First off, let me issue another quick apology for not getting any articles up this week. Things have been especially crazy for Leland and I over the past few months, and things are finally settling down. I hope to continue posting on a semi-regular basis and hopefully we'll be back in full swing before long.

This weekend, UFC 88 heads to Atlanta, Georgia. I'm going to skip the usually fighter introductions because truthfully, those can be found anywhere on the net. Let's get to the real reason we write these articles, the predictions and analysis.

Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans

Chuck Liddell comes into this fight after winning a unanimous decision over former PRIDE middleweight champion, Wanderlei Silva. Chuck and Wanderlei had an epic three round war that was nothing short of spectacular.

Rashad comes into this fight having won a controversial split-decision over Michael Bisping. He is the TUF 2 heavyweight winner and is undefeated in his career.

Simply put, Chuck destroys grapplers. It's really hard for me to find anyway for Rashad Evans to win this fight outside of a lucky punch or kick. Chuck has excellent takedown defense and is able to utilize good footwork and work angles to effectively counter punch his way to victory. Rashad has one benefit on his side. He trains with Greg Jackson and his teammate, Keith Jardine, was able to defeat Liddell. The problem for Rashad is that he doesn't possess the leg kicks needed to keep Chuck at bay. I believe this fight will look similar to Chuck and Tito's two fights with Rashad looking to shoot sporadically and getting pounded on the feet. 

Joe's Prediction: Chuck Liddell via T/KO round 2.

Rich Franklin vs. Matt Hamill

Rich Franklin looks to make his return to the light heavyweight division against former TUF contestant Matt Hamill. Hamill is a Division III wrestler that has show good power inside the Octagon. I have went back and forth on this fight a little bit only because of Franklin's jump in weight. Hamill will be decidedly bigger and will most likely have the power advantage. Rich will want to keep this fight on the feet and try to take advantage of Hamill's sloppy stand up defense. Hamill has big power in his punches and pushes a relentless pace. He always comes forward, but the thing that scares me is that sometimes he drops his hands to his sides and swings looping punches. If Franklin can keep this fight on the feet and avoid Hammil's takedowns, which is no small task I might add, then he can definitely win this fight. Hamill needs to relentlessly push the pace and keep Rich on his heels. When he sees an opportunity, he needs to put Rich on his back. From there, Hamill must have improved on his top control to keep Rich neutralized. I don't think he'll be able to do it, and I think this will be a closer fight than most expect.

Joe's Prediction: Rich Franklin via Unanimous Decision.

Dan Henderson vs. Rousimar Palhares More...

Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva was one of the most entertaining battles that we saw last year in the UFC. The toe-to-toe exchanges were spectacular, and the surprising chin and cardio of Silva proved to make the fight even more exciting. There were also the years and years of hype and hope that fueled the excitement for that fight to happen, and the UFC made the play to get Silva and create that fight to not only please the hardcore fans, but produce a fantastic bout between MMA legends. Now, a new matchup that pits a legend in Liddell against an Internet street brawler in Kimbo Slice could very well be the next Silva vs. Liddell.

The long road to producing this fight has already begun. Chuck Liddell had these words to say regarding Kimbo’s supposed star status:

"Kimbo's one of those guys who doesn't have any ground game," Liddell said. "He's training and he's learning but he's been built up as such a big star, and that's the thing that bothers me.

"People talk about him like he's the next great thing when he really hasn't done anything. He's been built up because of the Internet and him beating a bunch of guys on the street... I could make some impressive knockout videos too if you let me walk outside and just punch people and knock them out."

Kimbo has since replied with his own comments:

Ferguson says that Liddell and other fighters are "only creating a monster" by calling him out and that they should come see him directly if they have a problem.

"We can always take it back to old-school; that'll work for me," Ferguson said. "But I still got love for all the MMA fighters, but if you keep on rapping man, I'm going to have to zip it close, baby, because I'm getting tired of the talk.

"The next one that has something to say, just see me [directly]. I'll come to your camp, and that's real talk."

Talk may be cheap, but it’s all that MMA fans need to get the gums flapping about this matchup. Is Kimbo the real deal? Can Liddell actually use a ground game against him? Will he even try? A lot of questions are being asked, and it’s very interesting to hear Chuck talk about how nobody should care about Kimbo, yet he continues to comment on him.

Regardless of all the talk, both fighters are beginning their campaigns to make this fight happen down the line, and make this fight become something much bigger than it initially was thought to be. Dana White confirmed on TSN Canada's sports talk show "Off the Record" that they would be looking at Kimbo if he beats some legitimate competition. That would give fans the signal that the fight is a definite possibility down the line if Kimbo's skills can continue to improve.

Add in the potential for Kimbo to become a true MMA star if EliteXC’s venture into network television ends up being a huge success, and we could see the makings of some record breaking numbers for a UFC PPV. Kimbo’s internet presence alongside his newfound presence on network television could boost his drawing power through the roof. Kimbo could very well be the dream draw for casual fans, while Liddell is one of the UFC’s highest draws in their history. Put both these guys together on one card, and it could be one of the most successful events ever for the UFC.

Right now however, this is all speculation until Kimbo proves that he can continue beating competition in devastating fashion. A few legitimate opponents in the future would definitely up his stake to hardcore fans while some successful battles on CBS would excite the casual fanbase. Once he’s successfully been put through the hoops, I’m sure the personality of Kimbo Slice will begin to rear its head in the media and the “smack” talk will be heard throughout the industry. Chuck Liddell can’t resist shutting down Kimbo’s claims, so it should provide the perfect background to hype Liddell vs. Kimbo.

Is this fight inevitable? Two powerful strikers with heavy hands and knockout power squaring off against each other is always a great battle, but Kimbo still must prove himself to the fanbase and to the UFC. I believe Kimbo will face Liddell eventually. It could take some time though, and Kimbo isn't exactly young. Hopefully, he takes on some better competition after Thompson and legitimizes his skills, but don't leave out the possibility of Kimbo being slapped down the ladder he's climbing.

Chuck Liddell recently answered questions in an interview with The Sun regarding a number of subjects related to the sport of mixed martial arts. In the questioning, Liddell was asked about Fedor Emelianenko, and he answered:

"Fedor's someone I want to fight because he's someone I match up well with. He's a ground and pound guy that doesn't have a great shot. He doesn't have a great game plan. I think I could take him. I think I match up well with him. As far as I know he's never knocked anyone out from his feet and I think he'd have a hard time taking me down."

Call me a Fedor “nuthugger” or say that I'm on the Fedor “bandwagon' all you want, but these comments are reckless. Let me break down how I see a Chuck Liddell vs. Fedor Emelianenko matchup just for the sake of an argument.

Stylistically, Liddell's striking game is one of the best in mixed martial arts. His counter punching is devastating, but he is open for huge blows just like any other fighter in the game. His wrestling is considered a valuable asset in helping him maintain his primary gameplan to strike with opponents, but can he stop Fedor Emelianenko's tenacious takedowns?

Liddell's comments regarding Fedor as a “ground and pound guy that doesn't have a great shot” are inaccurate at best. Fedor's shot isn't tough to stop by itself, but it's nearly impossible to stop when coupled with the fact that his powerful haymakers and striking are not only heavy, but very quick for a heavyweight. Liddell would have to deal with not only Fedor's devastating and underrated striking ability, but then try to sprawl a takedown from the explosive Russian's takedown while thinking a strike was incoming. Fedor used this exact strategy against Antonio Nogueira in multiple bouts.

Fedor's gameplan usually revolves around making his opponent's gameplan change completely. His opponents really haven't had an answer, and I doubt Liddell's striking would provide an answer. Once again, I turn to the transitional skillset of Fedor Emelianenko to effectively argue my point. A one-dimensional fighter such as Liddell would simply not last against an effective ground and standup fighter such as Fedor, especially without a good transition game.

Finally, Liddell's assumption that he would be hard to take down has been a time tested quote by multiple fighters. Sylvia said the same thing about Nogueira, and he still went down. If this fight happens, I believe we'd see Liddell on the floor more times than he's ever been in a single fight. Somebody convince me that Liddell's quote really holds water.

After the news this week that Mauricio "Shogun" Rua had re-injured his knee and had to pull out of his scheduled UFC 85 matchup with Chuck Liddell, the MMA community has been scheming as to who would replace Rua as a formidable opponent against Liddell. Unfortunately, the UFC has decided to use TUF alumni, Rashad Evans, to fill the gap.

From a pure business standpoint, this match makes sense. Rashad has had television exposure on both the Ultimate Fighter reality series and headlined UFC 78 alongside Michael Bisping, another TUF winner. We all know Chuck Liddell can sell a UFC by himself, so adding in Rashad to the mix could boost the numbers to a small degree. After all, both fighters should be well known to the casual fanbase.

As a hardcore mixed martial arts fan, I'm disappointed in the matchup. Rashad doesn't present a dangerous challenge for Chuck Liddell, and it wouldn't surprise me if the UFC uses a victory by Chuck Liddell as some sort of springboard to justify another title shot after Forrest Griffin battles Quinton "Rampage" Jackson later in the year. Does Liddell deserve a shot if he defeats Evans? Not in my opinion.

Before some of you give me the rundown as to why this matchup could be interesting, let me point out a few things. First and foremost, Rashad's wrestling game has been touted as being a problem for some fighters. His biggest problem has been implementing that wrestling game in many of his recent bouts against mid-echelon talent. Do you really think he can take down Chuck Liddell, a man who has been unbelievably tough to takedown for even better wrestlers and grapplers than Evans? Doubtful.

Secondly, Evans will have a huge disadvantage against Liddell's reach and striking ability.  Coupling that problem with the fact that Liddell is unbelievably tough to take down could present a very lopsided advantage for Liddell. For the hardcore fans out there wanting to see a the dream matchup of Shogun vs. Liddell, we'll now be treated to a matchup that really doesn't offer much. The UFC could potentially sell a good amount of pay-per-views with the two recognizable names though, and that may be the hard sell that the UFC is trying to shove down our throats.

A pure striker with uncanny takedown defense against a subpar MMA wrestler who has shown only glimmers of finishing ability. I'll take Liddell easily in this one.

Apparently, Chuck feels that he doesn't need to win more than two consecutive fights to deserve a title shot. In a quote from BrawlSports.com, Chuck talks about "Shogun" Rua and the title:

“He’s a good fighter … had a great career in Pride, and I’ll be glad to show him again why UFC is better than Pride. I have the edge in the standup game and the wrestling game, too. His submission game is decent, but I don’t think I’ll have a problem with his submission game, either…. I didn’t think I needed two wins in a row to get a title shot. But two fights definitely give me the credibility to get a title shot.”

It's interesting to hear what fighters think about their title aspirations. Chuck recently lost to Keith Jardine and "Rampage" Jackson, but came back with a big win over Wanderlei Silva. With that win, he believes that he should be at the top of the division, but the fact of the matter is that Jardine has yet to fight anyone after defeating Liddell, and Forrest is already in line to fight Rampage after The Ultimate Fighter reality series.

I suppose that the real problem here is entertainment and business over quality or fairness of divisional rankings. Liddell is a huge draw for the UFC. He's done more than many fighters can say they've done for the sport of mixed martial arts in North America. His "ranking" inside Zuffa is propelled a number of spots based on his legendary status in the UFC and drawing power, much like many other fighters who normally wouldn't get a title shot after two consecutive losses and a big win.

I think the UFC is setting up a potentially great matchup for Liddell, and creating even more buzz around him that will eventually climax with a Light Heavyweight title fight of epic proportions. Chuck may be right for his matchup with Shogun as well. He does have better striking, better wrestling, and to be honest, his submission defense will be able enough to stop Shogun. Rua hasn't used his submission game extensively in his career, and his striking hasn't been knockout power devastating. Nonetheless, he does have aggression and precision in his hands to put Liddell down. It should be an explosive matchup that we'll all look forward to seeing.

An interesting tidbit from an interview with John Hackelman over at FightHype.com. When asked about Machida calling out Liddell, he had this to say:

"He's one of the least guys I want Chuck to fight. Not for his toughness or anything, its that his style is hardest to prepare for. I knew he would beat Sokoudjou. He was 2-1 underdog and so was chuck. Glover beat Soko before and I knew he was hype. He's #4 in the world, they had him 4 places before Chuck. My guy that KO'd him is not even in the top20. You know what Machida is like? he is so boring, like the Larry Holmes of MMA. He'll fucking beat everyone. Jimmy Young was like that too, Jimmy is the reason that Foreman retired and went to Jesus. (...) Machida is like Jimmy Young, he's a scary guy. Going to be a hard guy to beat"

This is a very interesting quote for a few reasons. First and foremost, it definitely hints at what many fans expected from a matchup between Liddell and Machida matchup... a nightmare for Liddell. Hackelman knows it, and most of the MMA community knows it. It's hard to prepare for Machida for the simple fact that he sits back and waits for the aggression from his opponent. He's elusive, and his main attack relies on straight counterattacks and range attacks. It may be a boring style for many fans of the sport, but it usually pays off later in the fight when his opponent becomes frustrated. It's interesting how his style and recent fights have begun to discourage even the men who train these fighters.

Another comment regarding Soukoudjou that I don't understand entirely. Glover isn't top 20, but Soukoudjou was fighting in only his 3rd MMA fight. The Glover fight really wasn't a tactical fight at all either. It was mostly Glover throwing huge bombs at will and hoping he'd land one, which he did. To be perfectly fair to Soukoudjou's ranking, that was a fight that could be chalked up to "anything can happen in MMA". Glover threw huge shots and caught Soukoudjou. Glover went nowhere, Soukoudjou went on to beat Arona and "Little Nog".

Lastly, and on a personal note, the "Machida is boring" routine is rather old. Not only did he defeat a heavy striking and very strong Soukoudjou, but he did so in impressive fashion. His counter punching has the precision of a cruise missile. If you actually watch the fight and watch Machida's brilliant countering, it's really a work of art. He throws with full force so quickly to counter a rush that his opponents are devastated by the incoming blows. Easily, Machida has become one of my favorite fighters, and I encourage other fans to check him out.

As for Hackelman, he's right. It is a bad matchup for Chuck. But guess what? He's on the way back to the top, so either way, Chuck should be weary that the fight is a possibility.

The end of the year extravaganza of events brought about a historic matchup that had been fantasized about by many mixed martial arts fans. Chuck Liddell fought Wanderlei Silva on Saturday evening to finally determine which of the two dominating strikers was better skilled in fight that was supposed to never go to a decision. Unfortunately for many fans, the fight didn't end in a catastrophic knockout that rocked the arena with a shockwave from the impact. Instead, we saw a fantastic display of determination and heart from both fighters.

Eventually, Liddell's reach advantage and better overall striking technique bested the looping mechanics of Silva's standup skills. Although Silva hung his head in shame, it was evident that his intense training regiment of a snorkel, closed off nostrils, and heavy circuit work had increased his abilities to recover and hardened his chin. Liddell even stated after the fight that he was surprised by Silva's chin. Both fighters exhibited improved skills and cardio, so to an extent, both fighters helped each other gain something from this fight. Where will these guys go next?

Liddell looking up to the top

Liddell showed us that he is still very dangerous at the ripe age of 38 years old. Many fans were giving up on Liddell's one-dimensional skillset, but he showed that he could at least show his wrestling skills in order to eat up time and lock in the win. His reach advantage was obviously a factor, but punching with straight loaded punches was the key to beating Silva's attempts to get inside with his looping haymakers. With the win, it seems that Liddell's popularity may propel him back to the top very quickly much. This may be much to the dismay to hardcore fans who have been waiting to see some of the current talent near the top get a title shot.

With that said, who's in the mix to face Liddell next? Let's go straight down the list of names. Griffin and Rampage are both facing each other in what was said at the UFC 79 post-event press conference as sometime in August. The most talked about names are “Shogun” Rua, Lyoto Machida, and some fans have even suggested Rashad Evans as a filler fight before a title shot. Interesting choices indeed.

Rua may have some significant problems against Liddell. Liddell's striking is very good, and Rua's power has never been enough to really knock anyone out with a solid punch. His power lies in his knees and clinch much like one of his former training partners, Wanderlei Silva. It is definitely a matchup that gives Liddell more boost in his ranking and definitely could legitimize a title fight. Shogun did after all beat Rampage in PRIDE.

Machida is an interesting fight that would be surprising for the UFC to make. If their intention is to build Liddell back up into a champion, Machida is not the type of fighter that you want to fight. His tactical strikes and counter striking skills would be frustrating for Liddell to deal with. Even more frustrating, Liddell is also a counter puncher. This could make for a very boring bout, or a bout that Liddell makes a big mistake getting caught up in the crowd's booing when Machida simply waits out Liddell. Machida doesn't budge and is patient. Liddell is definitely more likely to make the mistake.

Evans just defeated Michael Bisping, but it wasn't in any type of dominating fashion. We are all very used to seeing Rashad dance in the cage and win close decision battles, but that won't solidify him as a top fighter. Chuck may get an easy win fight in Rashad Evans, and that type of matchup doesn't present anything overly tough for Chuck to overcome. Does that matchup really have a chance of happening? Rua is a more likely opponent. Soukoudjou is always in the mix as well.

Silva is still dangerous

The UFC will most likely be looking to get Silva some wins and hopefully down the line promote a rematch of the two strikers. In the end, Liddell does seem to have the advantage, and it will be up to Silva to improve enough to defeat Liddell's reach and good striking. Who can the UFC put up against him to begin the trail back?

Will they relegate Jardine to taking on “The Axe Murderer”? It's always possible, but unlikely due to the fact that Jardine did just beat Liddell in his last fight. Rashad is more realistic of a matchup for Silva, but Soukoudjou is now in the mix and could provide an epic war of two more strikers. Does the UFC want to risk losing their investment on Silva? Its doubtful, but Joe Silva may feel that it is stylistically better for Wanderlei. Soukoudjou has longer reach however and some of the same type of striking as Liddell.

Silva vs. Thiago Silva? Two strikers. Silva vs. Houston Alexander? Two strikers. The UFC has a plethora of striking opponents that would be thrilled to face a top notch striker like Wanderlei Silva. Unfortunately for those fighters, Silva's cardio techniques seemed to have enabled him to recover from heavy blows very well. We could see a run through some opponents for Silva and if Liddell happens to be stopped on his way to the top, we could see a clash of the two legends again.

Outlook for Silva and Liddell

As dominant as Wanderlei Silva was in PRIDE at times, he has some problems. Technically speaking, his striking isn't exactly tactical or strategic in any way. He tries to capitalize on his opponent moving in and missing a strike or he moves in with such a quick pace that it surprises his opponent. The problem with that type of style is that it does open you up to the flash knockout and is more susceptible to leaving yourself open to defeat. He'll have to prove to us that he can really become surgical with those heavy looping punches.

Liddell, on the other hand, has a very good outlook. Rua is a matchup that should definitely benefit him if it happens, and there really isn't a battle near the upper-echelon that Liddell doesn't have a great chance at winning. Rampage is really his only huge obstacle. Look for Liddell to get another win and begin moving up the ladder again.

The end of the year cards are here for the sport of mixed martial arts, and nearly all of them look to deliver fantastic action on paper. The UFC's Nemesis card, however, is the clear cut winner as far as providing the most anticipation for many fans. On Saturday night from Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, we'll find out who really is better... Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva or Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell. If that isn't enough for you to wag your tail next to your television, the rubber match between Georges "Rush" St. Pierre and Matt Hughes will also be featured. The winner will take on Matt Serra for the Welterweight title. Lastly, Rameau Sokoudjou will make his UFC debut against the elusive and frustrating karate tactics of Ryoto "Lyoto" Machida. Let's take a look at this historic fight card.

Main Event
Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva vs. Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell

The historic matchup of Silva and Liddell has been years in the making. Back when PRIDE was at the top of the food chain, both sides were already talking up a potential matchup of these two explosive strikers during PRIDE Final Conflict 2003. Liddell was stopped by the eventual UFC champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson after his preliminary round win against Alistair Overeem. That was the closest he had ever been to fighting Wanderlei Silva.

Now, Silva has made the journey to the UFC, and he is in nearly the same position as Liddell. Both fighters are coming off two losses that have stopped their progression as top light heavyweights in the world. Liddell was knocked out within the first flurry on his fight with Quinton Jackson at UFC 71 and lost a close split decision to Keith Jardine at UFC 76. Silva, on the other hand, hasn't been as active lately. He was knocked out by a fierce left hand from Dan Henderson in February of this year to lose his title, and was devastated by Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic at PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute in September of last year.

With that all said, this fight still produces anticipation of being a great war between two very explosive fighters. Both men are coming off two losses, and both men will have to contemplate continuing their careers if they end up losing this battle. It should be a fight that will produce a highlight reel knockout, and there is no doubt that this fight will end by a stoppage of some sort.

Prediction: Wanderlei Silva via second round KO

So many fans and other columnists have expressed the styles matchup as being in favor of Chuck Liddell, but there is other factors that should be considered. Wanderlei Silva is one of the strongest Light Heavyweight strikers in the business. He's overly aggressive and that has, at times, hurt him, but it has also been the pistons that run his engine. His power is unmatched, but he has had problems looping his punches in many of his fights. Look for his training at Xtreme Couture to remedy some of those problems.

I'm still going to take Wanderlei Silva for two reasons. First, Chuck may be a terrific counter puncher, but Silva does seem to capitalize on mistakes. His clinch is very strong, and it could be surprising if he happens to push Liddell much like Rampage did to him in PRIDE. Secondly, Silva's training looks to be solid, whereas Chuck still seems to train specifically in a one-dimensional manner. Striking is his bread and butter while grappling is his escape tactic. Silva has more tools combined with his striking, but whether or not he uses those other tactics is the question. I'm going out on a limb and picking Silva.

Georges "Rush" St. Pierre vs. Matt Hughes

After Matt Serra injured his back during his training for his matchup with Matt Hughes at UFC 79, St. Pierre swooped in to make this card even more exciting. It also completes the wishes of many fans to see the rubber match happen between the two fighters that was predicted by many to probably be happening in 2008. Instead, we'll get to see it on Saturday night, and it should be fairly exciting.

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