Liddell-Jackson II Headlines UFC 71 Card
Liddell vs. Jackson
May 24, 2007
Chuck
Liddell (Pictures) vs. Quinton Jackson (Pictures)
I don't know if any of you are aware of this, but apparently Chuck Liddell (Pictures) has an obsession with revenge that would make you think he started out as a member of the Gambino crime family.
Having already avenged past defeats to Jeremy Horn (Pictures) and the ageless Randy Couture (Pictures), all that stands in the way of
the UFC's light heavyweight champion's quest for true Mafioso
redemption is Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Given Jackson's
personality, don't think for a second that he has allowed Liddell
to forget their clash at PRIDE "Final Conflict" 2003.
In what was one of the first UFC-PRIDE super matches, it was Jackson (26-6-0) that held his company's banner high and proud as he fought a perfect fight against Liddell, imposing his own style while neutralizing Liddell's. That would go down as one of Jackson's last great triumphs in PRIDE, as his career fell into seeming disarray after a loss to Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) that same night.
Showing off his sharp striking and underrated defensive skills, "Rampage" had Eastman swinging at air most of the night before dispatching him with a vintage volley of punches. While the 28-year-old Jackson, originally from Memphis, Tenn. but currently fighting out of Irvine, Calif., appears to be on the road to rediscovering his former self, Liddell hopes never to be in the same position he was against "Rampage" the first time around. Tired, bloody and injured is no condition to be in when you're trying to win a fight.
Try as he did, there would be no valiant come from behind victory for Liddell, only the unfamiliar sting of defeat. It was in defeat that Liddell, who currently holds rank as the most popular mixed martial artist on the planet, found the resolve to improve and become the fighter that he is today.
Gone is the awkward balance and dependence on the overhand right, replaced by smooth footwork, unique angles and a more varied attack. The headfirst aggression that "Rampage" so effectively countered is still there though and that remains Jackson's best hope for victory.
While bringing the fight to the Liddell only plays into the 37-year-old champ's hands, Jackson must force "The Iceman" to come forward, keeping him off balance with the threat of a takedown. Fighting out of his hometown of San Luis Obispo, Liddell is at his best when he can stalk his opponents without fear of reprisal.
Liddell, meanwhile, must not fall into the trap of wasting energy in search of an early KO, and instead rely on using his newfound preference for body punches and leg kicks to keep Jackson from counterpunching him into submission.
Also of great importance is just how prepared "Rampage" is to take this fight to the ground; in their first bout he had great difficulty doing so until Liddell eventually tired out, and this time around he may not have the luxury of simply being able to out-strike Liddell.
The pivotal difference in the rematch could be the fact that Liddell has fixed holes in his game that "Rampage" so deftly took advantage of the first time around. The same cannot be said of Jackson, who has had difficulty getting his life in order, never mind his career.
"Rampage" enters this fight, at best, the same fighter he was the first time around -- and he might not be as good as he was then -- while Liddell comes in with some new wrinkles to his game that have proven to be wise additions.
As he so eloquently puts it, "Rampage" wants that paper. But Liddell (20-3-0) is all about his legacy right now and having come so close to cementing his status, it would be hard to imagine him falling short of his goal at the finish line. Liddell takes this one via KO early in the third.
I don't know if any of you are aware of this, but apparently Chuck Liddell (Pictures) has an obsession with revenge that would make you think he started out as a member of the Gambino crime family.
Advertisement
In what was one of the first UFC-PRIDE super matches, it was Jackson (26-6-0) that held his company's banner high and proud as he fought a perfect fight against Liddell, imposing his own style while neutralizing Liddell's. That would go down as one of Jackson's last great triumphs in PRIDE, as his career fell into seeming disarray after a loss to Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) that same night.
A sudden and unexpected commitment to Christianity as well as an
odd change in his once ebullient personality had many fans
wondering just what had happened to the "Rampage" they once cheered
for. While Jackson has yet to rediscover his old form, his UFC
debut against Marvin
Eastman (Pictures) at UFC 67 was a definite step in
the right direction.
Showing off his sharp striking and underrated defensive skills, "Rampage" had Eastman swinging at air most of the night before dispatching him with a vintage volley of punches. While the 28-year-old Jackson, originally from Memphis, Tenn. but currently fighting out of Irvine, Calif., appears to be on the road to rediscovering his former self, Liddell hopes never to be in the same position he was against "Rampage" the first time around. Tired, bloody and injured is no condition to be in when you're trying to win a fight.
Try as he did, there would be no valiant come from behind victory for Liddell, only the unfamiliar sting of defeat. It was in defeat that Liddell, who currently holds rank as the most popular mixed martial artist on the planet, found the resolve to improve and become the fighter that he is today.
Gone is the awkward balance and dependence on the overhand right, replaced by smooth footwork, unique angles and a more varied attack. The headfirst aggression that "Rampage" so effectively countered is still there though and that remains Jackson's best hope for victory.
While bringing the fight to the Liddell only plays into the 37-year-old champ's hands, Jackson must force "The Iceman" to come forward, keeping him off balance with the threat of a takedown. Fighting out of his hometown of San Luis Obispo, Liddell is at his best when he can stalk his opponents without fear of reprisal.
Liddell, meanwhile, must not fall into the trap of wasting energy in search of an early KO, and instead rely on using his newfound preference for body punches and leg kicks to keep Jackson from counterpunching him into submission.
Also of great importance is just how prepared "Rampage" is to take this fight to the ground; in their first bout he had great difficulty doing so until Liddell eventually tired out, and this time around he may not have the luxury of simply being able to out-strike Liddell.
The pivotal difference in the rematch could be the fact that Liddell has fixed holes in his game that "Rampage" so deftly took advantage of the first time around. The same cannot be said of Jackson, who has had difficulty getting his life in order, never mind his career.
"Rampage" enters this fight, at best, the same fighter he was the first time around -- and he might not be as good as he was then -- while Liddell comes in with some new wrinkles to his game that have proven to be wise additions.
As he so eloquently puts it, "Rampage" wants that paper. But Liddell (20-3-0) is all about his legacy right now and having come so close to cementing his status, it would be hard to imagine him falling short of his goal at the finish line. Liddell takes this one via KO early in the third.
Related Articles
