Full Contact Talk: MMA discussion

Kudos to the UFC: Ultimate Fight Night 15 will be dedicated to Evan Tanner

UFC President Dana White will be dedicating Wednesday night’s UFN 15 on SpikeTV to recently deceased veteran, Evan Tanner. The event will air live from Omaha, Nebraska and feature a main event from hometown hero Houston Alexander as he faces Eric Schafer. An Evan Tanner tribute show will also air on SpikeTV.  White told the press that the UFC  has also put together 30 second tribute spots dedicated Tanner that will begin airing soon.

Cheick Kongo and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson to join Michael Bisping at Wolf’s Lair in England

It’s official. Kongo and Rampage will travel to England for training. Rampage recently fired his former longtime trainer Juanito Ibarra just after his troubles with the police in California. Be sure to listen to Full Contact Talk Episode 6 as we had Wolf’s Lair founder Kazeka Muniz in the studio discussing his future training of both Rampage and Kongo.

MMA Bad Boy in the Pokey

UFC lightweight Melvin Guillard had pulled out of his UFC 90 bout with Spencer Fisher because he is currently in custody for cocaine possession in the Harris County jail in Houston, Texas. The arrest (not Guillard’s first) was a violation of his probation for a drug charge in 2007. Rumor is that Guillard will be released to a strict drug treatment program once a vacancy is available.

Rashad Evans will face Forrest Griffin But Not At UFC 92

Evans and Griffin are set to fight for the light heavyweight title and its official. Only problem is that the fight will not occur at UFC 92 on December 27, 2008. Word is that the title fight will occur on one of the first fight cards in 2009. Rumors are leaning towards a February date for the match.

The War Machine Currently Disassembled 

Well, this is old news. A couple of days old anyway. But hey, we have been busy recording new episodes of the podcast and interviewing fighters. T.U.F. alumnus Jon “War Machine”Koppenhaver has been dropped by the UFC. Apparently The Machine was finally bitten by its own teeth when Koppenhaver made critical comments about the UFC’s pay to fighters in an unfavorable public statement about the death of Evan Tanner. War Machine also was rumored to have turned down a fight offer from UFC matchmaker Joe Silva. Koppenhaver, just barely out of recent legal problems, legally changed his name to War Machine in court following a battle for the right of the title with a professional wrestler. War Machine has published several irrate and immature diatribes on his official website that probably contributed to the UFC’s decision and certainly places the young fighter alongside recently ejected Jesse Taylor and potentially Melvin Guillard in light of his current arrest. I am almost willing to bet that all of these recent UFC rejects go knocking on the door of EliteXC. After all, EliteXC does love controversy within its brand. Heck, controversy is its brand.

Stay tuned …

My previous article about the uncertainty of Chuck Liddell’s career set my inbox on fire. Rather than comments online, I have received numerous private messages regarding the devastating knockout of Liddell on Saturday night at UFC 88. I wasn’t flogged with any sort of criticism but rather a need for others to express their disbelief and occasional pain.

Following these numerous email replies with a number of Liddell supporters ranging from sad to angry to disillusioned, I stumbled across a fan video that in many ways summarizes the general tone of many Chuck Liddell fans around the world this week. Intentional or not, this video is cruelly hilarious. But it also speaks to a basic level of truth and honesty from a loyal fan.

In my own mind, Liddell’s loss on Saturday night was simply one of those historic moments. An MMA shocker sure to be reeled back-and-forth through video replay for years to come. Place it upon the same shelf with Matt Serra’s win over Georges St. Pierre and Gabriel Gonzaga’s metaphorical decapitation of Mirko “CroCop” Filipovic. But in many ways it is nearly impossible to defend Chuck Liddell’s loss at UFC 88 without taking away from Rashad Evans’ own worthy performance.

Rashad Evans simply timed his shots better in the second round and fought the smarter fight in the end. It was claimed by Evans’ trainer Greg Jackson following the fight, that the faint Evans used to coax Liddell in before the overhand right was rehearsed and engineered. But whether or not this is an accurate claim is potential debate for analysts in the coming weeks.

The overwhelming and negative fan reaction to Liddell’s destruction on Saturday only further reveals the uphill battle Rashad Evans faces in the months leading up to his title shot. Popularity and marketability sells fights. And if Evans had it tough with fans as he faced Liddell, facing Forrest Griffin will likely find him in an even deeper hole of fan opposition. Griffin, along with Liddell, is one of the UFC’s most popular fighters.

Sometimes the good guy versus bad guy scenario can elevate a title fight into the realms of folklore. Only time will tell if Evans continues his path down the road of unpopularity. But if anything, Evans might deserve at least a nod from Liddell loyalists for pulling off the biggest upset of 2008.

Here are some shots from the controversial fight. Photographs by Josh Hedges. All photos Copyright Zuffa, LLC. For editorial use only.

The UFC 88 Post Fight Conference can be viewed at SPIKE TV Online.

UFC 88 in many minds was a house-cleaning of sorts. The light heavyweight division in particular is so deep that the contention picture hasn’t been exactly clear in recent months. And the marketing challenge for the UFC in such a competitive division is quite possibly an even harder task to manage than the complexity of Joe Silva’s match-making.

The current drama of mixed-martial-art’s most competitive weight class is scripted with a slightly unpopular fighter in that of Rashad Evans now stepping up to title contention and one of the sport’s hall-of-famers in that of Chuck Liddell trapped in potential career uncertainty. And the same unstable ground where Liddell stood before UFC 88 in many minds was the same place former middleweight champion, Rich Franklin, placed his own feet. UFC 88 even delivered a legend in Dan Henderson upon a tough fight where a loss would suddenly find the veteran 3-and-0 since his return to the cage. In the fallout, Franklin and Henderson move forward with decisive wins, while Liddell slumps into defeat and Evans battles forward for popularity and respect.

The marketing challenge prior to Rashad Evans’ stunning knockout upset over Chuck Liddell Saturday night at UFC 88 was that Evans’ popularity with fans wasn’t entirely enthusiastic. Thus making Evans a title contender not the most popular or best selling option. But as stated by UFC president Dana White in the UFC 88 post-fight press conference, Rashad will get the shot at current light heavyweight champion, Forrest Griffin. However, there was a near pause in White’s response and tone leading some to guess that such tone might have been a symptom of reluctance.

Rashad Evans entered Philips Arena during Saturday night’s main event to a storm of heckling by the large audience on hand. This was followed in contrast by an overly enthusiastic reception for that of Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell. Clearly Liddell’s popularity with fans transcends all corners of the American market. Liddell, the former UFC champion, is in many ways a poster boy for modern mixed-martial-arts in the United States and an iconic symbol of the UFC’s glory years from 2005 to the present day. But this legend fell hard to Rashad Evans’ monstrous overhand right in what was one of the biggest upsets of 2008 leaving one big question in many minds — will such a stunning upset raise Evan’s stock amongst UFC fans?

In a fair world, Rashad Evans would receive all the accolades previously reserved for the man whom he defeated on Saturday night. But we do not always live in a fair world. Talk still swirls in the next day aftermath that is built on excuses and hypotheticals. “Chuck shouldn’t have stepped outside of his normal counter-striking game and chased Rashad.” No matter the excuses. No matter the hypotheticals. No matter the analysis. Chuck Liddell was beaten by a smarter gameplan in retrospect.

Rashad Evans showed head movement normally reserved for professional boxing and took Liddell out of his comfort zone. In the past Liddell has oddly driven the pace of fights by showing aggression yet out-smarting his opponents with superior counter-striking and unconventional looping punches. And the first round of the UFC 88 main event found Chuck in his traditional role. But as the clock ticked down, Evans seemed to find the elusiveness normally displayed by Liddell himself. In many ways, Evans held a mirror to Liddell’s face making the performance by Evans as much a smarter series of techniques as it was Liddell’s failure to stay in his own game.

When questioned about the future of his career, Liddell commented during the post-fight press conference that his retirement from MMA would never come after a fight but rather in the gym alongside his longtime trainer, John Hackleman. But the former champ’s visible pain in defeat at UFC 88 seems like more than just a bump in the road presently. Liddell dropped two fights in a row before his decision win over Wanerlei Silva at UFC 79 and now finds himself knocked back in the ranks to the position where he was stuck prior to scoring that reasonable win in the final days of 2007. Nothing is impossible in mixed-martial-arts. Just refer to the comeback of Randy Couture. But Liddell is now approaching his forties and has a long journey to take against the currents of a deep and much younger light heavyweight division.

Favoritism and emotions aside, many spectators may have to accept or at least consider the fate of an aging warrior. The result of the UFC 88 main event presents one possible reality in this current era of MMA. Some might call it a changing of the guard. But at minimum, and as with any sport, old heroes will eventually fade as their younger counterparts step into the spotlight. The last months of 2008 find two winners of SPIKE TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter” series poised for a title fight. Rashad Evans and Forrest Griffin increasingly represent contemporary mixed-martial-arts and most certainly have become cast members in the new face of the UFC.

 Official UFC 88 Fight Results

Main Card (Pay-per-view)
Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans:  Rashad Evans wins by KO in round two.
Rich Franklin vs. Matt Hamill: Franklin wins via TKO (kick to the ribs) in the third round.
Rhousimar Palhares vs. Dan Henderson: Dan Henderson wins by unanimous decision.
Nate Marquardt vs. Martin Kampmann: Marquardt wins by TKO in the first round.
Dong Hyun Kim vs. Matt Brown: Kim wins by split decision.

Undercard
Kurt Pellegrino vs. Thiago Tavares: Kurt Pellegrino wins by unanimous decision.
Tim Boetsch vs. Michael Patt: Tim Boetsch wins by TKO (strikes) in the first round.
Jason Lambert vs. Jason MacDonald: Jason MacDonald wins in the second round by submission (rear naked choke).
Roan Carneiro vs. Ryo Chonan: Ryo Chonan wins by split decision.

View the Post-Fight Press Conference on SPIKE TV Online.

Full Contact Talk is cage-side for UFC 88. Here’s the results as they happen.

Undercard Bouts:

Fight 1 – Roan Carneiro vs. Ryo Chonan: Ryo Chonan wins by split decision. Chonan carries a lot of strength in a small package.

Fight 2 – Jason Lambert vs. Jason MacDonald: Jason MacDonald wins in the second round by submission via rear naked choke. Lambert showed heart by was no match for MacDonald’s strength.

Fight 3 – Tim Boetsch vs. Michael Patt: Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch wins by TKO first round. Boetsch showed his heavy hands and strength in this comeback of sorts since his recent loss to Matt Hamill. This fight was quick and devastating. Boetsch seems destined to climb the UFC’s light heavyweight division.

Fight 4 – Kurt Pellegrino vs. Thiago Tavares: What a war! Pellegrino’s stand-up and ground skill dominated the first round. But Tavares shows the heart of a warrior by hanging on and surviving a full mount with over three minutes left in the first round. Thiago Tavares turned this fight in an even deeper war by turning the tables and clearly winning the second round on points. Boos rain down as the replay show Tavares appearing to tap at the end of round two. Pellegrino controlled the Octagon for the majority of the third round by stopping Tavares’ takedown attempts and maintaining dominant position. Kurt Pellegrino wins by unanimous decision.

Main Card (Pay-Per-View)

Fight 1 – Dong Hyun Kim vs. Matt Brown:  Back-and-forth describes round one of this fight. Matt Brown was nearly choked-out in the beginning of the first by Kim but turned the tables briefly only to find Kim on his back yet again. Kim appeared to have won round one by his aggressiveness and submission attempts. Kim looked tired in round two with Brown showing more aggression. Kim dropped to the canvas a few times finding himself on the painful side of some ground-and-pound. Matt Brown looks like the winner of the second round. Round three starts a bit slow. Clearly fatigue is showing its face. This is turning into a tight fight on the scorecards. Both fighters are slower with an edge in aggressiveness going to Kim. Kim wins by split decision.

Fight 2 – Nate Marquardt vs. Martin Kampmann: If you looked away from this fight or went to the restroom, chances are you missed it. Marquardt was simply overwhelming. Getting Kampman in trouble early via strikes, Marquardt chased his prey down to go in for the kill well before the first bell rang. Marquardt wins by TKO in the first round.

Fight 3 – Rhousimar Palhares vs. Dan Henderson: The first round of this fight was explosive. Henderson landed a bomb as Pahlares tried to pull guard. On the exit, Palhares tries for an armbar and an anklelock. The exchanges are intense. Henderson shows his power and Palhares shows his jaw strength and unpredicted kicking ability. So far this is the fight of the night! Round two does not let down. Palhares comes out aggressive, kicks and slams Henderson in Henderson fashion. Palhares catches Henderson in an anklelock but Henderson survives. Henderson pulls out and walks away to the roar of a supportive and enthusiastic crowd. It’s a close fight. A war and thus far the epic battles that have made Henderson a fan favorite. The pace slows in the beginning of round three. Palhares is surprisingly utilizing kicks often in the fight. Dan Henderson shows more aggression in the last round by refusing Palhares’ repeated invitations to fight it out on the ground. Dan Henderson wins by unanimous decision.

Fight 4 – Rich Franklin vs. Matt Hamill – Finally the friends meet in the cage and the battle of Ohio begins. The round begins cautious. Both fighter’s trying to find their spot. Franklin throws several leg kicks. Hamill is hanging tough for the moment and avoiding any damage. The crowd boos the slow round and then suddenly Hamill scores a takedown. Rich tries for a submission but Hamill escapes. Round one is close and hard to call. Both fighters are cut as well. Round two is much busier. The fighters are exchanging hard shots. Hamill takes a low blow. The fight is paused. This fight is surprisingly close still as round two is coming close to an end. Hamill seems willing to keep this fight standing up. The crowd cheers the opening of the third round as Hamill and Franklin briefly smile and remind the audience that they are old friends. Suddenly Franklin catches Hamill with a kick to the midsection. Hamill goes down. It’s over! Hamill is hurt. The fighters then embrace in the center of the cage. Franklin wins via TKO.

 Fight 5 – Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans: The energy of Philips Arena is electric. The crowd anticipation of the main fight between Liddell and Evans is quite visible and very much audible. The capicity audience favors Liddell as it reacts to The Iceman’s video image on the screens throughout the venue. The cheers and enthusiasm for this fight are intense. Surprisingly, the crowd boos Rashad Evans as he is introduced. Round one starts and the crowd screams out Chuck’s name as the two fighters measure one another up. Liddell tags Evans with a trademark looping punch that sends Evans to the cage wall. Rashad dances in mockery. Liddell seems to be stalking prey at this point. Rahsad lands a leg kick as Liddell continues to be the aggressor. Rashad seems timid as Chuck chases him down at the end of the round. Chuck tags him with a high kick and the round ends. Round two begins with Liddell immediately coming forward. He’s looking for for a knockout. Rashad comes back. The fighters exchange. Rashad catches Liddell for a moment but retreats again as Chuck moves forward again. It’s a shocking end! Rashad catches Liddell! Liddell is out hard. Rashad Evans lands a massive shot right on the button. The crowd is as much deflated as they are enthusiastic about witnessing an exciting knockout. This is an upset. A massive punch takes Liddell out and he is down on the canvas hurt and semi-conscious. Rashad Evans wins by KO in round two!

Full Contact Talk caught up with Chuck Liddell and Rashad Evans as they both prepare for the headline fight this Saturday at UFC 88. Rashad says he’ll take The Iceman down at least once and that he’s not afraid of the former champion’s punching power. Meanwhile, Chuck Liddell says it will be a lot of work for Rashad to take him down and keep him there if he does so. Liddell also gives a brief response on Randy Couture’s return to the octagon, a potential future fight against Forrest Griffin and Brock Lesnar’s current state in the UFC.

[display_podcast]