It's a fight years in the making. It's the fight that fight fans around the world have been waiting for. The biggest fight in Mixed Martial Arts history: Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell vs "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva has been inked for December at UFC 79:Nemesis.
The question that some people have been asking themselves is "Does this fight still have the impact that it had a year ago?" Liddell, some people think, has lost his edge and seems to be on the downhill slope to retirement. He has lost his last two fights; first by knockout to Quinton Jackson and most recently lost via split decision in a lackluster performance against Keith Jardine. With two consecutive losses, one might think that this fight shouldn't even take place since Liddell hasn't performed too well as of late.
But then again, neither has Silva. Silva is also under the gun after he, too, has lost his last two fights - both by knockout, nonetheless; First he was knocked out by the signature Cro Cop headkick, and lastly by Dan Henderson.
With these two both coming off back-to-back losses, my answer to the question is "Damn right this fight has impact! Damn right this fight should happen!"
Most people said the same thing about Keith Jardine getting a shot at Liddell and not Alexander, and look what happened there. There's no doubt in my mind that Alexander would have pummelled Liddell but Jardine did well also and ended up winning the fight - even knocked the former champ down! So who's to say that Liddell shouldn't get a shot at Silva. Silva, too, has lost two fights in a row and that's the bottom line. This fight makes sense.
Not to mention the fact that there sometimes exceptions to the rules; this exception being that the hype behind this fight far exceeds the requirement to give deserving fighters their just dues. Don't get me wrong; I believe that if a fighter has worked hard, has worked his way up the ladder, and has given exciting performances, that he should be given the fight he deserves.
But lets face it, if this fight doesn't happen now it may never happen. For example, say Dana puts this fight off until both Liddell and Silva have fought other opponents first. Worst case scenario is Liddell loses to his opponent and Silva beats his. Then what? There's no way the UFC can pit Liddell against Silva with Liddell coming off 3 consecutive losses and Silva on his way back to the top. It wouldn't make sense to anyone. So now's the time.
The timing right now still makes this fight a dream come true. We are going to see the former UFC and former PRIDE 205 pound champions going at it after both have lost 2 in a row. If it doesn't make sense now, it never will.
It's a fight that's been promised over and over again but never came to fruition. Let's just hope that it hasn't been destiny that was preventing this fight; if so, destiny might rear it's ugly head again and have one of these fighters become injured and force them to pull out of the fight.
I think that this fight is going to be spectacular. Two of the fight game's best strikers going toe to toe for the first time! I get chills just thinking of it. I'm counting down the days until December 29th when these two will finally "GET IT ON!"
Showing posts with label Light Heavyweight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Light Heavyweight. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Silvia Back To His Unanimous Decision Ways
"The winner by unanimous decision: Tim 'The Main-iac' Silvia!"
Is the CD skipping?
We've heard this many times before and it is exactly why Tim Silvia gets booed. He is not an exciting fighter. Sure he's finished opponents in the past, but he is slow and awkward and has been very boring to watch as of late. He said in a pre-fight interview that he wants to finish his opponents and that we'd see a different, more exciting Tim Silvia. For a guy who doesn't like to go to a decision, he has sure done it a lot lately.
If he would only let his hands go and use his kicks and knees in a more aggressive fashion, he could be one of the most exciting fighters to watch.
Right from the get-go Silvia clinched with Vera and pushed him into the cage. This was basically the entire fight. A lot of hugging and kissing and calling each other George. Vera seemed to be very frustrated at the way the fight was going; you could tell he wanted to get some distance and drop bombs, but Silvia would have none of it. Silvia seemed content to press Vera into the cage and pretty much lean on him the entire fight. Vera unable to move the monster that is Silvia, was stuck in this position, and as much as he wanted to stand and trade with Silvia, he couldn't get the big man off of him. Frustrating not only for him but frustrating for everyone watching. There is not a single person in the world who wanted to see these two hug it out against the cage for the entire fight.
Silvia doesn't impress me with his fighting skills. He is so dominant because he is so big. He's tall and heavy. His reach is enormous and there's few fighters who can deal with those traits. If he were a smaller man, Tim Silvia would not be at the top of the heavyweight division.
After the win, Silvia called out Cheick Kongo. This, in my opinion, was simply because he does not want to fight Minotauro. Silvia knows that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is one of the best heavyweights in the world and would rather beat up Kongo on the ground than be beaten around by Nogeuira in a very Couture-esque fashion. Before Silvia's fight with Vera, there was much talk about the winner of the fight facing Nogeuira for the vacant heavyweight title. Tim most likely heard about this and decided it would be in his best interest to win a fight against a guy like Kongo who has no ground game. He wants to hype up a fight between him and Kongo to the point that the UFC decides it might be a good idea. Tim Silvia will beat Cheick Kongo, there's no doubt in my mind. Silvia will only finish Kongo if he takes him down and pounds him out. If the fight is left standing, it will be much like Silvia vs Vera or Kongo vs Cro Cop. Either way, I don't like the prospect of this fight. This is Tim's way of saving his own ass so that he doesn't go 1-2 in his last 3 fights; although I don't believe that that type of record would push Tim Silvia out of the UFC, it would severely hurt his chance for another shot at that title he craves so badly.
Vera, on the other hand, will fight anyone the UFC puts in front of him; his opponent at UFC 77 for example. Vera is the real deal. If Vera hadn't broken his left hand in the first round of the fight, he could have quite possibly won that fight. I believe he took round 2; broken hand and all. Round 3 I gave to Silvia, but Vera didn't throw much in the third. He seemed tentative and a little concerned about throwing combinations. Had he been able to fight without the worries of a broken hand, he most likely would have taken round 3. For a guy who's been out of the fight scene for nearly a year, he showed no signs of rust. Vera will be back very soon and will be, in the words of Tim Silvia, "someone to be reckoned with".
Vera vs. Gonzaga in the future? I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Is the CD skipping?
We've heard this many times before and it is exactly why Tim Silvia gets booed. He is not an exciting fighter. Sure he's finished opponents in the past, but he is slow and awkward and has been very boring to watch as of late. He said in a pre-fight interview that he wants to finish his opponents and that we'd see a different, more exciting Tim Silvia. For a guy who doesn't like to go to a decision, he has sure done it a lot lately.
If he would only let his hands go and use his kicks and knees in a more aggressive fashion, he could be one of the most exciting fighters to watch.
Right from the get-go Silvia clinched with Vera and pushed him into the cage. This was basically the entire fight. A lot of hugging and kissing and calling each other George. Vera seemed to be very frustrated at the way the fight was going; you could tell he wanted to get some distance and drop bombs, but Silvia would have none of it. Silvia seemed content to press Vera into the cage and pretty much lean on him the entire fight. Vera unable to move the monster that is Silvia, was stuck in this position, and as much as he wanted to stand and trade with Silvia, he couldn't get the big man off of him. Frustrating not only for him but frustrating for everyone watching. There is not a single person in the world who wanted to see these two hug it out against the cage for the entire fight.
Silvia doesn't impress me with his fighting skills. He is so dominant because he is so big. He's tall and heavy. His reach is enormous and there's few fighters who can deal with those traits. If he were a smaller man, Tim Silvia would not be at the top of the heavyweight division.
After the win, Silvia called out Cheick Kongo. This, in my opinion, was simply because he does not want to fight Minotauro. Silvia knows that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is one of the best heavyweights in the world and would rather beat up Kongo on the ground than be beaten around by Nogeuira in a very Couture-esque fashion. Before Silvia's fight with Vera, there was much talk about the winner of the fight facing Nogeuira for the vacant heavyweight title. Tim most likely heard about this and decided it would be in his best interest to win a fight against a guy like Kongo who has no ground game. He wants to hype up a fight between him and Kongo to the point that the UFC decides it might be a good idea. Tim Silvia will beat Cheick Kongo, there's no doubt in my mind. Silvia will only finish Kongo if he takes him down and pounds him out. If the fight is left standing, it will be much like Silvia vs Vera or Kongo vs Cro Cop. Either way, I don't like the prospect of this fight. This is Tim's way of saving his own ass so that he doesn't go 1-2 in his last 3 fights; although I don't believe that that type of record would push Tim Silvia out of the UFC, it would severely hurt his chance for another shot at that title he craves so badly.
Vera, on the other hand, will fight anyone the UFC puts in front of him; his opponent at UFC 77 for example. Vera is the real deal. If Vera hadn't broken his left hand in the first round of the fight, he could have quite possibly won that fight. I believe he took round 2; broken hand and all. Round 3 I gave to Silvia, but Vera didn't throw much in the third. He seemed tentative and a little concerned about throwing combinations. Had he been able to fight without the worries of a broken hand, he most likely would have taken round 3. For a guy who's been out of the fight scene for nearly a year, he showed no signs of rust. Vera will be back very soon and will be, in the words of Tim Silvia, "someone to be reckoned with".
Vera vs. Gonzaga in the future? I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Friday, October 12, 2007
UFC's Heavyweight Division Dwindling
I'm sure most of you have heard by now that Randy Couture is, once again, retiring. The announcement of his retirement comes a day after it was announced that Fedor had signed with Russia's M-1 organization. The dream matchup that the fight world was praying for will no longer become a reality. Couture vs Emelianenko exists now only in our imagination.
With the UFC's heavyweight division without MMA's top two heavyweights, we are left with heavyweight questions.
There are few top heavyweights left in this division and several of those fighters have big question marks beside their names.
I'll begin with Arlovski. The "Pit Bull" hasn't fought since April 21 and, as of yet, has no fights lined up in the near future. His fight against Fabricio Werdum wasn't exactly Fight of the Year material; Arlovski fought very tentatively and used leg kicks as his weapon of choice. I have no doubt that the fearsome striker that is Arlovski still exists, but he hasn't shown his face in quite some time.
This brings me to Tim Silvia. In his last five fights, has has only stopped one opponent; the other four fights went to the judges' decision with his last fight coming as a loss to Randy Couture. Tim Silvia has also fought very tentatively in his last few fights. Throwing a lot of jabs but nothing significant. If Tim Silvia comes back a hungry fighter on October 20th, then watch out...but if not, he'll be booed back to the hotel once again and will leave Dana White seriously thinking of whether or not to resign him.
There's also Nogueira. This guy is tough and is a serious threat to the vacant UFC Heavyweight title. That being said, he nearly got his head kicked off by Heath Herring in his UFC debut. Heath Herring is another top heavyweight on my list, but he needs to pull off a few exciting wins to be considered as a contender to the title.
Cro Cop is the biggest bust in UFC history. He is 1-2 in the Octagon thus far. His lone victory coming in the form of an unimpressive TKO against Eddie Sanchez, who, basically ran away from Cro Cop the entire time. Cro Cop's future is one of the biggest problems on Dana White's plate. What is the UFC to do with a fighter with a huge salary like Cro Cop, but who is only deemed worthy of prelim fights?
Cheick Kongo can be considered a threat to the title if he works nothing but wrestling and Jiu Jitsu for 6 solid months. Nothing else. No fights, no kickboxing. Just grappling and submissions. He can be an exciting fighter if he becomes more aggressive, lets his hands and feet go, pushes the action and throws combinations. If he can do these things, then we have a serious contender on our hands. If not, then he's just another kickboxer who doesn't have confidence in his standup because he has no ground game to back it up.
Brandon Vera is possibly the real deal; something UFC fans are going to find out October 20th when he takes on former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Silvia. He is 8-0 and 4-0 in the UFC with only one of his UFC fights going past the first round (Beating Fabiano Scherner by TKO in the second round). If he beats Tim Silvia then Brandon Vera should be considered for the vacant title. Vera hasn't fought since November of last year, which leaves him questionable. Will his win over a questionable Frank Mir be seen as merely a result of Mir's motorcycle accident or will he move to the top of the food chain with a win over "The Main-iac"?
Gabriel Gonzaga is probably the baddest dude in this division. Although he lost to Randy Couture, he is, in my opinion, still the top contender for this title. Ridiculous kicks and great Jiu Jitsu, this guy will be champion one day - Guaranteed. Although, I think Randy would have won that fight either way, Gonzaga broke his nose in the first round when taken down by a high single by Couture; this took a lot of the life out of Gonzaga. Now, that being said, Gonzaga fought like an animal with a broken nose and landed some very powerful kicks - one of which broke Couture's arm. Besides Gonzaga, there are very few others who can be considered for the championship.
What I would like to see is Gonzaga take on Big Nog and have that winner fight the winner of Silvia vs Vera for the vacant title. I would hope that the UFC holds Gonzaga vs. Nogueira in December and have the Championship matchup maybe in March 2008.
I don't know the length of Fedor's contract with M-1, but I still hope that one day he makes the move to the UFC. And unless the UFC brings in Josh Barnett and possibly Brock Lesnar, the UFC Heavyweight division is going to go right back to where it was...boring.
With the UFC's heavyweight division without MMA's top two heavyweights, we are left with heavyweight questions.
There are few top heavyweights left in this division and several of those fighters have big question marks beside their names.
I'll begin with Arlovski. The "Pit Bull" hasn't fought since April 21 and, as of yet, has no fights lined up in the near future. His fight against Fabricio Werdum wasn't exactly Fight of the Year material; Arlovski fought very tentatively and used leg kicks as his weapon of choice. I have no doubt that the fearsome striker that is Arlovski still exists, but he hasn't shown his face in quite some time.
This brings me to Tim Silvia. In his last five fights, has has only stopped one opponent; the other four fights went to the judges' decision with his last fight coming as a loss to Randy Couture. Tim Silvia has also fought very tentatively in his last few fights. Throwing a lot of jabs but nothing significant. If Tim Silvia comes back a hungry fighter on October 20th, then watch out...but if not, he'll be booed back to the hotel once again and will leave Dana White seriously thinking of whether or not to resign him.
There's also Nogueira. This guy is tough and is a serious threat to the vacant UFC Heavyweight title. That being said, he nearly got his head kicked off by Heath Herring in his UFC debut. Heath Herring is another top heavyweight on my list, but he needs to pull off a few exciting wins to be considered as a contender to the title.
Cro Cop is the biggest bust in UFC history. He is 1-2 in the Octagon thus far. His lone victory coming in the form of an unimpressive TKO against Eddie Sanchez, who, basically ran away from Cro Cop the entire time. Cro Cop's future is one of the biggest problems on Dana White's plate. What is the UFC to do with a fighter with a huge salary like Cro Cop, but who is only deemed worthy of prelim fights?
Cheick Kongo can be considered a threat to the title if he works nothing but wrestling and Jiu Jitsu for 6 solid months. Nothing else. No fights, no kickboxing. Just grappling and submissions. He can be an exciting fighter if he becomes more aggressive, lets his hands and feet go, pushes the action and throws combinations. If he can do these things, then we have a serious contender on our hands. If not, then he's just another kickboxer who doesn't have confidence in his standup because he has no ground game to back it up.
Brandon Vera is possibly the real deal; something UFC fans are going to find out October 20th when he takes on former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Silvia. He is 8-0 and 4-0 in the UFC with only one of his UFC fights going past the first round (Beating Fabiano Scherner by TKO in the second round). If he beats Tim Silvia then Brandon Vera should be considered for the vacant title. Vera hasn't fought since November of last year, which leaves him questionable. Will his win over a questionable Frank Mir be seen as merely a result of Mir's motorcycle accident or will he move to the top of the food chain with a win over "The Main-iac"?
Gabriel Gonzaga is probably the baddest dude in this division. Although he lost to Randy Couture, he is, in my opinion, still the top contender for this title. Ridiculous kicks and great Jiu Jitsu, this guy will be champion one day - Guaranteed. Although, I think Randy would have won that fight either way, Gonzaga broke his nose in the first round when taken down by a high single by Couture; this took a lot of the life out of Gonzaga. Now, that being said, Gonzaga fought like an animal with a broken nose and landed some very powerful kicks - one of which broke Couture's arm. Besides Gonzaga, there are very few others who can be considered for the championship.
What I would like to see is Gonzaga take on Big Nog and have that winner fight the winner of Silvia vs Vera for the vacant title. I would hope that the UFC holds Gonzaga vs. Nogueira in December and have the Championship matchup maybe in March 2008.
I don't know the length of Fedor's contract with M-1, but I still hope that one day he makes the move to the UFC. And unless the UFC brings in Josh Barnett and possibly Brock Lesnar, the UFC Heavyweight division is going to go right back to where it was...boring.
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