Liddell vs. Jardine tonight

[Snail Shell]

Real quick, my analysis:

Thiago Tavares vs Tyson Griffin

This'll be a good fight. Two solid ground fighters with decent stand up. I give a slight edge to Thiago for his experence.
MY CALL: Tavares by decision

Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Lyoto Machida

Honestly, I think Machida is the best unknown fighter in MMA. He's a solid fighter who may well have a title shot soon if he can impressively win some fights in the near future.
MY CALL: Machida by decision

Jon Fitch vs. Diego Sanchez

Another good fight on the ground. Sanchez is physically stronger bu Fitch has just been so impressive all-around. As well, Sanchez is coming off of a bad loss whie Fitch is 13 - 0 in his last 13 fights. It'll be a good fight to say the least.
MY CALL: Fitch by decision

Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

Nothing against Griffin, but he's gotta have rocks in his head taking this fight. Short of a lucky punch, Shogun Rua is going to mess Griffin up.
MY CALL: Rua by KO/TKO

Chuck Liddell vs. Keith Jardine

I like Jardine. I always have. He's got a very interesting style to watch and seeing how quickly he's risen in the UFC has been fun. I don't however think he's as good a striker as everyone says he is. As well, Chuck Liddell is, well, Chuck Liddell. If Jardine can get inside and land a few hits and keep the pressure on Chuck, it'll be interesting, but standing and trading with Liddell is never a good move.

That being said, this fight is a necessary win for Liddell. If he loses more ground in the title race, it could damage his career. Deep down, I want Jardine to win this fight, but I don't think it will realistically happen.
MY CALL: Liddell by KO/TKO

Snail Shell

 

[jugner]

Well, I believe Fitch is the best unknown fighter in the UFC. He's fun to watch, he's so good.

Griffin has amazing conditioning, but I think Shogun will be too much.

Jardine has punching power, but toe to toe with Liddell will be bad for him. He has one tool he can win with, his leg kick, it has a lot of power behind it. Bonnar was limping when he fought him afterwards.
Liddel is the favorite, but Jardine KOing Liddel with a cross wouldn't be as shocking as Gonzaga KOing Cro Cop with a head kick.

 

[jugner]

WHOOOOO!!!!!!
Jardine all the way. Well, by split decision, which was crap, Jardine won, anyone could see that, one of the judges must've liked Chuck and gave him one.

And I was right, the leg kick was the difference

 

[jugner]

Serra beat St. Pierre, Couture beat Sylvia, Gonzaga beat Cro Cop, Couture beat Gonzaga, Jackson beat Liddel, Griffin beat Shogun, Henderson beat Silva, Liddel/Jardiine went to a decision, and Jardine won.

Year of the upset.

 

[maniactickler]

Serra beat St. Pierre, Couture beat Sylvia, Gonzaga beat Cro Cop, Couture beat Gonzaga, Jackson beat Liddel, Griffin beat Shogun, Henderson beat Silva, Liddel/Jardiine went to a decision, and Jardine won.

Year of the upset.

That sounded like a good card. so is Liddel washed up now?

 

[Snail Shell]

I am literally in shock that Griffin beat Shogun.

And no, Liddell is not washed up. He'll probably get another fight and soforth. They won't lose the chance at Liddell vs. Silva that easily.

Snail Shell

 

[jugner]

Shogun looked out of shape, he gassed quickly.

Liddel is hard to read. He has 2 losses in a row, and the last went to a decision, the first in a very long time. Either his age is showing or he just got a couple opponents that were that good. Maybe they waited too long for Liddel/Silva.

 

[jugner]

That sounded like a good card. so is Liddel washed up now?

Those were the upsets for 2007.

 

[Bizkit]

Over this past year we have really seen the passing of the torch to the up and coming fighters.I was really surprised by Shoguns poor performance but the Liddell fight wasnt as much of a shock to me.I am still holding out for Mirko to rise again

What do you guys think about the silva/frankiln fight?Potentially fight of the year depending on what state of mind Franklin shows up with.

 

[Snail Shell]

Silva, barring a mental mistake or lucky punch, is going to DESTROY Rich Franklin.

Now, that being said, Franklin and Silva are the two best 185ers in the world. No question about that. However, Franklin tried a standup fight with Silva and got his face rearranged. The only way to beat Silva is to get him down, and even if you do manage that, he's still a BJJ black belt. Travis Lutter and Nate Marquardt are both better on the ground than Franklin and Silva held them off reasonably well (especially Marquardt). I take nothing away from Franklin, but Silva said he's going to be champion for many years and I have no reason to doubt him.

Snail Shell

 

[Bizkit]

Silva, barring a mental mistake or lucky punch, is going to DESTROY Rich Franklin.

Now, that being said, Franklin and Silva are the two best 185ers in the world. No question about that. However, Franklin tried a standup fight with Silva and got his face rearranged. The only way to beat Silva is to get him down, and even if you do manage that, he's still a BJJ black belt. Travis Lutter and Nate Marquardt are both better on the ground than Franklin and Silva held them off reasonably well (especially Marquardt). I take nothing away from Franklin, but Silva said he's going to be champion for many years and I have no reason to doubt him.

Snail Shell

I would have to agree.Franklin at this point is the only person in that division that has any chance of beating Silva at it is a long shot.They both have the same skill set,Anderson is just that much better at every aspect.Ryo Chonan I believe was the last person to beat Silva and he is rumored to be making his debut at UFC 78.That fight with Ryo was the one of the most,if not the most impressive submission I have ever seen.That could be a nice rematch.What are your thoughts on Sylvia/Vera?

 

[Snail Shell]

Silva's last loss was to Yushin Okami by DQ. 🙂

Vera should win. He's a better all around fighter and Sylvia can't take very much in the way of punishment. How he beat Arlovski is beyond me. Vera's a solid all-around fighter. If he's smart and fights a technical standup fight against Sylvia, he should score a knockout.

And while we're here, Serra/Hughes is set for December. Hughes should win like he always does (slam, pin, ground 'n pound, yawn) and then lose the belt back to GSP. 😀

Snail Shell

 

[CurtWild]

i`m a bit shocked and disappointed by 76......

i cant stand Chuck but i wanted him to win just so he could be broken by Wandy.

Shogun put on such a bad performance,it looked as if he hadn`t trained at all.

congrats to Griffin and Jardine for making an already deep division even deeper.

i am intrigued by Diego`s post fight comments about dropping to 155,that would be awesome.Machida looked like he actually tried to finish which was good...i expect Nakamura to also put on a better performance in his next fight,but he should fight at 185.

the Tyson/Tavares fight ws awesome.

very tough fight for Ace(again),he has to use his size to his advantage.of course, if he actually gets a take down he in the guard of a BBJ bb...realistically he should work on his striking and stay out of Silvas Thai clinch(lol).Rich is a pretty good stiker from a technical stand point....i expect a much better showing from him,dunno if he has what it takes though.

Big Tim is gonna KO Vera.....Sylvia is actually a good fighter when he has his shit together

 

[CurtWild]

oh and here is a link for the new UFC show that starts on Oct 6......channel listing and areas its available

http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=misc.wired&gid=7830

 

[Bizkit]

I would have to agree with Drunkenmstr on the Sylvia fight.Vera is a great fighter but I think Tim's size will be too much for him to deal with.I would have to disagree with Snail Shell when it comes to Sylvia's ability to take punishment.In the Couture fight he basically got the shit kicked out of him for 25 minutes and went the distance.Same thing in the 3rd Arlovski fight,that fight wasnt the greatest but his face was a mess after that fight even though he won.I am not a huge Tim Sylvia fan but he really doesnt get the respect he deserves as a top fighter.I really wanted to see Vera/Arlovski.
Anderson did lose to Okami but Yushin really didnt defeat him.Its to bad that strike was illegal because it was pretty nasty.With all of the turmoil in the lightweight division do you guys think we will see Wanderlai get a direct title shot?I see a Griffin/Jardine 2 before they get a shot and in the mean time Rampage would probably have to fight someone else.There really is nobody else in line.

 

[CurtWild]

Wand said on his site that he now wants Forrest,which would happen in Dec. if Forrest is not on a medical suspension.on the other hand....Jardine wouldn`t be a bad choice either,fighting and beating the 2 guys that were ranked 1 and 2 in the division for so long would guarantee him a title shot.
lol,i suppose it`d be the same for Forrest.

other than those guys you have Machida,Rashad,Tito(who will prolly fight Rashad again),Lambert,Houston,Nakamura,Chuck(prolly won`t be ready to go)

my guess is Forrest and if he can`t then Jardine....Rampage gets the winner

it really doesn`t matter who they feed to Wandy cause IMO he will not come into his fight unprepared/lacking motivation and he will be in the best shape of his life.

The Axe Murderer returns Dec 29!!! 😀

 

[jugner]

Wand said on his site that he now wants Forrest,which would happen in Dec. if Forrest is not on a medical suspension.on the other hand....Jardine wouldn`t be a bad choice either,fighting and beating the 2 guys that were ranked 1 and 2 in the division for so long would guarantee him a title shot.
lol,i suppose it`d be the same for Forrest.

other than those guys you have Machida,Rashad,Tito(who will prolly fight Rashad again),Lambert,Houston,Nakamura,Chuck(prolly won`t be ready to go)

my guess is Forrest and if he can`t then Jardine....Rampage gets the winner

it really doesn`t matter who they feed to Wandy cause IMO he will not come into his fight unprepared/lacking motivation and he will be in the best shape of his life.

The Axe Murderer returns Dec 29!!! 😀

I don't know, giving Griffin a title shot when Jardine is up there too, in May Jardine knocked Griffin out, so Griffin can beat anyone but whle Jardine is in contention, Griffin shouldn't get a shot until Jardine and him have a rematch.

 

[jugner]

With all of the turmoil in the lightweight division do you guys think we will see Wanderlai get a direct title shot?I see a Griffin/Jardine 2 before they get a shot and in the mean time Rampage would probably have to fight someone else.There really is nobody else in line.

Why would he? Cro Cop was supposed to rule the heavyweights. Henderson and Shogun had crappy UFC debuts. He has to earn a shot.

 

[Bizkit]

Wand said on his site that he now wants Forrest,which would happen in Dec. if Forrest is not on a medical suspension.on the other hand....Jardine wouldn`t be a bad choice either,fighting and beating the 2 guys that were ranked 1 and 2 in the division for so long would guarantee him a title shot.
lol,i suppose it`d be the same for Forrest.

I didnt hear that but that would be a really cool fight now that I think about it.There are just so many good possibilities for fights now it is just great.I dont know about you guys but the fight I keep waiting to here announced is Fedor/Couture.It would take years to even build another fight that big.Prides greatest champion,undefeated, versus multiple title holder,legend,reigning heavyweight champion Couture.They have to be the two best fighters when it comes to executing their game plan.Actually he is arguably Prides best champ,Wanderlai did also dominate for a long time.I would like to see one live someday,has anybody here been to a live event?

 

[CurtWild]

I don't know, giving Griffin a title shot when Jardine is up there too, in May Jardine knocked Griffin out, so Griffin can beat anyone but whle Jardine is in contention, Griffin shouldn't get a shot until Jardine and him have a rematch.

tis true

but i think if Forrest went through Wand and Shogun it would be a travesty not to.....Jardine could always get first crack at him

of course.....it doesn`t look like Forrest will be able to fight Wandy in Dec due to a nasty cut and we have to wait on the medical suspensions for Jardine/Chuck/Shogun/Machida/Nak

to be honest....i just wanna see Wandy maul somebody,doesn`t matter who it is.

also...Rampage won`t be fighting again until Feb or March...which is why i believe that Wand`s next fight will be a guy in the running for a title shot.winner gets Rampage

 

[jugner]

tis true

but i think if Forrest went through Wand and Shogun it would be a travesty not to.....Jardine could always get first crack at him

of course.....it doesn`t look like Forrest will be able to fight Wandy in Dec due to a nasty cut and we have to wait on the medical suspensions for Jardine/Chuck/Shogun/Machida/Nak

Up to me, it would be Houston Alexander against Silva in DEC.. He's good, and his last 2 fights show he can hit HARD. Together his last two fighs have lasted less than 2 minutes.

to be honest....i just wanna see Wandy maul somebody,doesn`t matter who it is.

also...Rampage won`t be fighting again until Feb or March...which is why i believe that Wand`s next fight will be a guy in the running for a title shot.winner gets Rampage

Don't be like that, peope said they wanted to see Cro Cop maul somebody. To me he is the recipient of the most vicious KO I've ever seen.
Many said Shogun was going to maul Griffin. He looked pathetic and lost.

 

[Snail Shell]

The problem with the last PPV is that it leaves NO clear contender for the belt at this point. Liddell lost. Shogun Rua lost. Wandy hasn't proven himself yet. Henderson lost. You've got three young stars who've got big potential (Griffin, Jardine, Alexander). But still, no clear #1 contender. Ultimately, I think given enough time and fights, Shogun Rua will end up with the belt, but that's just me.

As far as December and Wandy go, I could see it being any of those three young guys fighting him, but people keep forgetting, Wanderlei Silva was in the UFC once already and he failed miserably. His Octagon record remains 1 - 2 and he's already had a title shot against Tito Ortiz and lost. That being said, I think Silva should not get a title shot until he gets through Tito Ortiz. It's only fair to both of them.

As for Vera/Syliva, you're right. Sylvia is decent when he's got his shit together. The last time he had his shit together however was back before he lost the title the first time. His fights after that have been either loses or snore-fests save his second fight with Arlovski, which, in my opinion, he won by a lucky punch. Vera's not afraid to get in there and mix it up at all, he takes solid hits and he still has knocked out guys just as big at Sylvia (Justin Eilers for one). Vera should win the fight, no question in my mind.

The big question is, Sherk tests positive for anabolics and has an extention on the hearing. If he's found out, he gets stripped of the Lightweight belt. Franca's already out for 1 year. So, who do you like at 155?

Snail Shell

 

[Bizkit]

The big question is, Sherk tests positive for anabolics and has an extention on the hearing. If he's found out, he gets stripped of the Lightweight belt. Franca's already out for 1 year. So, who do you like at 155?

I hope he wins his appeal and keeps the belt.I used to be big into powerlifting so I really appreciate Sherks style and raw power.Even though a lot of his fights are basically him laying on a guy for the whole fight he is great to watch.If he gets stripped a fantastic fight would Florian/Penn but its rumored that it will be Stevenson/Penn.Another great fighter at 155 is Spencer Fisher.I hate to bring it up again but today there was another post on UFCMANIA of Fedor coming and possibly fighting Randy.I think we are going to be in for a treat in a few months fellas.

 

[Snail Shell]

I'd love to see Penn as the Lightweight Champ. And Fedor/Couture might be the best ground fight in MMA history. 😀

Snail Shell

 

[CurtWild]

Don't be like that, peope said they wanted to see Cro Cop maul somebody. To me he is the recipient of the most vicious KO I've ever seen.
Many said Shogun was going to maul Griffin. He looked pathetic and lost.

true indeed

but i think because A)Silva has seen Shogun/CC lose for whatever reason B)he`s lost his last 2 fights and C)he`s had plenty of time off to recover and refocus he will come in stronger than ever.i suppose what i really mean is that he will be back to his old self and he will not think that he can just show up and win based on rep alone.dedicated Wandy = danger.also,even if he does lose it won`t be because he was unprepared in any way.

i think i`m rambling now....gotta put down my Wandy pictures 😀😉

Cro Cop and Shogun were foolish.CC said(after Gonzaga nearly killed him) that he was not training in a cage or with elbows.Shogun said he didn`t watch any Forrest footage and looked like he didn`t train much....not to take anything away from Griffin.