Jackson-Silva Preview

Last week, I put a poll on the front page of IWF. Look, it's still there! It asked people to choose which upcoming fight they were most excited about. Before I even wrote the answers, I knew what my choice would be. Here are the clues: it involves a trilogy, two of MMA's best knockouts, and a high speed chase through Los Angeles.

I'll spare you the history and get to the good stuff:

How Silva wins: Silva wins by doing exactly what he did in the first two fights with Jackson. Get the clinch, win the clinch, and throw knees until he hears the bell. Silva was absolutely vicious in his early fights with Jackson and he'll need that edge in order to beat the much-improved Jackson. Silva's cardio should be better too, so look for him to push the fight into the deeper rounds.

How Jackson wins: Keep distance and counter punch, a la UFC 71. Jackson won't win in the clinch or if it goes to a decision, so he needs to find a balance between pushing the pace and being careful. Jackson should be the stronger man, physically, and might be able to have his way with Wanderlei if he can trip the Brazilian and end up on top.

Who wins and why: Silva wins easily. Jackson has had too much going on in his life to give a long and hard training camp the attention it deserves. We know he is lazy when it comes to his training: the mental instability and court proceedings provided even more distraction on top of his usual malaise. Meanwhile, Silva has been a beast as of late and should continue his road to the top with a PRIDE 28 style victory.

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2007 Year In Review

2007 marked the first year that Mixed Martial Arts was recognized on a somewhat level playing field with the rest of the sports world. Even though a lot of time and effort was put into the general expansion of the sport, the fighters and promoters still had enough left in the tank to make this the most compelling year the sport has ever seen. Some storylines were good for the sport while others hurt its reputation, but each provided publicity, the one thing this sport will never turn down. Originally written for MMA Madness

Story of the year: The Purchase of PRIDE. This deal, years in the making, brought just about every major fighter (with the exception of Fedor Emelianenko) under the UFC’s tent. It paved the way for dream match ups we thought we’d never see. And it added freshness to two divisions which had recently run stale. No more just Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell – suddenly, Rampage Jackson, Dan Henderson, and Wanderlei Silva were all possibilities! And with Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia closing the chapter on their trilogy, it was nearly too good to be true that the UFC was locking down both Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Okay, so it was too good to be true, but it was exciting at the time.

It wasn’t just the fighters that made this purchase so special, although they certainly added to the excitement. It was the promise that Dana White would create the Super Bowl of MMA and do his best to bring all the best fighters together under one set of rules. Finally, it meant that one organization had set itself apart from the pack and would be around for quite some time. The underlying fear of every MMA fan is that the sport will be dubbed a fad among mainstream media and end up losing the attention and money which has recently been pumped into its expansion. Hardcore fans will always love the sport, but the addition of PRIDE under the Zuffa umbrella ensured that others would be able to enjoy it too.

Honorable mentions:

1. Fight analysts were stymied all year long by what came to be known as the year of the upset. After picking Sylvia, Georges St. Pierre, Filipovic, and Liddell in straight sets (UFC 68-71), I was just about ready to throw in my keyboard and call it quits. This year, and the upsets which defined it, forced all fight fans to reconsider what they thought they knew about the sport.

2. Even though it was only of interest after July 7, 2007, steroids made up a large portion of discussion among writers, fans and fighters. Some, such as St. Pierre chose to stay silent on the subject while others, like Melvin Guillard, flat out called Sean Sherk “a coward.” Steroids divided the MMA world and were a never-ending source of debate this year.

3. Even more recent than the steroids storyline is the saga of Dana White versus Randy Couture. While the story is still in its infancy, it has provided fans with a unique look into the world of signing bonuses, contracts, and the business end of the UFC. It has also reinforced what we thought we knew about The Natural – he’ll do what he thinks is right, regardless of the impact on his wallet or his celebrity status.

4. The MMA community was shocked and saddened by the death of Sam Vasquez, the first fighter to die from combat-related injuries in a sanctioned bout. It forced us to reevaluate the dangers of the sport we love.

Fighter of the year: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Rampage won three times this year, all in convincing fashion. His first bout was a revenge fight against Marvin Eastman, the man who had handed Rampage his first career loss. Rampage outgunned Eastman to a second round TKO victory. His second fight, just four months later, was against the then-unbeatable Chuck Liddell. Rampage transitioned beautifully to this opportunity, knocking out Liddell in the first round. The path didn’t get any easier for the new champion as he then met the newly-signed Dan Henderson at UFC 75. Rampage rolled along, winning a unanimous decision and proving to all that he was the real deal. In the final success of Rampage’s tour de force year, he was named as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter season 7.

Honorable mention: Anderson Silva. The Spider won three fights as well, beating Travis Lutter, Nathan Marquardt, and Rich Franklin, finishing them all within the first two rounds. As if that wasn’t enough, Silva passed Fedor on most pound-for-pound rankings by year’s end.

Fight of the year: A late entry, but no less worthy, the UFC 79 bout between Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva garners fight of the year honors. This decision isn’t based on pre-fight excitement alone, however. It was a combination of the hype and the outcome that made it such an entertaining 15 minutes. In the first round, Liddell and Silva met numerous times for sets of short, brutal exchanges. Liddell seemed to take a page out of Keith Jardine’s playbook, peppering The Axe Murderer with leg kicks. In the second round, Silva dropped Liddell twice, but Liddell shot back up both times, eventually cutting Silva badly. Liddell ended the round with a surprising take down of the BJJ black belt. The third round was slightly slower than the first two, each fighter taking a calculated approach to striking. Liddell once again got the best of the exchanges, nearly knocking out Silva with a spinning back fist. Silva recovered quickly, as he had done all night, and stalked Liddell to a decision loss. What had long been called the most anticipated fight in MMA history certainly did not disappoint.

Honorable mention: Another great late fight, the TUF 6 finale main event between Clay Guida and Roger Huerta, was just as action-packed as any 155-pound bout we had seen all year. Guida dominated most of the fight, striking and taking down Huerta at will. Huerta, however, was patient and ending up locking in a rear naked choke in the final round of action.

Knockout of the year: I hate to give one man a sweep of fighter of the year and KO of the year, but there wasn’t a knockout more meaningful and definitive than Jackson’s KO of champion Chuck Liddell. Jackson, now working with boxing instructor Juanito Ibarra, rolled under a Liddell haymaker and landed his own right hook on Liddell’s chin. Jackson followed up on the ground for good measure, forcing Big John McCarthy to jump in.

Honorable mention: It didn’t take long into the Gabriel Gonzaga-Mirko Filipovic fight to recognize that Cro Cop wasn’t himself. Gonzaga seemed to be controlling the pace of fight, connecting with more shots, and looked like the more experienced fighter. This belief was confirmed when Gonzaga swung his leg high in the air, blasting Cro Cop in the head, and knocking him out cold. The method (Cro Cop’s signature move) and the aftermath (the image of a mangled Cro Cop) made this KO one for the ages.

Submission of the year: Nick Diaz’s gogoplata over Japanese legend Takanori Gomi was just the second time the rare submission had been used in PRIDE fighting competition. The choke, usually done from the rubber guard (see Eddie Bravo’s excellent book on this guard), involves pushing the shin against the trachea of the opponent. The fight didn’t have much meaning, and the outcome was eventually overturned on drug charges, but none of this mattered to MMA purists, who delighted in the “gogo” win.

Honorable mention: When St. Pierre locked in an arm bar with just four seconds remaining in the second round of his Interim title fight against Matt Hughes, it wasn’t just St. Pierre winning another fight or even winning another title. It was St. Pierre avenging his first UFC loss in the exact same manner in which he had been beaten. Poetic justice, not grandiosity, is what made this submission so special.

2007 was spectacular but with the prospect of more talented fighters entering the ranks, younger fighters maturing to a greater degree, and stronger competition across the board, 2008 should prove to be no less enjoyable.

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UFC 79 Analysis

The UFC 79 card was definitely exciting, but what exactly does it mean for the UFC and its fighters? Ben Zeidler examines the subject.

Liddell is back!

Chuck Liddell is back in full force, utterly dominating Wanderlei Silva for three straight rounds. Sure, he didn't knock The Axe Murderer out cold, but the performance was solid enough to declare The Iceman officially on the rebound from his Rampage loss earlier this year.

St. Pierre takes the crown

Georges St. Pierre beat Hughes with the very move he was beaten by more than two years ago. In doing this, he established himself as the clear top Welterweight and looks to be steamrolling towards avenging the Serra loss.

Sokoudjou NOT the real deal, Machida is though...

The aura surrounding Sokoudjou's two quick knockouts earlier this year was dispelled as Machida showed the extent of his ability in a dominant submission victory. Sokoudjou goes back to the drawing board, Machida goes to the top 4 of the division.

Sylvia-Nogueira for interim belt

It's been long rumored, but it's now confirmed that Tim Sylvia will get a shot as his old belt, but he'll have to go through top 3 HW Nogueira first. This will be the second of three interim titles which will be awarded between December and March.

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UFC 79, M-1 Videos

Thanks to our Senior Writer, Jordan Arnold, we've got some excellent videos here. Look for UFC 79 videos as well as Fedor's win, after the jump.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Hong Man Choi

Nate Mohr vs. Manny Gamburyan

Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Hughes

Lyoto Machida vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Masakatu Funaki

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Liddell-Silva Video

Major thanks to Todd over at redsweat.com for providing us with the correct speed of this video. Thanks!

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UFC 79 Results

Check back here tonight for live results of UFC 79. Look after the jump for results.

Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre III (Welterweight title)
-Georges St. Pierre wins by Submission (Arm Bar) in Round 2 (4:54)

Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva
-Chuck Liddell wins by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Soi Palalei vs. Eddie Sanchez
-Eddie Sanchez wins by TKO (Strikes) in Round 3 (3:24)

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Lyoto Machida
-Lyoto Machida wins by Submission (Arm Triangle) in Round 2 (4:20)

Rich Clementi vs. Melvin Guillard
-Clementi wins via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in Round 2 (4:40)

Dean Lister vs. Jordan Radev
-Dean Lister wins via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

James Irvin vs. Luis Cane
-James Irvin wins via DQ (Illegal Knee)

Roan Carneiro vs. Tony DeSouza
-Roan Carneiro wins by TKO (Strikes) in Round 2 (3:30)

Manny Gamburyan vs. Nate Mohr
-Manny Gamburyan wins by Submission (Heel Hook) in Round 1 (1:31)

Doug Evans vs. Mark Bocek
-Mark Bocek wins via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Classic Fights Close Door On 2007

UFC 79 offers up a buffet of mega fights. Georges St. Pierre and Matt Hughes look to set the bar for MMA trilogies with an interim title clash. Wanderlei Silva and Chuck Liddell seek the knockout that can cement their legacy as the greatest 205-pounder in MMA history. Young talents Rameau Thierry Sokodjou and Lyoto Machida battle to validate their mystique en route to title contention. Saturday night aims to bring New Year’s fireworks two days early.

By Danny Acosta

The third installment of the trilogy between Georges St. Pierre and Matt Hughes includes storylines that transcend the sport. Hughes is the established champion, secure in his hall of fame status, mulling retirement but still sharpening his competitive edge. He takes on the paragon for the future—an unstoppable entity that has both succumb and overcome the pressures of elite competition.

Despite Matt Hughes’ hopes, St. Pierre stepping in on short notice is not an issue. The Greg Jackson-trained fighter stays active between matches and was training Rashad Evans for a November clash. Shortly after, he jumped at the opportunity to regain his top spot in the 170lb division when Matt Serra stepped down due to injury.

“Rush” dethroned the Illinois native with ease last November. It was a different fighter than Hughes had seen in their 2004 bout. The French Canadian nullified takedowns and punished him every step of the way. Rangy and fluid strikes ended the Miletich champion’s night early after St. Pierre followed up with ground and pound to a technical knockout.

Hughes cannot enter this fight with his, “I’ll find a way to win” attitude that hindered his second performance. There is no doubt he is one of the most resourceful fighters in history. However, his opponent’s ability to dictate where the fight takes place will not allow for openings. Hughes must make them.

With his ties cut from the MIletich camp for the first time, Hughes needs to remember what MFS imparted to him—confidence and strict game plans. Recalling that he submitted St. Pierre, Hughes has to inch forward, cutting off angles and bullying St. Pierre against the cage. Putting the twenty-six-year-old on his back and grinding out a decision is the former champion’s best bet. Pushing St. Pierre into the latter rounds and neutralizing his offense can dent confidence—the deciding factor of this fight.

If Hughes pulls out a victory, he reasserts his legend against the man who questioned it the loudest. If he loses, St. Pierre rises into his spot as the most dominant welterweight in the world, but still has the long road of reign ahead of him—including a clash with Matt Serra.

In the co-main event, former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell loads up his counter-punching power against former Pride middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva. The fight is five years in the making, stemming from their extensive time as unflappable champions.

For Liddell, the lights of stardom shined too bright for him to see in the Octagon, leading to two devastating losses. For Silva, back-to-back knockout defeats have sent him to rest his battle-worn body while building his murderous rage. Although the fight has lost its king versus king significance, the implications are heavy—the winner may be recognized as the greatest 205-pounder in MMA history.

The “Iceman” cannot rely solely on his fists as he did against Keith Jardine because Silva will throw everything in his arsenal with malice. Kicks are the most integral part of the San Luis Obispo fighter’s game plan. They can punish Silva and keep him at a distance, causing confusion for the former Chute Boxer as suffered against Mirko Crocop. More importantly, they set up Liddell’s looping power punches. The blitzkrieg that is Silva plays right into Liddell’s counterpunching style. Mixing strikes increases the Brazilian’s chances of making a grave mistake—Liddell’s trademark, punctuated with the heavy right hand.

However, like Liddell, the “Axe Murderer” has excellent recovery time. America’s newest import must close the distance and push the pace. Emphasizing traditional boxing in preparation for this fight counters Liddell’s Kempo style well. It will allow the nearly forty-fight veteran to close the distance where he can launch his hatchet-like knees. Silva cannot come forward wildly, but he must be relentless because Liddell will not stick around in the clinch.

Despite the strategies involved in the two different yet dangerous styles, make no mistake—this is a fight that rests on the answer to one question: “Who gets to whose chin first?” (Dave Camarillo). There is no title on the line when Liddell battles Silva. But for the “Axe Murderer” and the “Iceman,” there is still a trophy—the other’s head.

In another light heavyweight bout with serious career implications, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou challenges Lyoto Machida. “Judo Thierry” debuts in the UFC still clouded in questions—just as Machida did in his stateside journey—about his cardio, heart, and chin…to name a few.

Sokoudjou has drawn criticism, ironically, because his showings have been so strong, knocking out Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Ricardo Arona. His aggressive and heavy style is what Machida has made a living toppling. The karate stylist is defensive but destructive in his own right. He has been looking to finish fights since joining the UFC. This can cause problems for Sokoudjou, who lacks experience and typically fights his fight. Coming forward and staying cautious is the undefeated fighter’s route to victory.

“The African Assassin” has a distinct size advantage. After testing the stand-up waters, taking the fight to the cage and employing his judo to set up ground and pound is his best bet to finish the Japanese-Brazilian. Stifled against the fence, Machida cannot be elusive.

The winner propels himself into title contention, a loss is only a minor setback in a young, promising career.

Heavyweight Eddie Sanchez stands across from Soa Palalei in the swing bout of the night. Palelei, training out of Team Quest, enters the bout with a more diverse arsenal than the game, but narrow-minded Sanchez. The Samoan exploits stubborness to a technical knockout victory.

In a lightweight bout to open the night, New Orleans pride is on the line when Melvin Guillard comes after Rich Clementi in a bad blood battle. Guillard’s athleticism can dictate where the fight occurs, which does not bode well for “No Love.” However, the “Young Assassin” lacks the mental component to his game. This can land him in some trouble—especially on the ground—against a well-rounded veteran like Clementi. Guillard’s high-profile loss and embarrassing cocaine scandal likely brings him out the gate furious. If Clementi can drag the fight on, his chances of snagging a victory increase dramatically.

As UFC 79 comes to a close, four of the sports biggest stars in Georges St. Pierre, Matt Hughes, Wanderlei Silva, and Chuck Liddell will have their careers drastically altered. Concluding the year brings different resolutions for the four: win the title or just survive?

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UFC 79 Tomorrow!

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Liddell-Silva Still A Blockbuster

On December 29, 2007, live from the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, NV, former UFC and Pride champions Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell (20-5) and "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva (31-7-1) will match up against each other at UFC 79: NEMESIS. Fight fans have been speculating about this fight for years now, and despite recent losses, the match up is still highly anticipated.  An article by Don Davenport.

Chuck Liddell lost his Light Heavyweight Championship to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC: 71 by TKO in the first round by a devastating right hand. Liddell then lost his 2nd fight in a row at UFC: 76 to Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine by split decision. Wanderlei Silva was knocked out by Mirko "Cro Cop" with a left high kick in the in the Open-Weight Grand Prix semi-finals at PRIDE: Fnial Conflict Absolute. Silva too lost his 2nd fight in a row and Middleweight Championship to Dan "Hollywood" Henderson by knockout at Pride 33: Second Coming.

Liddell and Silva were on the top of their respective fight games one year ago wioth both possessing the Championship in their weight class. The argument then was: Who is better, Silva or Liddell? The argument now : Who is more disappointing, Silva or Liddell? This fight was initially anticipated at PRIDE: Final Conflict 2003 tournament, but Liddell was eliminated by Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Since then, no negotiations could be made for the two fighters to meet, until UFC President Dana White announced on Spike TV's 2007 Scream Awards that the dream match would finally take place.

My Prediction for the winner of this long awaited battle is none other than Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell. Liddell will beat Silva because of two reasons. The first is inactivity: Silva has not competed since PRIDE 33 where he was defeated by knockout by Dan Henderson. This is main component why Silva's training parter Mauricio "Shogun" Rua lost to Forrest Griffin at UFC: 76. The second is that Silva has never done well in "The Octagon". He's 1-2. Silva suffered his biggest loss to Vitor Belfort in just 44 seconds at UFC Brazil: Ultimate Brazil.

I would have suggested that Silva should take a tune up fight, but if he lost, I know that this match would lose appeal; so I am glad he is going for it If Silva is aggressive, he can catch Liddell early and end the fight. When he is at his best, Silva throws a lot of punches and knees, often knocking out his opponents. Remember, he defeated the current UFC Light Heavywieght Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (twice) by knockout in PRIDE. For Liddell to win the fight, he needs to counter Silva's punches with a jab, keep his hands up, and be the more aggressive fighter.

If Liddell doesn't get motivated for this, the biggest fight of his career, he might want to join Randy Couture on the sidelines.

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LIDDELL-SILVA IS ON

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – For years, UFC® fight fans have speculated about the outcome of a historic dream matchup between two legendary figures in the sport of mixed martial arts, Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva. Tonight, on Spike TV’s 2007 Scream Awards, UFC President Dana White announced that this dream will finally become a reality when UFC and PRIDE former champions Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva face each other at UFC 79: NEMESIS live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, December 29, 2007.

“Chuck and Wanderlei – two legends in the sport – will face off in the most important match of their careers at UFC 79,” said Dana White, UFC President. “Chuck and Wanderlei have both wanted this fight for as long as they can remember, and this is definitely the fight that fans have waited for years to see. Finally, PRIDE’s most dangerous striker will face the UFC’s most dangerous striker, and the world will know after years of speculation who will win and who will lose this fight.”

Tickets for UFC 79: NEMESIS are on sale now and are priced at $1,000, $750, $500, $300, $200 and $100. Tickets are available through any Mandalay Bay box office and all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers, Macy’s West at the Fashion Show Mall and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call the Mandalay Bay box office at (702) 632-7580 or Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.ufc.com, www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

A special Internet ticket pre-sale is available now to UFC newsletter subscribers. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through www.ufc.com.

There also will be a special auction for Octagon-side floor seats available only through www.ticketmaster.com starting Wednesday, October 24 and ending Monday, November 5.

UFC 79: NEMESIS is available live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $39.95 ($39.99 CAD) and $49.95 for HD where available.

Liddell (20-5), considered by many to be the greatest light heavyweight fighter of all time, reigned as the 205-pound UFC champion for over three years. He knocked out seven opponents in seven consecutive fights, including Randy Couture (twice), Vernon White, Jeremy Horn, Renato “Babalu” Sobral and Tito Ortiz (twice), before he was defeated by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 71 in May. Chuck now returns to the Octagon to face the fighter he has wanted to fight for years – Wanderlei Silva.

“I’m excited this fight with Wanderlei is finally happening,” said Liddell. “I’ve been saying for a long time that, given the chance, I would knock Wanderlei Silva out. I think this will be a great fight for the fans, and one that lives up to their expectations, because I’m going to hit him until he falls down and stays down.”

The 31-year old Silva (31-7-1), known by fight fans as “The Axe Murderer” for his ultra-aggressive style and finishing ability, began his career almost 11 years ago in his native Brazil, fighting in Vale Tudo bouts that pushed him to the limit as he honed the skills that would soon make him one of the most feared fighters on the planet. He met great success by winning the PRIDE organization’s middleweight championship and defeating the likes of current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson (twice), Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba (three times), Ricardo Arona, Hidehiko Yoshida, and Kazuyuki Fujita, while engaging in some of the most memorable fights in MMA history. Well-rested after his February PRIDE fight against Dan Henderson, Silva is ready to take on Liddell and secure the most important victory of his mixed martial arts career.

“I’ve wanted to fight Chuck for a long time,” said Silva. “I think about this fight a lot, our styles are very similar – we are both great strikers. I’m training very hard, because I want to give my next victory to my fans. After I beat Chuck, then I want to fight the champion.”

In addition to Liddell vs. Silva, UFC 79 features the main event welterweight championship matchup between UFC champion Matt Serra (16-4) and former UFC champion Matt Hughes (43-5).

Current UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra, fresh off his knockout victory over Georges St-Pierre in April, looks to defend his title for the first time against the legendary Hughes and secure his own legacy in the UFC 170-pound division. Hughes, a two-time UFC champion with seven combined title defenses to his name, has a deadly ground game that has earned him wins over St-Pierre, BJ Penn, Chris Lytle, Royce Gracie, and Frank Trigg (twice).

For more information about UFC 78, The Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale, UFC 79 or any upcoming UFC event, visit www.ufc.com or uk.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change.

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WANDERLEI OPPONENT TO BE NAMED TONIGHT

The following announcement was posted today on the Baltimore Sun's MMA page:

UFC has just notified me that president Dana White will be making an appearance tonight on Spike TV's Scream 2007 show to announce Wanderlei Silva's first UFC opponent.

Speculation has been rampant regarding Silva's debut ever since he was signed to the promotion a couple of months ago. Most rumors have centered around him debuting against former UFC light heavyweight champ Chuck Liddell at UFC 79.

Scream 2007 will air tonight at 10 p.m. EST.

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PRIDE Fighters At A Disadvantage

With the past losses of Mirko Filipovic, the near loss of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and the current loss of Mauricio Rua, it is easy to see the pattern developing. For one reason or another (Quinton Jackson being the exception), these PRIDE guys are having trouble translating their skills to the Octagon. Are the PRIDE fighters overrated, are the UFC fighters better than we all thought, or is it something else entirely?

It’s possible that the PRIDE fighters are overrated, but it’s hard to justify when you consider that they’re all world-class athletes who have been fighting their entire lives. Cro Cop doesn’t just knock out Wanderlei Silva, switch boats to the UFC, and then just forget how to fight. Similarly, Nogueira shouldn’t go from hanging with Fedor to barely beating journeyman Heath Herring. It just doesn’t make logical sense. And while Shogun looked absolutely brilliant at times against Griffin (with his rolls, submission attempts and strikes), he looked downright tentative at others. Where is the man who went so hard at Rampage Jackson, he looked as if he wanted to knock the current champs head clear off his body? The skills are there, and so that leads me to believe that it must be another factor.

Could it be that the UFC fighters have improved? I think this seems more likely. UFC fighters are long past the days of specializing in just one mixed martial arts field, and are constantly improving and expanding their collective repertoire, and therefore, becoming downright lethal weapons in the Octagon. Another factor that I believe is aiding the improvement of UFC fighters is The Ultimate Fighter.

A venerable playground for newbies and veterans alike (ask Matt Serra), TUF allows fighters to train with guys better than them, fight more than three times in a year, and have access to some of the best facilities in the world. By participating in TUF (as recent winner Forrest Griffin and current champ Matt Serra both did), fighters avoid what is known as The Chuck Liddell Syndrome. For those of you unfamiliar, Chuck is the best guy in his camp. He doesn’t bring in Judo experts to test him with Judo or Boxers to test him with Boxing. TUF combats this by having fighters train with coaches who are leaps and bounds better than they are. They have no choice but to get better. Fighting often also helps the participants to have a greater level of comfort in the Octagon. Instead of having had three fights in a year, a guy coming out of the show may have up to eight under his belt. When you fight that often, there’s no rust or surprises. The final point goes without saying – having access to the training facilities of the UFC put the fighters at an advantage over anyone working with a specific camp, no matter how talented the trainers are.

Even more likely than the idea that improved fighters is contributing to the downfall of PRIDE guys is the possibility that the new environment has thrown all these guys off. Now, they’ve fought in front of crowds before, some even larger in size than those in the UFC. There’s only one major difference. Japanese crowds are dead silent. They are quiet and respectful, usually waiting for the biggest of knockdowns or the end of a fight to cheer their favorite star. Enter: American crowds. Just picture going from the serene, poetic landscape of a stadium in Tokyo to the drunken chaos that is an American sporting event. Fans yell, boo, and throw inanimate objects at will – sometimes, even following a victory.

In an exclusive interview with MMA Madness, Kenny Florian spoke of this difference: “PRIDE fighters have had to adjust to the rule changes, to the environment changes, and everything else. It comes down to the same factors in every event: first, MMA is unpredictable and second, styles make fights.” Florian touches upon something more telling than just the rowdy fans. Perhaps it’s the Octagon that’s throwing these guys for a loop. They’re used to leaning against ropes (which have more give than a cage), and can utilize corners to trap an opponent (see: Wanderlei-Rampage). Perhaps the new environment has them so distracted that they fail to follow their game plan or stay focused.

Rule changes probably have the fighters in a tizzy as well. Different round and time structure, no kicking a downed opponent, elbows are now allowed, and most importantly, the Shogun Stomp has been outlawed. This can’t sit well for a number of fighters (including some of the best) who previously relied on these very moves. Additionally, drug testing is much stricter in the UFC than in PRIDE. Now I’m not saying any of PRIDE’s guys were juicing, but if they were, they’re having a very difficult time of it now.

No matter the reason, it’s clear that some of the most successful PRIDE fighters are having trouble in the UFC. And interestingly enough, it’s the one fighter who had trouble defeating PRIDE’s best who is now champion. Perhaps Florian is right: styles do make fights, and most of the transfers’ styles just aren’t right for the UFC’s Octagon and their newly-improved warriors.

(Originally written for MMAMadness.com)

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Liddell And Wanderlei Probable

With Wandy's camp saying "maybe" and John Hackleman (Liddell's trainer) saying "definitely," it appears that the once-Superfight is finally on the right track to go down at UFC 79.

Since Liddell's expected opponent, Shogun Rua, is down and out until at least early 2008, The Iceman needs someone new to fight. With no outstanding losses that he can avenge (no Rampage for you, come back ONE YEAR!), Liddell looks to take on the man he should have faced years ago. While it's not quite as exclamatory a brawl as it would've been in years past, it's a big fight nonetheless, and between two of the most loved stars in the sport.

I think that this is without a doubt the right fight for The Iceman. He tried to have a tune up after the most recent Rampage loss and look where it got him. At this point in his career, he's better off going all out for as long as he can while trying to make some sort of legitimate claim that he is the superstar he once was. If he loses, to Wanderlei or anyone really, his career is all but over.

It's the correct fight for Wanderlei too. If Cro Cop and Shogun have taught us anything, it's that warm up fights usually are anything but easy. Silva's best bet is to make a splash by destroying Liddell and laying claim to a title shot against Rampage (a man whom he has beaten twice). With Shogun out and Henderson recovering from his last title shot, Silva would be the easy choice for the champ...if he can get through Liddell.

Being the man who picked GSP at UFC 69, Cro Cop at 70, Liddell at 71, and Liddell/Jardine at 76, you can't get me to predict this with a ten-foot pole. That being said, it should be an excellent fight whenever it takes place, and indicators tell us that we may be treated to it before 2007 is up.

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BREAKING NEWS: Wanderlei Debuts Dec. 29 at UFC 79

Wanderlei Silva, who recently moved to West Palm Beach, FL, is set to make his return to the UFC at UFC 79 on Dec. 29. Silva has been training with UFC Heavyweight Champ Randy "The Natural" Couture.

According to the Xtreme Couture MMA blog, MMA superstar Wanderlei Silva has been helping Randy train for his upcoming bout with Gonzaga, set for UFC 74.

Randy had nothing but great things to say about "The Axe Murderer":

“It’s great to have him in the gym. I’m anxious to pick his brain. To explore his training tactics and techniques. I’m also looking forward to building a rapport with him going forward. We had some good goes today. We were working out of half guard and the mount. He’s very tough in both positions.”

Wanderlei made the prediction in favor of "The Natural," stating that he has "very good boxing."

Silva was also highly impressed with Couture's underrated jiu-jitsu skills, he said this:

“He’s strong on the ground. He has very good jiu jitsu and excellent stamina. He’s stronger than I thought.”

Silva's first opponent has yet to be confirmed, but he hopes it will be against Chuck Liddell.

Wanderlei Silva was PRIDE's former middleweight champion and will be coming off two back-to-back knockout losses to Mirko "Cro Cop" and Dan "Dangerous" Henderson.

Wanderlei couldn't have picked a better fighter to work with. Couture will help him tremendously with his wrestling, takedown abilities and defense and so much more. couture, on the other hand, will also be able to further polish his stand-up skills with Silva.

Here is a video of a recent interview, conducted by Sherdog, of Wanderlei about his coming to the U.S. and his soon to be UFC career:

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Chuck Liddell Talks Keith Jardine

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell speaks out about his upcoming opponent, Keith Jardine, for UFC 76. Liddell explains to MMA fans out there that he "never hand-picks his opponents."

After numerous attempts of a dream match between Wanderlei Silva and Chuck Liddell fell through, Keith Jardine was chosen to be Chuck's opponent for UFC 76. Rumors then began to surface about Chuck ducking UFC newcomer Hayato Sakurai and hand-picking Keith Jardine for UFC 76.

Reports had also stated that Chuck was offered matchups against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Kazauhiro Nakamura, Lyoto Machida or Keith Jardine.

Liddell spoke to MMAWeekly.com denying all allegations about hand-picking Jardine and/or ducking opponents.

Liddell told MMAWeekly this:

"I've never hand-picked an opponent. I'm not going to. There would be no reason to hand-pick Jardine. The only time I've ever asked for a guy is when I asked to fight Kevin Randleman because I wanted to fight a guy that had a name at the time because they kept giving me guys as little known as I was. I think that's the only time I've ever asked for someone specifically."

"They talked to me about fighting Wanderlei in September, and I said, 'Yeah, that's fine. Cool. Perfect.' Then I heard it fell out. I assumed they were going to put me with Shogun [Rua] because I knew he was on the same card. I figured they would put me with Shogun, but they came to me and said they wanted me to fight Keith. I'm not complaining. I don't argue with people about who I'm going to fight. I fight whoever they tell me to."

Sounds rather convincing to me. Chuck Liddell has never seemed the type to "choose" or duck opponents. Liddell has beaten a who's who of fighters and I find it hard to believe that he'd start backing out of fights now.

UFC 76: Knockout is scheduled for September 22, 2007 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Other confirmed fights on the card include light heavyweight Mauricio "Shogun" Rua's debut against Forrest Griffin as well as a welterweight showdown between Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez and Jon Fitch.

The Lianger

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W. Silva Set To Return to the UFC in December

The Axe Murderer confirms his return to the UFC...

Former PRIDE FC Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva will return to the Octagon for the first time in more than seven years sometime in December, according to an exclusive interview with Tatame.com prior to his relocation to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Here’s a snip from “The Axe Murderer:”

“I’m sad to leave behind my friends and family, but im going to open the doors for a lot of Brazilians, and once I’m settled down there if anyone needs help of wants to get in touch with me, I’ll be available…. I was going to debut in September [in the UFC], but i asked to be moved to December. I still don’t know who is going to be my opponent, but that doesn’t matter, I’ve never chosen my opponents.”

It will be more of a “return” and not so much a “debut” in the UFC for the 205-pound ChuteBoxe standout. He has two fights inside the Octagon to his credit — albeit both are losses to Vitor Belfort and Tito Ortiz back in 1998 and 2000, respectively.

Since that time, however, he has gone on to become one of the most well-known, decorated and feared fighters in the sport of mixed martial arts with nearly 30 fights (most of them wins) in PRIDE FC.

Currently riding a rare two-fight losing streak to stars Mirko Cro Cop and Dan Henderson, Silva was very close to fighting former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell at UFC 76: “Knockout” in September. However, the deal fell apart when Silva turned down the fight because of his upcoming move to the United States.

According to him, he wouldn’t have had enough time to train and be ready for the blockbuster bout.

There is currently a UFC show booked for Sin City on the weekend before New Year’s Eve in December. UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Serra will defend his title against Matt Hughes that evening. Adding Silva to that pay-per-view (PPV) card against Liddell — even though UFC President Dana White has mention he doesn’t see the “fight happening” after the latest setback — would no doubt be a monster.

Perhaps the biggest in the history of the promotion.

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Ranking The PRIDE FC Light Heavyweights

Prior to Zuffa's buyout of PRIDE and its stars, one could easily suggest that PRIDE held the most stacked Light heavyweight division of all-time. Between veterans Wanderlei Silva, Ricardo Arona, and Dan Henderson along with newcomers Quinton Jackson and Mauricio Rua (pictured), you'd be hard pressed to find a more stellar group of fighters. Yes, they're all superstars in their own right, but who is the best?

In order to rank the Light heavyweights, I chose the top guys (in my opinion) and looked at their "quality wins," meaning a win against any other member of the group. With apologies to Alistair Overeem and Ninja Rua, I went through the quality wins of the following fighters (in no order): Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson, Ricardo Arona, Quinton Jackson, Mauricio Rua, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. After examining their quality wins, I was able to eliminate two from contention and rank the top 5.

Not enough information: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. Little Nog had as many contests as some of the other fighters (3 contests against quality opponents), but only beat Dan Henderson while dropping contests to Mauricio Rua (who hasn't) and a recent one to wonder kid Sokoudjou. I felt that not only was there not enough information to make a determination on Little Nog, but if I had to make a decision, his 1-2 record wouldn't be enough to crack the Top 5. Sokoudjou, in his own right, is extremely impressive, but is only 5 contests into his MMA career. Granted, two of these are against Little Nog and Arona, but that isn't enough for me to place the "African Assassin" among the Top 5. Perhaps if he had beat Wandy and Hendo, that would be a different story, but he hasn't...not yet, at least.

5: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Despite all the hoopla surrounding his dual wins against Chuck Liddell and infamous powerbomb of Arona, Rampage has done little else for himself. Since the Liddell wins don't count as quality victories (one came outside the auspices of PRIDE in addition to Liddell not being among the quality fighters), Rampage has just one quality win to show for himself (Arona) to go along with his loss to Shogun Rua and two losses to Wanderlei Silva. This 1-4 record was just decent enough to put him above Sokoudjou and into the Top 5.

4: Dan "Hollywood" Henderson. He does wield and impresive victory over Wanderlei Silva, but similar to Jackson, Henderson has little else to his name. His most recent win is the only one of its kind against a quality opponent while he holds a loss to Wanderlei, Little Nog, and Arona. His record stands at 1-3, with his only win coming against an opponent he's also lost to. Good, but not Shogun good.

3: Ricardo "Brazilian Tiger" Arona. At first, I thought that this spot was a little high for Arona. He, like everyone else, holds a loss to Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio Rua along with downright beatings from Rampage and Sokoudjou. However, he's the only man to ever beat BOTH Wanderlei Silva and Dan Henderson. And for that, I believe he deserves a top spot. His record comes in at 2-4, good enough to pull him in ahead of Henderson.

2: Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva. Originally, this spot was Wandy's. Then it was Shogun's. And now, it goes back to Wanderlei Silva. I looked at Shogun and Silva's quality wins and found that they've both beat Arona and Rampage (twice for Wanderlei). The discrepancy came when looking at who else they had beat, and of course, who they have lost to. Other than the matches listed previously, Silva's only other quality win came against Henderson while Shogun's came against Little Nogueira. In 2005, Little Nog beat Henderson. Point for Shogun. Now, to the losses. Silva has lost to two quality opponents (Arona and Henderson) while Shogun has lost to...oh, right. No one. Point to Shogun. Wanderlei is damn impressive, but considering his recent losing streak and less than perfect 4-2 record, he falls in at number two.

1: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. How can you argue wth three quality wins (Arona, Rampage, Little Nog) and no losses against quality opponents? It's not likely that Shogun would fight Wanderlei as they are both Chute Boxe students, but a bout with Henderson following UFC 75 isn't out of the question at all. If Shogun managed to win that match up, he would solidify himself at the top of every 205 lb. ranking in the world. And oh yeah, he's just 25 years old.

Post below with your thoughts on my rankings!

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Top 10 Fighters the UFC Need to Sign...NOW!

With the recent influx of PRIDE fighters into the UFC, there have definitely been some exciting fights and even more set to come in the future. However, there are still some fighters out there that White have yet to bring over to solidify the UFC as the top MMA organization, as far as talent goes. Here is my list of ten fighters not in the UFC, that includes WEC, I think White should definitely be going after for UFC's roster.

Fedor Emelianenko
Come on, the UFC need to grab Fedor already while he's still young. I have no interest in getting Fedor to the UFC five years down the line and watch young talent beat on him. The Fedor UFC deal has been so back and forth, I don't care what UFC president Dana White has to pay him, just pay the man what he wants and get him over here! I want it, the fans want it, the big man upstairs even wants it for his sake.

PRIDE's run out of competition to throw at Fedor, I mean, he's taken out everyone with the exception of Barnett. I'm sorry but I don't want to see another Fedor vs. Zulu again, that's just me. White's managed to snatch the majority of PRIDE's talent with Cro Cop, Noguiera, Herring, Filho (WEC), and "Shogun" Rua. Think of all the great possible matchups in the UFC, Emelianenko-Nog 4, Emelianenko-CC 2, Emelianenko-Couture, or how about, Emelianenko-ANY UFC HEAVYWEIGHT THEY THROW AT HIM.

Denis Kang
Now I know Denis Kang isn't the most popular fighter amongst the casual UFC fan but he has every right to be. Denis Kang is a damn exciting fighter. There's just something about him that catches my attention. Kang holds 27 wins in his fight record, composed of 15 submissions and 8 (T)KOs, pretty serious business if you ask me. I don't really know Kang's status as far as joining
the UFC, he was spotted in UFC lightweight Din Thomas' corner at UFC 71 - Liddell vs. Jackson, but who knows if that means anything. Kang is known mostly for his incredible explosiveness and well-rounded style of fighting, almost like Georges St. Pierre. Kind of reminds me of him too. Kang would be a solid addition to the UFC's middleweight division and would definitely pose a threat to any in that class. Kang is just in your face at all times and keeps the pressure on his
opponents. I think a fight against Anderson Silva and/or Rich Franklin could easily be dubbed as a "fight of the year."

Takanori Gomi
"The Fireball Kid" would definitely be a historical addition to the UFC's lightweight roster. BJ Penn's decision to remain a lightweight and Sean Sherk's growing popularity, the UFC's lightweight division can only further grow from here. With Gomi in the mix, it could make fights a lot more interesting. Penn actually scored a victory over Gomi back in 2003, but that would definitely be a rematch I'd like to see again. Gomi also knocked out Jens Pulver in 2004 at PRIDE's Shockwave 2004, a rematch between them would've been nice, though Pulver has recently moved to the WEC. I digress, my point is, Gomi has some solid talent, holds a current record of 27-3 and is still a pretty young guy with a bright future ahead of him.

Fantasy UFC matchups I'd stick around to see would be a rematch with Penn, Gomi-Sherk, and/or Gomi-Huerta. Haven't really heard any rumors or commotion about White making attempts to grab Gomi, but you never know. Let's just hope rumors arise sometime soon!

Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
"Kid" is an absolute ANIMAL in the ring. With 11 out of 15 wins ending in some way of knockout, he is DEFINITELY what drunk UFC want to see. "Kid" gained much popularity in Shooto for his aggressive, well-rounded and controversial persona. Yamamoto is considered to be a top lightweight fighter.

Yamamoto fights as a natural Featherweight @ 145 lbs. but has fought numerous lightweight fights @ 155 lbs., so I'm sure the transition wouldn't be too harsh on him.
I could most DEF. see "Kid" taking out Sean "The Muscle Shark," both possessing similar skills I see Kid taking the edge in the striking game and ultimately over Sherk. I think Yamamoto-Sherk would be an jaw-dropping fight through and through.

Wanderlei Silva
There is no need as to why the UFC should sign "The Axe Murderer." With a lethal combination of knees, punches, and kicks, there's so telling what Silva could bring to the UFC with elbows allowed. Wanderlei Silva would definitely be a nice addition to the light heavyweight division, although it would cause a bit of a conflict if Shogun ever was to hold the belt soon because Shogun stated in early interviews that he'd never fight Wanderlei Silva, though that may quickly change down the line.

With Silva in the picture, we could see a much needed rematch between him and Tito Ortiz, who LnP'd Silva for a decision in their first meeting. The fickleness of the Liddell-Silva fantasy matchup would have a stronger basis of happening and we could just see some bad ass action from Silva inside the Octagon.

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
Sokoudjou has certainly proved his skills and made a name for himself with his recent knockouts of Lil' Nog and Ricardo Arona. He definitely possess the skills to play with the big boys and now that he's actually looking for another organization to head to, I think White needs to step it up a notch and make sure he gets first dibs on Sokoudjou. There was actually news about Sokoudjou looking into the UFC, but he ended up not liking some things with the contract and he recently turned down EliteXC.

Nonetheless, White needs to work out the kinks in the contract that Sokoudjou doesn't like and bring him to the UFC. Sokoudjou is extremely talented and is well versed on his feet and was also the 2001 Open Judo competition.

Ricardo Arona
Yeah, Arona hasn't done much recently other than pounding Alistair Overeem's face in at PRIDE's Final Conflict Absolute back in '06, but the man still has some talent left in his tank. Arona holds a win over Wanderlei Silva, Kazushi Sakuraba, Jeremy Horn, PRIDE champion Dan Henderson and others. Arona is best recognized for his strength and considered by many to the best light heavyweights in MMA.

Though Arona has been shunned by many MMA fans for not trying to finish fight and rather settling for decision wins, I still think he'd be pretty exciting in the UFC.

Mark Hunt
Oh dear God, Mark Hunt is a must have in the UFC in my opinion. Hunt, the 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix champion, has most probably the most solid chin in MMA today. Hunt has also won K-1's 2001 Oceania GP and K-1's 2000 Oceania GP. Holding wins over Mirko "Cro Cop," Wanderlei Silva, and putting up a damn good fight against MMA God Fedor Emelianenko, I think Mark Hunt would definitely be a top contender in UFC's heavyweight division.
Hunt not only has a granite chin, that was able to take a CLEAN kick to the head from Cro Cop, he has world class striking abilities.

Hunt has showed the world what he's capable of Mark Hunt in his epic battle with K-1 top kickboxer Ray Sefo, where the two Samoans had one of the greatest fights in history to date. Also, in another battle Hunt faced Fedor in PRIDE Shockwave 2006, where he controlled Emelianenko most of the fight and was even able to counter what looked to be a threatening armbar. Hunt would be a major threat to every current UFC heavyweight I could think of. I would love to see Hunt crush Tim Sylvia. But then again, I'd love to see anyone crush Tim Sylvia, thanks Couture!

Great possible matchups with Hunt would include: Hunt-Sylvia, Hunt-CC rematch, Hunt-Monson, Hunt-Arlovski, and Hunt-Nogueira.

Josh Barnett
Josh Barnett needs to come BACK to the UFC. Barnett was the youngest UFC heavyweight champion after he defeated current UFC HW champion Randy couture, in early 2002. Barnett holds wins over Rodrigo Nogueira, Semmy Schilt, Randy Couture, and Dan Severn. Barnett was also a runner-up in PRIDE's 2006 World OWGP, but ultimately lost to Mirko "Cro Cop."
Now that PRIDE is on a rapid decline, I think it's time for Barnett to hop back on the UFC bandwagon and give his try at becoming the UFC heavyweight champion for the second time.

Cung Le
Cung Le brings a unique style to any organization he fights in. A San Shou kickboxing world competitor, Le brings to MMA a new style of striking. Le has the wildest Kung-Fu esque kicks you couldn't even imagine. Combining crisp punching, spinning back kicks, backward axe kicks, Le has won all his 4 MMA fights by way of knockout. Le also holds a 3-0 record in K-1 competitions.

Although many critics wonder if Cung Le has what it takes on the ground, he has shown impressive takedowns in his San Shou matches. Le has yet to have to take any fight to the ground, quickly dominating most of his opponents on the feet in the first round.
Cung Le currently fights for Strikeforce but, I'm sure Dana White could easily mold his future to the UFC with the help of some green paper.

I'm sure all MMA fans wouldn't mind seeing Cung Le and current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva square off in the Octagon!

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Wanderlei Fires Back!

A few days ago, UFC President Dana White president told Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports that Wanderlei Silva had supposedly "ducked" the fight against Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell. MMA fans were confused, many were not convinced and were itching for the truth. Wanderlei finally fired back to the false allegations and posted his response on his official website.

In a video response, Wanderlei states:

“I never said that I wouldn’t fight Chuck. I’ve wanted this fight for a long time. I received a contract with two options, I could fight in September or November. I have chosen to make this fight in November. I was the first to want this fight, but they kept avoiding this fight. Now there’s a lot of people saying that I have ducked Chuck. This is not true.”

Silva goes continues to say:

"I am in a moment of transition in my life. I'm going to move to the U.S. in a few weeks. I'm going to live in the U.S. and there's a lot of things happening, and I'm not focused on training the way I want to be. I always fought at the time the promoters wanted. Sometimes I did things I should not have done, but this time I won't do that anymore."

So, what was merely a time conflict was of course blown out of proportion by the king of evil, Dana White. White's little devious tricks were obvious to me, taking on the fact that Wanderlei told me himself he's been waiting for this fight and is excited to make his debut in the UFC. I mean, we're talking about PRIDE's five year reigning former middleweight champion, a man who took on Mark Hunt (who heavily outweighs Silva) at three days notice! Throw me a God damn bone here Dana, who are you trying to fool?

What a douche bag suck licker.

Wanderlei concluded by saying

“I want to fight chuck in November and make a huge show, and make it the biggest show ever…I have no doubts it’s the most important fight of my life. I know Chuck is a great name in the U.S., we’ll do a great fight. I think I must be in my best shape, so I want this time to train better to be in my bets shape ever. This fight is on, if he Chuck doesn’t hide behind this mess.”

Now, I love both fightersand I know Chuck Liddell isn't one to back out of fights either, so that just leaves Mr. White. White seems to love stirring up unnecessary controversy amongst fighters and always seem like the first one to point fingers.

Whatever, bottom line is, both fighters want to fight each other, both are coming off big knockout losses, so...STOP CLOWNING AROUND AND MAKE THIS FIGHT HAPPEN!

For the love of God, please.

If anything comes up, I'll be sure to keep you posted.

The Lianger

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Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva: It's Off!

Well, this shouldn't come as a surprise, the possibilities of Wanderlei Silva v. Liddell fight have finally come to an end. Despite rumors on a verbal agreement, White has told Kevin Iole from Yahoo! Sports that Silva has backed out and no longer wants to fight "The Iceman."

Early this week, a bulletin had been posted on Silva's official web site confirming September 22 as the official date for the two warriors to throwdown. So, I am completely confused by the whole situation...

I'm sorry but, I call full-blown shenanigans. The story has too many holes in it. Why in God's name would Silva back down from a fight? Silva has never been one to back down from a fight, taking on only the best of the best. Silva fought has faced off against Mirko "Cro Cop," Mark Hunt and Kazuyuki Fujita, all whom significantly outweighed Silva. This of course doesn't include the other top competition he has faced in his weight class, against opponents like Quinton Jackson, Dan Henderson and Ricardo Arona.

Additionally, when I met up with Wanderlei Silva, he himself told me that the fight against Liddell was in the works and he (Silva) was trying everything he can to have the fight established. Further proving Dana White's comments to be utter garbage.

Anyways, White also told Kevin Iole that the slot for UFC 76's main event is now open and he “not sure what we’re going to do” about the night’s headline fight and isn’t certain if he’ll keep Liddell on the card."

I'm sure some more news regarding the topic will arise sometime this week, I'll keep you guys posted.

The Lianger

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