke down Horn’s defenses and stuffed any semblance of offense from the over 100-fight veteran.

6) Rough Nights with “Rampage” Jackson
November 9, 2003 – PRIDE Final Conflict
Result – Jackson TKO 2
Sent to Japan’s PRIDE organization to compete in their Grand Prix tournament with the ultimate goal being a bout with Wanderlei Silva, Liddell instead ran into a brick wall with fellow American Quinton Jackson, who took some of Liddell’s best punches flush on the jaw and kept coming, eventually putting Liddell on his back in the second round and finishing him off. It was Liddell’s second loss in two fights, but he would go on to win seven in a row and become the most dominant 205-pounder in the game.

May 26, 2007 – UFC 71
Result – Jackson TKO 1
The rematch with Jackson may have been the most anticipated fight in recent history, and it came at a time when Liddell was bigger than ever, with an ESPN magazine cover and an appearance on HBO’s Entourage series. But a right to the jaw by Jackson in the first round stopped Liddell’s roll in emphatic fashion and moved him from champion to contender in just 1:53. It was a huge upset in the mind of the mainstream, but not to the hardcore, who now just assumed that the talented Jackson had Liddell’s number, just like Liddell had Ortiz’.

7) Keith Jardine – September 22, 2007 – UFC 76
Result – Jardine W3
Now this one was a shock to everybody, mainly because Jardine was coming off a first round TKO loss himself to Houston Alexander on the same night Liddell was stopped by Jackson. But from the opening bell, Liddell didn’t fight his usual counter striking fight. Instead, he walked right at Jardine, presumably in the hopes of scoring a spectacular early knockout. But Jardine hung tough, used his kicks to great effect, and pounded out the three round split decision. Was this loss an omen of things to come for Liddell, or does the Iceman need suitable motivation to get back in the win column and move back towards a title shot – something like a Wanderlei Silva fight? We’ll see on December 29th.

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Ortiz And Henderson Not Official; Tito To Wait Till 08

Despite having his expected rematch taken away from him, Tito Ortiz has not been booked in a match with Dan Henderson, contradictory to a TAGG Radio report from earlier this week. It appears the The Huntington Beach Bad Boy will wait until 2008 to fight again.

Contract troubles are the culprit again in preventing fans around the world from watching Ortiz lose (or tie) once more. The best fight for Ortiz would have been a rematch with Evans, which he would've had a legitimate shot of winning. When the contract couldn't get done, Ortiz was bumped to Henderson, a match which he would clearly lose.

When Ortiz finally fights again in 2008, one of two things can happen. It is possible that Ortiz would get stuck with Hendo, Wanderlei, or a myriad of other guys who would humiliate him. Or, he might get an opponent he can beat, but the fans will be so disinterested in his persona and generally boring fights that he'll be relegated to mid-card status. Either way, Ortiz is headed
towards the end of his lackluster and bizarre career.

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Round Robin Leaves Hamill In The Dust

With Michael Bisping booked against Tito Ortiz's expect opponent (Rashad Evans), and Ortiz being put up against Dan Henderson, Matt Hamill has been left out to dry, with no opponent and no rematch against the man whom he beat.

Apparently, Dana White and Joe Silva are making a conscious effort to let the past be the past and have since booked Bisping and Evans in a match up of TUF winners. The winner will most likely get the UFC "future stamp of approval," setting them up to be the unofficial #2 or #3 contender.

Rather than bother Ortiz with another fight against Evans, he'll face Dan Henderson, which will either resurrect his career...or end it. Similar to Liddell's potential bout with Silva, this is a chance for the two vets to put up or shut up. And for Hendo (and Silva) it's a chance to prove they belong in the world's premier fighting organization.

Meanwhile, the man who actually won a fight in the last three months (something Bisping, Evans, and Ortiz can't say) is stuck without a rematch or even an advancing fight. Personally, I think it has to do with the fact that a deaf fighter would be hard to market to an extremely auditory American audience, and if that's the case, White should be ashamed. It should be Hamill and not Evans who gets the next shot at Bisping. Rather, Hamill should be allowed to bypass them both and take on either Ortiz or Henderson to see if he can hang as the leader among the newest crop of LHW stars.

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Around The Horn

Match booking was the name of the game this weekend, as some blockbusters (and equally spectacular surprises) were made official.

FOXSports has the Nogueira-Kongo bout, first scheduled to take place at UFC 79, now happening in "early 2008," according to Dave Meltzer. This fantastic match (and potential #1 contender fight) should be one of the bigger wars we've seen in years. It features one of the true veterans of the sport against the HWs newest star. I know it seems as though the division has a new star every week (Gabriel who?), but Kongo is LEGIT.

Matt Hammil is "in shock" (read: furious) with the Evans-Bisping booking at UFC 78. I can't really understand it either, considering that Rashad Evans-Tito Ortiz and Michael Bisping-Matt Hammil were probably the two most unresolved bouts of the year, but Joe Silva knows what he's doing.

In my most disappointing moment of the weekend, the Kimbo-Tank fight, to be held at Cage Fury 6, has been canceled. I don't know quite what to make of this, considering Tank hasn't fought a meaningful bout in ten years and Kimbo is only a few years removed (okay, a few days) from fighting on the streets of Florida, but it is disappointing nonetheless.

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Rashad Evans to fight Michael Bisping at UFC 78!

It was just announced that Rashad Evans will NOT be fighting Tito Ortiz as many expected. However, he will be fighting Michael Bisping, who is coming off of a very controversial win, at UFC 78. Read here to see how this affects the card.

This was a huge surprise to all people (including myself), not to mention Rashad. It will be the first time that two Ultimate Fighter winners will fight each other. This boosts up the UFC 78 card a great amount.

Right as Sherdoggers started complaining about the lack of exciting fights on the UFC 78 card, Dana sets this fight. This is a GREAT move in my opinion, because while doing this, Dana sets up a Tito vs. Henderson fight.

BOOM. UFC 78 would then have two great headliners, plus a Karo fight. This isn't even mentioning the great under card fights that UFC 78 will contain. This is a wonderful decision by Dana.

Being a fan of "The Count", I have to give this one to Bisping. Due to Bisping having a lot to prove to everyone after his controversial "win" over Matt Hamill, he's going to train his ass off and come prepared. However, Rashad didn't win the Ultimate Fighter 2 championship for nothing. He used to train under Dan Severn, and now he's with Jackson's Submission Fighting. Do you think he has some good people to train with? (GSP, Jardine, MacDonald, etc...) Stay tuned to Irish Whip Fighting to see how this plays out. Post your predictions!

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Irish Whip Fighting Exclusive: Kendall Grove Interview

In his first post-Cote loss interview, Irish Whip Fighting got the opportunity to sit down with Kendall Grove. He talks about his loss to Cote, who he wants to fight next, and his critics. An Interview by Irish Whip Fighting.

Irish Whip Fighting: Prior to the Cote fight, you had been undefeated in the UFC. In your words, what happened there?
Kendall Grove: Umm…I got sloppy off of that clinch…I threw a knee with my eyes down and he caught me right behind the ear.

IWF: If given the opportunity, how would you change your plan in order to beat him?
KG: I would have changed nothing; I got caught off the clinch. Like I said, it’s a fight and anything can happen.

IWF: Was the Cote fight the toughest you’ve ever had?
KG: No, Ed Herman is the toughest fight I’ve ever had. It was my only fight that went the distance.

IWF: One of your training partners, Tito Ortiz, actually beat Cote a few years ago. Did he give you any pointers beforehand, and if so, what were they?
KG: He just told me how to train, how to get right for this fight. He told me that he hits hard and he’s strong, and I just went in there and I got caught.

IWF: We always hear that Tito works incredibly hard. How beneficial is it to train with someone like that?
KG: It’s very beneficial. If your partners train hard, you’re going to train hard. And he definitely makes me train harder.

IWF: You and Tito aren’t exactly fan-favorites among Sherdoggers. Do you have any comments on that?
KG: What is that?

IWF: It’s an online MMA forum.
KG: Oh…I really don’t care about what people think about me. They can say what they want to about me. People have been talking about me since I came into MMA, and they’re going to be talking about me until the day I die. So all I can say is, hate on haters!

IWF: How do you rank yourself among the 185s?
KG: Not too well right now. I would rank myself a small fish in a big pond.

IWF: Yeah, I mean you’re only 24 years old.
KG: Oh for sure, I’m just going to try to pay my dues and hopefully one day become a champion.

IWF: How do you feel you'd match up with current champ Anderson Silva?
KG: Right now, not too good. I just need a few more years to mature as a fighter.

IWF: Are there any matchups you're looking for? Possibly a rematch with Cote?
KG: Yeah after my next fight I wouldn’t mind getting a rematch with Cote after that.

IWF: You’ve obviously got a bright future ahead of you, being only 24. Looking into the future, are there any fighters that you would just love to fight?
KG: Umm…Jason MacDonald. Whoever will match up against me well.

IWF: Do you ever see yourself holding the Middleweight Championship?
KG: For sure, I see myself holding that belt in a couple of years.

IWF: How would you respond to the critics who say that you have a soft chin?
KG: Well Cote didn’t knock me out by hitting my chin, so I don’t know where that is coming from. Just hate on haters. Haters are known to be legally retarded sometimes, you know?

IWF: It looks like at UFC 78, one of your partners, Tito Ortiz, has his rematch against Rashad Evans. Can you comment on this fight? Or give us a prediction?
KG: Uh yeah man. I think it will be a better fight than the first one. Tito is pumped, he’s training his ass off. It should be a good fight. He doesn’t want it to be like last time.

IWF: Yeah we actually interviewed Tito after his first fight with Evans. He seemed pretty motivated.
KG: Yeah, he’s motivated for sure. I’m going up to Big Bear to train with him for a while before his fight. It should be a good fight.

IWF: Steroids have become a pressing issue in the UFC recently. Why are these guys cheating when they know they’ll probably get caught?
KG: I don’t know, I don’t use it, I don’t care. That’s my thing on that subject.

IWF: Alright, well I think that’s it for now. Thanks for taking the time for this. We appreciate it.
KG: For sure man.

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IRISH WHIP EXCLUSIVE: CHUCK LIDDELL INTERVIEW

After interviews with Dan Henderson and Tito Ortiz, there was only one thing left to do: call Chuck Liddell. The definitive fist of the UFC for the last five years, Chuck is rebounding off of a loss to Rampage Jackson (after three straight years of winning) and talks to us about his training, fighting Wanderlei Silva, Dana White, and his stint on Entourage. An Interview By Ben Zeidler

Ben Zeidler: Did you feel that you weren't aggressive enough against Rampage? Would you fight the fight any differently if you could go back?
Chuck Liddell: No, I was planning on frustrating him a little and making him come after me a little more, and he just happened to catch me before I got the chance to completely carry out that game plan.

BZ: Rampage seems to have your number. Do you think you can beat him?
CL: Yes I do, I definitely do!

BZ: Can we get a prediction for the Rampage-Henderson fight?
CL: I think Henderson is tough, really tough. it will be interesting to see how he will do against Rampage though.

BZ: Henderson's never been knocked out.
CL: Wait, has Hendo been knocked out before? How did Wanderlei win the first time they fought?

BZ: Decision.
CL: Oh, that's right.

BZ: As far as training, what type of things are you reevaluating? Are there any changes you're looking to make?
CL: Well I mean, John has been working on my defense a little bit more, for the most part, business as usual. I made a mistake and got caught; it's just part of the game. I have gotten away with that punch for a long time, this time I didn't.

BZ: Can you tell us a little bit about your workout regimen and diet?
CL: I just have a guy come in here and make my meals every day. He has them packaged up in my kitchen and ready to go and eat. As far as working out goes, I workout 4 to 5 days a week, 2 to 3 times a day.

BZ: How many more years do you plan on fighting?
CL: As long as my body let's me man, I feel great now. Feelin' real good so, I should be good for a while, at least I hope so.

BZ: If you get on the Randy Couture plan, you should be all right.
CL: I know, right? That's what I plan to do.

BZ: Would the thought of fighting for another organization ever cross your mind?
CL: Well I think the UFC is the place I'm going to be, but in the future you never really know, it's the biggest organization in the game and I think to be the best you gotta fight the best, and the best fighters are in UFC right now.

BZ: With all the PRIDE fighters flooding in, would you consider moving to another weight class to face new challengers? I know it's something you've said in the past that you would try.
CL: It's possible man, anything's possible for me right now.

BZ: Many of the critics out there are claiming that you have a hard time against good strikers, what do you have to say in response to those accusations?
CL: I don't really know what to say to that, I've never really seen myself as having too much problems with good strikers.

BZ: What are the biggest differences you noticed when fighting in PRIDE at Japan in comparison to fighting here in the UFC in the US?
CL: Big differences, definitely differences between the fans, it's the whole cultural thing, the way they acted and how quiet it is in the arena in Japan compared to here you know? But, I just like fighting man; I don't care where, man or how the fans are.

BZ: Dana White said that you needed 2 wins to earn a title shot, how do you feel about that?
CL: Uh, I don't think that's fair necessarily but, if that's what I gotta do…that's what I gotta do. I don't care, like I said I don't care I just want to fight man.

BZ: Many believe that Jardine is a major mismatch for you, what do you feel about Jardine as an opponent? Do you think his striking abilities are polished enough to face you?
CL: Well I hope so for him!

BZ: In your second fight against Tito Ortiz, what was going through your head when you saw that he was hurt and did it change the game plan you had for him?
CL: Not at all, I was expecting to hurt him sooner or later. I just jumped on him like I normally would, I just wanted him to quit, I wanted him to quit to it. I mean, he pretty much did, he wasn't defending himself anymore and he knows that.

BZ: Does your body undergo a sudden change, whether it is physical or mental, when you realize your opponent is in trouble?
CL: No, it happens so quickly. I wouldn't really know nor have any idea. People ask me a lot about me being in a bar and what's it feel like, "What does it feels like when you walk in a bar and know you can kick everyone's ass?" I mean, I don't know, I never thought about it, I don't know what it feels like to not be able to kick everyone's ass. I just hope I never have to do it.

BZ: What is the first thing you notice in your opponent before trying to finish them?
CL: That they're hurt! You can see it in their eyes and actions. You know a lot of times you see guys nod their head and smile like they're all right, trying to pretend and say that, "Hey I'm ok!" when they're really not. "I want you to give me some time and not jump on me for a while."

BZ: Not too long ago, you said in an interview that you don't choose your opponents. In your words, what happened with the fight against Wanderlei Silva?
CL: I have no idea, that's not my business. I agreed for it and I thought it was on for a minute and then it wasn't. You guys know about that more than about me.

BZ: It's been going around that you two might face each other at a UFC event in December, where Silva is set to make his debut. Can you confirm this?
CL: I haven't heard anything about that; I get questions like that all the time like: "Hey when's your next fight?" "Who's your next opponent?" (Laughs) I have no idea man, so if you know that, you know more than me.

BZ: What was it like doing an episode of Entourage?
CL: It was fun man, really fun. I asked to get on that show so…it's my favorite show. I love it.

BZ: How did you get the nickname "The Iceman?" Is there a good story behind that?
CL: John started calling me that after my third kickboxing fight and he said I don't get nervous before fights. He kept mentioning how he had tons of amateur fights and pro fights and would still get nervous before every fight. So, he just kinda started calling me that and it just stuck.

BZ: Are there any sponsors you'd like to thank?
CL: Oh yeah, uh, check out my website at www.iceman.tv and mmajacked.com

BZ: Anything you'd like to say to your fans?
CL: Yeah, I'll be out there fighting man, nothing's changed. I'll be out there swinging soon so, just keep watching!

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IRISH WHIP FIGHTING EXCLUSIVE: TITO ORTIZ INTERVIEW

The first true poster boy of the UFC and 5-time defender of the Light Heavyweight Championship, Tito Ortiz, recently sat down for a long chat with Irish Whip Fighting. He discussed everything from his fight with Rashad, the rematch, boxing with Dana White, Fedor in the UFC, and more. An Interview By Ben Zeidler

Ben Zeidler: What is the biggest difference in the fight game now as opposed to when you were starting out?
Tito Ortiz: Well I think it's a lot more well-rounded now. You used to just have jiu-jitsu guys, just really good wrestlers and strikers. After a while, you started having a lot of better guys like: Frank Shamrock, Chuck Liddell, Guy Mezger. You know the boxing and kick-boxing, wrestling and having it all together. I think that's what fighters are doing now and showing what can happen.

BZ: Was Rashad tougher than you had expected? Were you impressed at all by his wrestling abilities?
TO: No, not really. He's exactly what I trained for. Well, his strength was a little less, I thought he'd be stronger but, he wasn't. As far as his quickness, I knew that he'd be that fast but, I got a few wrestlers to train with, Aaron Simpsons from Arizona State actually had the same speed as Rashad and so I was able to defend pretty well.

BZ: Is it tough training for a fight you already won?
TO: I don't think of it like that. Rashad knows who won; it's just a little icing on the cake. He pretty much was just running away the whole time.

BZ: You're getting into the habit of having to beat guys more than once. First, Shamrock and hopefully, Rashad next.
TO: Yeah, it looks like these guys don't listen the first time.

BZ: Did the draw for the Rashad fight come as a complete surprise to you or did you kind of sense that happening after the fence grabbing point deduction?
TO: You know at the time I thought it was a draw and I thought it was the right decision, but after watching it afterwards 5 or 6 times I think I should have won the first round. I dominated completely, the second round we tied, third round tied, I got a takedown in the beginning and he got one in the last 10 seconds. I think I might have won 1 of the 3 rounds.

BZ: Do you plan to change your game plan in your next fight against Rashad Evans or will it relatively similar?
TO: It's going to come down to wrestling and work on my striking. I mean, not too much to change really, you know be a little bit more aggressive. I know he's going to come in being in great shape.

BZ: Which way do you expect to finish Rashad the second time around? I'm assuming you won't let it go to a decision...
TO: (Laughs) Definitely not a decision! No way is it going in the judges hands. I see me knocking him out or submitting him in the second or third, maybe even the first. I'll impose my will on him whenever I want. Yeah let's hope so, I plan to try a lot of submissions, you know? Wrestlers make a lot of mistakes and don't learn to defend these submissions too well.

BZ: You'll have to catch him first.
TO: (Laughs) I know, right? I won't let him run away this time.

BZ: Who are you looking forward to fighting after Rashad? Is it still Shogun?
TO: Um yeah, that'll be awesome. Shogun, Wanderlei, you know any of the top guys. There's a lot of tops guys that I haven't gotten a chance to fight yet and I think I'd do good against. I've fought Wanderlei before and it was a good match up and I think the fans would love it.

BZ: How about a third bout against Liddell or a second against Randy? Are there any rematches that you really want?
TO: Yeah definitely, any of those are possibilities. I would love them, whatever I have to do to get the world title, that's what's going to have to happen.

BZ: Did you get a chance to see Frank Shamrock's last fight against Baroni? Were you impressed at all with his performance?
TO: Oh of course, I paid the PPV dollars to see that, it was a damn good fight, really good fight. I thought it was hilarious when Frank made a point that he was going to make Baroni go to sleep, I thought "Oh the old Frank is back," Frank showed that he's still a champ at heart.

BZ: How do you think a rematch would go down if you fought Frank today?
TO: You know to be honest with you, I don't think he'd last the second or third round. I think he'd get crushed. I'm too big for him, he's lighter, that would be a good one.

BZ: Since we're on the Shamrock topic, everyone saw you and Ken embrace each other after the last fight. Is the bad blood between you two over now?
TO: I would say the bad blood is over. I'm just pretty much going on with my career.

BZ: Is it true that you bet against Rampage in his rematch with Liddell?
TO: Um yeah, I actually did it was just a little gamble; it wasn't to say I wanted Rampage to lose or anything like that. I will spend the same amount of money again, it was exciting just for the fight, and he dominated very well and very quick and shocked the world. I'm glad he did that, he deserves the world title.

BZ: How did you see Liddell winning prior to the fight?
TO: Before the fight, I thought Liddell would be able to strike and stay away like usual. But I've never seen Liddell back up like that before and that's when I thought it was going to be a quick fight for him.

BZ: We know that you and Rampage are good friends. If you were offered the opportunity, and the money were right, would you fight him?
TO: You know, if that was my job I think me and Rampage would have to talk about it. Personally, I wouldn't like to fight him but if we were on a collision course, I'd sit down with Rampage and we would figure it out.

BZ: What's your prediction for Rampage's next fight with Hendo?
TO: You know, I think Rampage will have the chance to knock him out. He's a lot bigger than Hendo. Hendo would definitely need to work the clinch position to win, like Wanderlei and Shogun did. As a trainer and a fighter, I'd say this is where he needs to expose him.

BZ: Henderson's never been knocked out.
TO: Hendo is a tough, tough guy. But, I still think Rampage will have the chance to knock him out.

BZ: How do you respond to the critics that say you've spent too much time fighting an old Ken Shamrock?
TO: Well before the fight started I heard everyone say that Shamrock was going to kick my butt but after I dominated him three times, then everyone had to talk smack. I mean, I don't really listen to those guys; I'm going to finish my career how I want. I stopped him quicker than anyone else has done in the past.

BZ: You recently bought a house in Big Bear from De La hoya, have you ever trained with him or would you plan on it in the future?
TO: No, I never trained with him...not sure about in the future. My main thing is MMA, so there's a big difference between that and boxing. I purchased it as an investment, thank God I did though. I had a sponsor that was supposed to help me out but, they pulled out at the last minute. Thank God my girl Jenna said, "Why don't you buy it? You deserve it." And so, I took that choice and did it and I'm thankful, it was a great purchase and investment.

BZ: Sometimes you need the girl to come along and put everything in perspective.
TO: Definitely. Yeah, I came from a broke family and I work so hard for my money but sometimes it's hard for me to spend...but why not invest in land?

BZ: Who do you see as the "next big thing" in the light heavyweight division? And where do you rank yourself among the 205's?
TO: You know, of course Shogun, Rampage, Hendo, Chuck, myself, Arona, Sokoudjou, a lot of good light heavyweights. I'm still here, people say I'm washed up, I'm 32 years old, well you know what, people have bad fights and I'm going to compete for another 3 or 4 years. I'm not going anywhere soon. (Laughs) And Rashad, I'm going to crush his face.

BZ: You're not exactly a fan favorite with the Sherdoggers. Any comments on that?
TO: I always have fans that say Tito is fighting someone small again, you know all these laptop warriors, they make me lose my mind, makes me laugh. They've never trained a day in their life and they're all pros all of a sudden.

BZ: Can you give us your pick for "Best Fight of the First Half of 2007"?
TO: Um, Rampage knocking out Liddell, that was the best one ever. That's something that just, I don't know, that's what fights are made of, you never know who's going to win. That one and I'd say the Matt Serra one that made me go wild.

BZ: Yep, the Matt Serra one just floored me.
TO: I know man, I couldn't believe it. That's why they fight the fights.

BZ: Is your relationship with Dana White damaged enough where it could potentially lead to you signing with another organization or are you too loyal to the fans of the UFC?
TO: I'm very loyal to the fans of UFC, to the Fertittas. That's why I took a step back and two steps forward and I've been going straight to Lorenzo. Me and Dana don't get along well in business and I'm not going to be bullied. He's constantly saying that I'm a horrible fighter, a loser, and I suck.

BZ: I'd go as far as saying that your UFC 40 fight against Shamrock was the number one turning point in the success of the UFC.
TO: You know, I've been doing this stuff for 10 years now, I've been putting my butt on the line for 10 years! I've been doing so damn much, I guarantee if you looked up which UFC fighter has made the most money, I guarantee it'll be me. Me and Liddell got over a million PPV buys, 1.3 million, those are astonishing numbers. They promote their greatest fighters and I'm a great fighter and Liddell's a great fighter.

BZ: How about the boxing match with Dana? What happened there?
TO: You know what, as of right now I'm really not thinking of that at all. I'd love for it to happen but I don't think it'll happen. He used it to become a superstar, to have that Dana White special and downplay me to make me look bad on television. He said sorry and goes on national radio and said how much of a moron me and Jenna are. I don't see how he is president of a multi million dollar company, that's why I'm working with Lorenzo now.

BZ: Who do you think is at fault for Fedor not yet being in the UFC? Dana or Fedor?
TO: Dana! Definitely Dana! Plain and simple. I know Fedor's management asked for a specific amount of money and Dana said something like, he's not popular enough in the States and Dana said no way and didn't show him any respect.

BZ: In your eyes, who is the greatest fighter of all time? Is it Fedor?
TO: Randy Couture, hands down.

BZ: I just got done watching UFC 68 and every time he throws that first punch, I can't believe it. It's incredible.
TO: You know, in UFC 68, he dominated. He threw punches with no fear and won that fight.

BZ: Having fought Griffin before, how do you think he will match-up against Shogun when they meet?
TO: I hope he beats Shogun, I think it would be awesome; I'd laugh my ass off. I really think he has the tools to do it you know; he has Couture in his corner. I'd love to see that. Shogun's weakness is wrestling and I think Griffin can expose that. We all know Shogun will be coming in with great strikes and jiu-jitsu.

BZ: Obviously, the steroid issue has been a hot topic as of late. Why are all these guys stupid enough to take steroids if they know they can get caught?
TO: Yeah, right? Well, I think, why would they even take the chance? I don't know, I ask myself that. I've heard a couple interviews, if Sherk says he didn't do it, I believe him. I know he's doing a lot of vitamins and I know that stuff may have something to do with it. I'm not 100% sure what those things test as positive.

BZ: What's next after fighting, are you just looking to place all your focus on your girlfriend Jenna and your clothing line Team Punishment?
TO: Yeah well, Team Punishment and Punishment Athletics and the fight team are two different things you know, www.punishment.com check it out. I started it just as a fan asking for Tito Ortiz T-shirt and my brother said, "Man, you punished that guy!" and I said, "What did you say?" and I was, "Hmm, wow." So, I put it on my website and now it's a multi-million dollar company and everything is my idea, my design. We started getting lots of clothing, T-shirts, jackets, sweaters, and beanies, pretty much everything.

BZ: How about those shirts you wear after events? I want the one that says "I killed Kenny! You bastard!" I think you wore that after the first fight with Shamrock?
TO: Yep, you can get that right on the site too.

BZ: I heard from MMA Weekly that dress clothes are the next thing for you guys. Any comments on that?
TO: Dress clothes is the next step now on www.punishment.com, just punishment, now we're doing the dress up stuff for dinners, clubs, button-downs, Levis, fitted shirts.

BZ: I think that's it for now. Thanks for taking the time Tito. We really appreciate it.
TO: No problem, have a good one.

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UFC 73: What's Next?

In my last post, UFC 73: Quick Results, I didn't really get into the details of what happened at the event, why certain outcomes were noteworthy, and where the UFC and its fighters go from here. I didn't do any of that. But I'll do it now.

Who does Sean Sherk fight next?
A little-known 155 pounder named Masson Liang. Just kidding...actually, I don't know who he's going to fight. Since the Lightweight division is relatively new and unfilled, who is to take the takedown master on while all the Welterweights cut pounds? I don't really need to see a rematch with Florian and Penn seems to be more interested in fighting up a class. BJ is no longer the svelte Hawaiian who took out Caol Uno in 11 seconds. Maybe Nick Diaz or Sports Illustrated cover boy Roger Huerta? It's possible, but there's nothing currently in the works. With 9 events in between Sherk's last two bouts, don't expect a title defense before the New Year.

What happens in Silva-Franklin II?
The same damn thing. But before I get into that, let me just say that I'm ecstatic to have a champion who can hold a belt for more than one defense. I really could've done without a Marqurdt upset and Anderson Silva has made me a very happy man. Now, onto the UFC 76/77 fight between Ace and The Spider. I don't see how it goes any different. Silva's only gotten better and had more experience, he always looks prepared, and boy, can he strike. How does Franklin win this fight? He'd be better off cutting to Welterweight than sticking around in Silva's division for the next half decade.

What do Tito and Evans do now?
Nothing? Maybe? I don't know. If Tito hadn't held the cage, he'd probably have a unanimous decision, but that wouldn't overshadow the fact that Evans was able to hang with Ortiz. Unfortunately, this fight didn't serve its proposed dual purposes: take out the trash of the LHW division and end the bad blood between these two in a bloody and violent fashion. First, the former purpose: instead of leaving us with just one of these fighters to join the pantheon of UFC LHW elites (Rampage, Liddell, Shogun, Hendo), we've got 1 champion and about a million guys who think they deserve a title shot. There's nothing worse than a UFC fighter who thinks he deserves a shot. And now we have six of them. Just throw a Grand Prix tournament already! Now, the second purpose: in an unsuccessful bid to hype up a fight and have it come through, the UFC was left with a lackluster performance which left much to be desired. These guys were supposed to rip into each other like animals! And when they didn't, fans booed. Will we trust the UFC military-industrial promotional complex next month, when they hype up their new God, Josh Koscheck? Probably not. If you havent seen the new UFC 74 website, go there now. Rogan calls Kos "the best athlete in MMA" and "the best at takedowns." Had I known that Rogan was so adept at building people up into something they aren't, I would've had him asking girls out for me all along. "Ben's the best looking guy in the world!" he would say. But next month, when he had someone new to promote, he'd say the same thing about them. That's kind of what this is like. Nate Marquardt (you know, the guy who had "all the tools to beat Anderson Silva") must feel dirty after being fucked so badly by the UFC 73 promoters.

Should Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira be worried?
I don't think so. Sure, he got caught with a HUGE kick, BUT, he wasn't knocked out and he won the fight. I think Big Nog probably underestimated Herring (whom he beat twice in PRIDE) and even admitted that the UFC was the big leagues of MMA (after the fight). He'll need to prepare a little more for the next one, but as far as shaking off those first fight jitters, I think he did a nice job. Similarly, Rampage and Cro Cop seemed a little tentative during their debuts at UFC 67. Rampage followed this with a spectacular second fight whereas Cro Cop got KTFO by Gonzaga. What will happen to Big Nog? It will largely depend on whom he fights, but if I had to place a bet (on the -700 favorite), I'd say he'll be quite all right.

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UFC 73: Silva, Sherk Retain Titles

UFC 73 Stacked certainly had its ups and downs. Labeled "best card in the history of combat sports," it failed to deliver what most fans anticipated so greatly and failed to fulfill the hype that was built around it.

The event took place Saturday, July 7, 2007 at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California and had been regarded as UFC's most "stacked" card to date, no pun intended. The cards featured two title fights, one with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and the other with lightweight champion Sean Sherk, both crowned at UFC 64. Last night, they defended their titles against former King of Pancrase Nathan Marquardt and former WEC champion Hermes Franca, respectively. Former PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, also seen by many to be the #2 HW in the world, made his UFC debut against Heath Herring, whom he had already defeated twice before in PRIDE. UFC 73 also featured a light heavyweight showdown between former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz and The Ultimate Fighter 2 heavyweight winner Rashad Evans.

The card was free of upsets, for the most part and had a good balance of TKO/KO's submission victories, decisions and was even complimented with a draw. Here are my quick thoughts on the bigger fights:

Kenny Florian def. Alvin Robinson via Submission (strikes) at 4:30 of Round 1
Alvin Robinson was the more physically gifted fighter in this one, but it did him no good against the ever so tough Kenny Florian. A lean Florian showed crisp striking in the beginning of the round, after landing some sharp punches and knees. About a minute in the fight, it almost began to look like a judo tournament with the two fighters flipping each other like pancakes. Florian's experience in the Octagon and top notch jiu-jitsu skills was apparent as he effectively controlled Robinson on the ground. After some good exchanges, Florian obtained full mount with relative ease. Upon mount position, it was the beginning of the end for the UFC newcomer Robinson, as Florian pounded away with vicious elbow strikes and punches giving Robinson no option but to tap.

Florian has really impressed me lately and his improvement every time he time he steps into the Octagon is awe inspiring. With his impressive win over Mishima at UFC Fight Night 9 and his incredible five round war with the current UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk, I only expect to see more great things in the future with Kenny Florian.
All in all, I give this fight 8 out of 10.

Anderson Silva (c) def. Nate Marquardt via TKO (strikes) at 4:50 of Round 1 to retain the MW title
This fight was one of the highlights of the night, next to the Sherk-Franca fight. Anderson Silva made his first official title defense against challenger and Pancrase veteran Nate Marquardt. Early in the match Silva threw what looked to be a kick straight out of a martial arts movie causing him to be taken down by the challenger. The decision wasn’t horrible as Silva was still delivered piercing elbows and punches, punishing the midsection of Marquardt. Marquardt did nothing on the ground and the fighters were brought back to their feet. Silva took advantage of every opening and landed a big straight left hand forcing Marquardt back to the ground. Silva showed a picture perfect sweep gaining him the dominant position where he reigned down crushing blow after blow. Big John McCarthy had seen enough and quickly stopped the fight, saving Marquardt's very life and skull.

This fight just continued to show the Brazilian's dominance in the UFC. Silva's striking of course was, like always, dead on and was able to display his ever-growing jiu-jitsu abilities through his sprawls and sweeps. With the win, Silva is expected to head over to Cincinnati, Ohio and where he will face Rich Franklin, who he took the belt from last October. I don't see Franklin posing a threat to Anderson Silva at all. Silva's ground game is more polished than Franklin and certainly has the edge standing. Silva is a force to be reckoned with and is going to be the middleweight champion for a long, long time.

I give this fight a 9/10!

-Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans fought to a Draw after 5 Rounds (28-28, 28-28, 28-28)
There's not much to say about this fight, it was the biggest crock of cow dung to date. This match was maxed out by the hype that was poured into it, with the so called "bad blood" between the two and the little pushing incident they had a few events back. To what was hyped up to be a great fight turned out to be quite the contrary. Ortiz quickly began the bout scoring a double-leg takedown on The Ultimate Fighter 2 winner Rashad Evans. Tito did little to Evans as both lay on the canvas. Somewhere in the second round Ortiz held on to the cage preventing a takedown by Evans, costing him a point and in the end costing him the fight. After a tiresome three rounds, the fighter’s fates were left in the hands of the judges, whom unanimously deemed this fight a draw, all scoring it 28-28.

I'm not a big Tito fan, but I really wanted Tito to win this one. For one, Evans' little seizures standing up didn't help his cause. I am of course referring to the annoying hand waving, I guess distraction, Evans kept doing while they were standing. God that pissed me off. As a whole, the fight was frustrating to watch, neither did much to finish the fight and if Tito hadn't gotten that point deducted he would have had this one in his pocket. Oh well, can't win 'em all I suppose, literally. Tito in the post fight talk with Rogan said, "You know, they always say if you ain't cheating, you're not trying." That’s classic.
This fight makes it painfully obvious that Ortiz would have zero chance against current UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson, who Ortiz is rumored to later face off with. Either way, Tito never fails to make me laugh with his pre and post fight antics and the corny little shirts he wears to the fights.

I give this fight a 4/10!

-Sean Sherk (c) def. Hermes Franca via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)
Sherk and Franca certainly took the UFC 73 spotlight hands down. It was like watching a bully rob a helpless poor child for his lunch money.
Sean Sherk took no part in Franca's "unorthodox" striking in which he promptly overshadowed and neutralized with his lightning quick hands and unstoppable takedowns. Like many fights, cardio was the golden ticket in this fight.

The round began with an eager Sherk going for the takedown and nearly getting caught in a guillotine choke. Sherk muscled his way out of the choke and the punishment began as the now visibly angered Sherk had his way with the Brazilian challenger. Sherk dictated round after round as he took down and mounted Franca at will. The only silver lining Franca had were the four flush knees Sherk kept eating over and over, one of which nearly knocked out the champ. However, after the first two knees Sherk seemed almost immune to the knee strikes and continued his domination over Franca. The fight became like a broken record, as every round mimicked the previous one. The general breakdown of all five rounds were: Sherk eats a knee from Franca, Franca attempts a guillotine choke, Sherk muscles out, takes him down and proceeds to ground and pound a powerless Franca. It was unfortunate that Sherk wasn't able to finish Franca but, it was undoubtedly a lopsided fight in favor of Sherk and it came as no surprise as Bruce Buffer announced the judges' unanimous decision for UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk.

Sean Sherk's UFC All Access gave fans a glimpse of Sherk's dedication and hard work. Throughout the fight I was just in complete awe at the power and explosiveness of Sherk. I’m convinced that there is no possible way of putting another pound of muscle on a 155-pounder. Sherk’s overwhelming power was evident as he threw Franca around like a rag doll, at one point leg pressing Franca about three feet into the air, and able to impose any position he pleased. The golden ticket in this fight was not only the power difference but as I mentioned earlier, the cardio factor. Franca, though looked in top condition, couldn’t handle Sherk’s constant pressure and gassed quickly through the first two rounds while Sherk looked like he just stepped in the ring at the start of every round.

Sean Sherk seems to be one of the most dominant lightweights to ever hit the scene and aside from B.J. Penn I don't see a single lightweight in the UFC that poses any threat to him. It would definitely be interesting to see “The Prodigy” duke it out with the “Muscle Shark,” but that's for another time and another article! I give the Sherk-Franca fight an 8.5/10!

-Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira def. Heath Herring via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
One word summary, WOW. Nogueira, made his UFC debut facing Heath Herring, whom he already holds 2 wins over in PRIDE. A polished striker and top submission artist, Nogueira was dominant through the opening of the fight as he jabbed through Herring's defense and scored multiple takedowns. All was well until Herring decided to pull a Gonzaga and threw a head kick that sent Nogueira to the mat. At this point, I went into cardiac arrest, I thought it was over. As a matter of fact, if it was any other fight it would have been over but, referee Yves Lavine did us all a favor and allowed the fight to continue. Herring however did not take advantage of the situation and backed off allowing Nogueira to fully recover. After Nogueira finally realized he was at a UFC fight and not a Brazilian rave (as Bravo so elegantly put it), he persisted with his jabs at a visibly exhausted Herring. Outside of the heart rattling kick, the fight was one sided for Nogueira as he fought his way to a unanimous decision victory.

My God, I'm pretty sure my heart skipped two beats when Nogueira was knocked down. In Herring's defense, it was a bit unfair that the referee did not call the fight after the kick. If it were any other fight, I'm almost certain it would have been ruled a knockout. Yet, Herring is the only one to blame for not taking advantage of the situation and making the best of it. Herring lacks the killer instinct, the smell of blood that Wanderlei Silva and Fedor Emelianenko display in their fights. Nogueira must have had his bowl of Lucky Charms that morning and truly once again showed his undying heart. I'm eager to see more of Nogueira in the Octagon soon.

I give this fight a 7/10, deducting points because of the heart attack and emotional distress it brought me.

So, UFC 73 can't be called the best UFC card ever, but it was surely above average. As far as my predictions go, they weren't too off with the exception of the Sherk-Franca fight, God was I wrong about that one. Sorry?

That's all folks...L-Train OUT.

The Lianger

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UFC 73: Ortiz-Evans Preview!

Just thinking of the Ortiz-Evans fight gets my blood going. Fresh up and coming talent vs. relatively old talent, Ortiz gets to step in the shoes of Ken Shamrock for this one. You have Rashad Evans, the younger, perhaps hungrier, fighter of the two holding an unblemished record of (10-0), stepping in the ring with the Huntington Beach Bad Boy himself, Tito Ortiz (15-5).

Tito Ortiz recently stirred up some controversy with UFC President Dana White. Ortiz and White were set to participate in a boxing match, but Tito Ortiz bailed last minute and the fight never went down, but that didn’t stop SpikeTV from airing a special on the whole situation. The "Bad Blood" SpikeTV special, allegedly filmed to document the preparation behind the boxing match, but instead was twisted into a thirty-minute Tito Ortiz bashing session. White took advantage of this special dropping some F-bombs here and there and bitched and moaned about how he trained vigorously, blah, blah, blah. All in all, both Dana White and Tito Ortiz came off like genuine knob-rockets and the middle school drama was over.

Love him or hate him, "he's [Ortiz] here to stay." There's no doubt that Ortiz's wacky antics get fans and more specifically "Sherdoggers" riled up, where nearly every thread is somehow bashing Tito. I for one am apathetic towards Ortiz, but really believe that he hasn't shown any impressive wins in the past, like what 7 years? He's had three wins over a 40 something year old Ken Shamrock, split decisions with Vitor Belfort and Forrest Griffin, two KO losses to Chuck Liddell, and a decision win over Patrick Cote. I don't question Ortiz's work ethic, because the man seems to train like an animal, but can't always effectively show his abilities in the Octagon.

Rashad’s side of the world seems a bit brighter than Ortiz’s. Rashad Evans is coming off two highlight reel knockout victories over Jason Lambert and Sean Salmon, whose head he nearly knocked off with that kick. Evans has also defeated Stephan Bonnar, Sam Hoger and Brad Imes inside the UFC Octagon. However, I’m not entirely convinced with Evans quite yet. I don’t think he’s been tested with a good enough fighter and Tito Ortiz is quite the mountain to climb for Evans. Hoger isn’t exactly the most polished MMA artist, and coming off a split decision victory over him doesn’t exactly make me scream hot panties! Yes, Evans has showed much improvement since then in his striking and may be a better wrestler on paper, but Ortiz certainly showed that he can overpower pure wrestling skills, displayed in his match against Vladimir Matyushenko, and Ortiz displayed much improved striking skills in his last match with Chuck Liddell.

Ortiz does a damn good job of having his way with the clinch and his traditional ground and pound, so I’m thinking that Evans’ is going to have to step it up on the feet to win this one over in a decisive fashion. If Evans wins or if Ortiz pulls off a lackluster win, it will place Evans in the Light Heavyweight spotlight and Ortiz’s future in the UFC would begin a rapid downfall followed by approximately 2,340,932,049,323+ threads on Sherdog.com explaining how he’s overrated.

As far as predicting the outcome goes…
I think Ortiz will be victorious only by sort way of decision, I don’t see him knocking out Evans or submitting him, considering Tito has one submission win by way of neck crank…

PREDICTION: Tito Ortiz over Rashad Evans by decision

The Lianger

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QOTD: Dana White on Tito Ortiz

More bad blood seeps through the media in a recent article by Yahoo! Sports. Here is a quote from Dana White bashing Tito, slightly humorous to say the least.

“There’s a billboard of his big ugly gorilla face at the busiest point in Las Vegas,” White said, “where it can scare kids who are riding by in their cars. Guess whose ugly head is on our billboard in Times Square?

“He’s a moron: A complete and total moron. His whole career, he’s stepped over a dollar to pick up a dime. I’m sick of him. It’s time he started beating up someone other than a nearly 50-year-old Ken Shamrock.“

White also said the UFC has an ad set to run in USA Today on July 6 which has a picture of the lightweight and middleweight title belts that are up for stake at UFC 73 on the top half of the ad and has Ortiz’ and Evans’ faces on the bottom of it.

“Does that sound to you like we’re ignoring him or not promoting him?” White said. “I’ll tell you what it is, it’s more proof, as if anybody needed any, that Tito is a moron.“

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Tito Ortiz Expects Self To Beat Evans, Face Shogun

In a series of statements made by former UFC Light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz concerning events which both have not occurred and have not been scheduled, Ortiz has predicted a win over Rashad Evans and scheduled himself against PRIDE-crossover Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. And by "predict," I mean build hype using hyperbole which then makes him look like an idiot when he loses the fight. I call it "The Tito Ortiz Method." Other aspects of the Ortiz method include claiming to be "in the best shape of my life" before every fight in addition to claiming that "I'm completely prepared." Weeks before his last fight with Liddell, Ortiz was taking shots left and right at The Iceman, calling him soft and weak (even though Liddell had knocked him out previously at UFC 47). We all know what happened after that -- Ortiz had to eat his words again.

This time, his words exactly: “I am really pumped on caving Rashads face in… more focused than I have ever been I think. He really has no idea what he is in for…I guess until you get your ass kicked really good, you never really do. I am going to make him rethink his career in the UFC. Maybe he should go back to flipping burgers after I put him in a wheel chair.” Well, he's creative, if nothing else.

Ortiz would know something about getting his ass kicked, considering he's made a name getting fucked up by Liddell and Couture paired with the fact that he hasn't held a belt since 2003. He probably knows something about flipping burgers, too. While in college, Ortiz competed at UFC 13 but wasnt eligible to receive prize money or contracts. With no fighting income, he had to make money somehow. In-N-Out, a popular burger chain based in Irvine, California, is known for paying its employees significantly more than minimum wage. Ortiz probably worked there.

While most of the Sherdog forums would predict an Ortiz loss even if he was fighting my 13-year-old brother, it's probably going to be an even fight with the Vegas lines falling on the side of The Huntington Beach Bad Boy. If the fight is mostly stand-up, I would expect to see Rashad Evans take over, considering that he has a significant amount of boxing training. If it goes to a clinch or the ground, I think you'll see Ortiz pull through using his BJJ and Muay Thai-infused wrestling. He's also got the conditioning to work for three solid rounds on the ground without tiring. The longer the fight goes, the more it favors Ortiz.

Ortiz has been called something as a gate-keeper for lesser known fighters to get their start in the UFC. Whether it's Liddell (who won) or Forrest Griffin (who lost), the road to notoriety often leads through Ortiz. And so, for Evans, the 26-year-old who stunned Sean Salmon with a knockout kick to the head at the last Fight Night, this fight will determine whether or not he is worthy of the top 5 praise he has been receiving lately. If Evans loses this fight, it isn't the end of the world. He's still young and talented. For Ortiz, the fight is much more important. With a win, he reasserts himself as a top Light heavyweight and makes a case for a title shot. If Ortiz loses, he'll likely never get title consideration again and begin his slide into obscurity.

As for his comments regarding a fight against Shogun (pictured left), this is a definite possibility. If he is able to beat Evans (let's assume he does), most of the other top fighters will be locked in bouts right around the time of the Henderson-Rampage fight. Liddell and Wandy are linked together and other than Bisping, there's no one else for Ortiz to fight. Bisping is already rumored on the Henderson-Rampage card (UFC 75), and I don't think that the UFC would have Ortiz fight another young gun needing a push to the top. This leaves Shogun. Now the real question: With Ortiz-Shogun (if it happens) and Liddell-Wanderlei both slated to happen around the time of UFC 75, which winner gets the title shot first?

Editor's Note: Originally published less than a week ago, this still-current article has been reposted on account of its timeliness, comprehension, and jokes about Tito.

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Tito Ortiz Is Overrated, Lucky

After what can be considered the Golden Age of the UFC (the days of Royce Gracie, Congressional bans, and biting), but before the time of Liddell's recent domination, the Light heavyweight division wasn't exactly anything to write home about. While other divisions thrived and the UFC fine-tuned its business, Tito Ortiz reigned supreme over an extremely weak division whose top contenders included fighters like Guy Mezger and Elvis Sinosic. Had Ortiz arrived 5 years earlier or 5 years later, he'd be on The Ultimate Fighter 5 right now, trying to get his start in MMA.

Ortiz obtained the belt in what can be considered his most impressive feat in the company, a 5 round decision over Wanderlei Silva. Following that victory, however, Ortiz took it upon himself to face every no-name and jobber in the UFC. Vladimir Matyushenko, anyone? How about Yuki Kondo? I didn't think so. If you don't count Ortiz's victories against the elderly Ken Shamrock (the man was in UFC 1!), then Ortiz hasn't won a fight by knockout, stoppage, or submission since June 29, 2001. That's nearly six years ago. What's Tito been doing since then? He's been beating up Ken Shamrock (which may or may not be considered abuse according to the American Disabilities Act), losing to Randy Couture, getting knocked out by Chuck Liddell (twice), and stalemating to decision against every other fighter in the decision. An impressive resume if I ever saw one.

After Tito wins a fight, he is known to put on a shirt which features a particular slogan, usually poking fun at his opponent. However, after his win against Jerry Bohlander at UFC 18, Tito's shirt read "I just fucked your ass." Arguably, that's what's occurring in the picture to the left. Tito Ortiz: Ultimate Fighting Champion or embarrassed homosexual who is just dating porn star Jenna Jameson to cover up his sexual orientation? You decide.

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The Iceman and The Axe Murderer

It might not be quite as exciting as when first announced, but the Superfight between Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva looks as if it is going to happen after all. It was first announced at UFC 61 in July 2006, that the two fighters who were at the time at the top of their respective promotions, would fight if Liddell could get past Renato Sobral at UFC 62. Liddell did, but negotiations between the UFC and PRIDE broke down, Wanderlei got knocked out by both Cro Cop and Dan Henderson, Liddell got rampaged by Quinton Jackson, and before you know it, here we are. Two fighters who were at the top of the pile less than a year ago are now struggling to regain their respective reputations. Such is the world of Mixed Martial Arts. So even though this fight may not be the greatest thing to ever take place in an Octagon, it still promises to be an excellent fight between who I consider to be the 3rd and 4th best Light heavyweights in the world (Rampage and Henderson are above them).

Wanderlei is 2-0 against Rampage, with his first victory coming by TKO after 17 consecutive knee strikes. Coincidentally, this took place at PRIDE Final Conflict 2003, the same event in which Rampage Jackson knocked out Liddell for the first time. Wanderlei holds a split record against Henderson. Liddell has obviously lost twice to Rampage but has never fought Henderson. Of course, Liddell has many other wins to his credit, including two against Randy Couture and two against Tito Ortiz. Both fighters (Liddell and Silva) are well-known for their street fighting inspired strategy and generally aggressive style. Although I'd expect them to feel each other out for a little (a la Rampage-Liddell II), I think it would only be a matter of time before these two legends started to bang, ending in a fast and hard finish.

MMAfighting.com has an excellent article on the subject, and in a far more articulate fashion than mine, lays out each fighter's strengths and how the fight would go down (both under PRIDE rules and UFC rules). For those of you too bored to read (or maybe you don't know how, like me), the article paints Silva as having near-equal punching power, a slightly better chin, and some of the best conditioning in the world. Essentially, he's Tito Ortiz if Tito could punch and withstand punishment. Or from another perspective, he's like me with conditioning. Either way, we're talking about a complete fighter here. However, Liddell shouldn't be overlooked: with punching power (probably more than Silva), a great chin (other than the Rampage fight which is unfortunately everyone's most recent memory), and a legendary sprawl (seriously, the best since Royce Gracie ten years ago), he wouldn't exactly be expected to drop easily. Despite Liddell's credentials, I believe that Wanderlei Silva's Muay Thai skills would come through in the end, delivering the victory to the Brazilian Chute Boxe prodigy in one of the earlier rounds.

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