The Ultimate Fighter / UFC thread

[traz]

He doesn't deserve such a big fight coming off his most recent performances. On top of that, the UFC hyped up his last fight like he'd only fight Wandy if he WON...it's just totally weak that chuck gets his ass kicked twice in a row, and then headlines a fight against Wandy.

[KDawg]

actually, the situation is perfect for chuck and for the UFC. they still get the fight they want and will still get a huge buy rate. Don't forget that this is still an entertainment business and so sometimes things that may not fully make sporting sense will happen because of the business that it will bring in.

I'm perfectly fine with this fight as it really didn't matter whether or not Chuck won or lost to Jardine as the match with Silva will still probably bring in anywhere between 700k-1m buys

[slickpoppa]

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He doesn't deserve such a big fight coming off his most recent performances. On top of that, the UFC hyped up his last fight like he'd only fight Wandy if he WON...it's just totally weak that chuck gets his ass kicked twice in a row, and then headlines a fight against Wandy.

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Both fighters are coming off two losses to quality fighters. If you don't want to see Chuck and Wanderlei fight because of that, then that's just sad. They are still two great fighters with styles that nearly guarantee an exciting fight. Who gives a [censored] that Dana conditioned the fight on Chuck beating Jardine? Stop being a nit get ready to enjoy one of the most anticipated fights in MMA history.

[MikeyPatriot]

After Chuck lost to Jardine, Dana White/Joe Silva wanted Chuck to fight Shogun. (Un)Forutnately, Shogun needed knee surgery and couldn't take the fight. This is such a perfect time for this fight too. You wait any longer and you risk losing any relevance this fight has if Chuck loses again. This fight isn't going to be as huge as it would have been a year or two ago, but there's still an AWESOME story to sell here. The obvious UFC vs. Pride stuff. Has Wandy recovered from his two KO losses? Has Chuck lost a step? Is Chuck still relevant in the upper echelon of the UFC LHW division? Will Wandy's aggressive style fall right into the hands of Chuck's counterpunching? Can Silva adapt to the cage?

Also, UFC 79 is gonna be headlined by Serra/Hughes, not Silva/Liddell.

Anyone want to throw out a line for this fight? A friend of mine gave me a first-thought Silva -185. I think it's more around -135 or -145 Silva.

[KDawg]

honestly, at this point, it could be a pickem fight. Wandy hasn't fought in a cage since the 90s when Belfort destroyed him in under a minute and chuck is obviously on the downside of his career, but would have the "home field advantage" if you would. Both have a lot to gain by winning this fight. I'm not sure how much either would lose if they lose in a very exciting fight, though chuck would have a lot more to lose if he lost for a 3rd time

[MikeyPatriot]

Wanderlei has fought two times in the cage since the Belfort fight. A KO of Tony Petarra (???) in '99 and a close decision loss to Tito Ortiz in 2000.

Another thing about Chuck not deserving this fight...he should only be fighting marquee, top opponent, big money fights at this point. He's earned this right by being one of the top LHW's for the past few years, defending his belt against top competition, and becoming the UFC's poster boy in the process. Neither the UFC nor Chuck nor the fans gain anything by making him fight guys like Matt Hamill or Stephan Bonnar to "climb" back up the division. Chuck probably only has a handful of fights left and needs to be put in big fights until he retires.

Edit: Just want to say that this all comes from someone who isn't much of a Chuck Liddell fan.

[traz]

meh, just my opinion. If you can't prove you're a world class fighter, you shouldn't be in world class fights.

The fact that chuck had a title for a long time is largely irrelevant, due to the fact that all signs point to him not being a great fighter right now. I don't think he should be coddled just because he was at the top in the past.

This is obviously a fight meant to generate revenue, and it succeeds because so many people think that Chuck is still at the top of his class. I disagree with that premise, and I disagree that he has any right being in such a big headline fight right now.

I would have much rather seen Wandy vs Griffin or something of the likes. The UFC had plenty of time to continue building up the Chuck vs Wandy fight. I would much rather see them fight when they're both coming off wins off notable opponents. I feel like the UFC blew their load on this one, and it could've been done with a better lead up.

That being said, I hope the fight is a good one and I'll enjoy it in any case.

[MikeyPatriot]

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...due to the fact that all signs point to him not being a great fighter right now.

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The UFC had plenty of time to continue building up the Chuck vs Wandy fight. I would much rather see them fight when they're both coming off wins off notable opponents.

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You're contradicting yourself.

If you really feel Chuck isn't a great fighter now or going forward, then Dana REALLY needs to put this fight together. I agree that Chuck probably isn't the fighter he was in his prime, but most mainstream, casual fans still see Chuck Liddell as CHUCK "THE ICEMAN" LIDDELL.

Combine that with everything that's gone wrong for the UFC. Fedor didn't sign, HBO deal fell through, and Randy quit. Just speaking selfishly for Dana, he needs to put this fight together or risk alienating a large portion of his hardcore fan base. Imagine his legacy of being the guy who let Fedor get away, blew a deal with the best TV channel, and chased his HW champ into resignation AND THEN dropped the ball with this fight because he puts Chuck in a fight with someone like Bonnar or Hamill or Machida and he loses? I mean, he already almost [censored] this up again by being impatient with Wandy and setting Chuck/Jardine up last month.

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This is obviously a fight meant to generate revenue...

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Which fights aren't set up to generate PPV buys and ticket sales?

Question: You already said you'd like to see something like Wandy/Griffin. Who would you make Chuck fight instead of Wandy?

[traz]

You're getting around to the very idea that bothers me. This fight is more of a publicity stunt than about the fight/fighters. THAT'S what bothers me. The UFC is clinging on to chuck as it's big name fighter, when it really needs to let someone else take the reigns. And yes I realize this is all standard.

Chuck fighting shogun would've been perfect imo. I would've waited months and months for that.

[MikeyPatriot]

traz,

How big of a draw do you think Wanderlei Silva is to casual UFC fans?

Also, what does a Rua/Liddell fight do that Silva/Liddell doesn't?