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| Rashad Evans granted title shot after knocking out Chuck Liddell Posted: 07 Sep 2008 04:56 AM CDT
Move over hamburger, it’s time for something meatier. Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell was robbed of his chance to fight for the light heavyweight title on December 27 at UFC 92 when he was knocked out at UFC 88 ‘Breakthrough’ by “Sugar” Rashad Evans. That Evans, what a party-pooper. Liddell will remain on the card (assuming he’s cleared medically), but he’ll have to watch from the sidelines as someone else tries to deforest ‘Griffin’. Will it be the 12-0-1 Rashad Evans? Dana White confirmed today at the UFC 88 post-fight press conference that Evans next fight will be for the light heavyweight title, though an exact date has yet to be determined. I’m sure there are some fine details to be worked out, since the UFC brass is probably just as shell-shocked as the rest of us over Saturday’s developments. In his post-fight interview, Evans seemed content to continue fighting fellow contenders, but obviously Dana and Co. are willing to reward him for such a significant victory. Whether it’s against Forrest in December or another competitor in early 2009 remains to be seen, though I would imagine whoever the champion is will be paying close attention to the outcome of his fight with Chuck Liddell. As will everyone else: It’s bound to be played on highlight reels for years to come. |
| UFC 88 Recap and final thoughts Posted: 07 Sep 2008 03:18 AM CDT
After years of racking up highlight-reel knockouts, Chuck “The Iced-man” Liddell finally knows what it feels like to be someone else’s stepping stone. It’s safe to say the main event at UFC 88: "Breakthrough" at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia provided the most shocking upset of the year. And perhaps the most brutal since Mirko Cro Cop was nearly decapitated by Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 70. For those of you just joining us, Rashad Evans delivered three cases of unconscious to Chuck Liddell’s doorstep nearly two minutes into the second round. If you’re sitting there shaking your head, don’t worry. I can hardly believe it myself. Had someone told me during The Ultimate Fighter 2 that both Keith Jardine and Rashad Evans would go on to defeat the once-invincible Liddell, I would have had them taken away by burly men in little white coats. But it’s time to face facts, there is a changing of the guard in the UFC. It’s a new generation of fighters who are now making their mark - whether we’re ready for it or not. Chuck certainly wasn’t. Over the next few days there will be a lot of speculation as to why Chuck came up short against a fighter he was picked to beat. In my own personal opinion, I thought Chuck looked his age. Maybe a step slower. Perhaps another inch in the waistline. Still gifted? Of course. Still capable of knocking out anyone? You bet. But on Saturday night he got caught against a young and hungry fighter who truly believed he could pull off the upset. And for the haters who call it a lucky punch, try to be gracious in defeat. It wasn’t a blind haymaker or a last minute swing for the fences ala Leben/Martin. Chuck and Rashad were exchanging in a round that up until that point was being won by Evans. “Sugar” has not only proven that he belongs in title contention, but that his dancing is as spastic as those robotic mannequin legs that perform on a loop in Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit” video. And speaking of rockets, Nate Marquardt was firing some nasty missiles at the head of Martin Kampmann. I figured “The Great” would be mediocre for awhile after the disappointing loss to Thales Leites at UFC 85 but in contrast he looked better than ever. And credit “The Hitman” for his Teflon chin. I knew he could take a beating but Marquardt really had to earn the stoppage in that one. Another person that earned something was Matt Brown when he took my respect with an impressive display of grit and determination against undefeated Dong Hyun Kim. I first saw a great deal of Post-TUF improvement in his fight against Matt Arroyo at last June’s TUF finale and now even more so here. I know there are people going crazy over the decision but I had it 29-28 with “Stun Gun” winning rounds one and three. No matter, Brown will be back and if he continues to bring that intensity and stubbornness with him he’ll be racking up the W’s in no time. And since we’re on the topic of stubbornness, what’s the deal Mr. Hamill? Like Sherk at UFC 84, you took your most valuable asset and left it in the locker room come fight time. Late in the second round and into the third when you’re exhausted and wobbly from getting kicked in the legs I can understand why a wrestler would abandon the takedown. But round one? I’d really like to know what the strategy was in the Hamill camp prior to the fight. How many shots to the face and body does it take before you decide “Hey, maybe the stand-up isn’t working out for me”? Unless the cut on Franklin’s eye gave him a false sense of confidence. And who else among us was praying they wouldn’t stop the fight when officials examined the Franklin Flap? So “Ace” is now back at 205lbs for the first time since he fought Ken Shamrock in 2005 and I was surprised at how small he looked. I suppose all that time walking around as a giant middleweight had me expecting more of the same. Even Franklin conceded that he needed more weight to keep from getting pushed around. He also appears to have conceded to some kind of weird ‘happy cult’. Aside from that sort of glazed-over, Marshall Applewhite expression, what was with all the smiling and blowing kisses between rounds? And his post-fight interview sounded like the intro to a kids show on PBS. Anyway, Rich got his feet wet at light-heavyweight, how about that rematch with Lyoto Machida? Or a showdown with Dan Henderson? Hendo may not have won ‘fight of the night’ (that honor went to Pellegrino and Tavares), but hot damn that was a pretty exciting second round highlighted by a brutal Palhares slam. A cautious but purposeful approach kept Henderson out of trouble for most of the fight but let’s face it: Palhares is the real deal when it comes to grappling and if he can stop kicking like he’s Jean-Claude Van Damme and start stringing together some real combos, he’ll be nearly unstoppable. Overall it was a good, but not great event. My head is still buzzing from the Liddell KO and I really felt the absence of the Yoshida and Parisyan fight. What say you? For complete blow-by-blow coverage of UFC 88 click here. |
| UFC 88 bonuses for ‘Breakthrough’ PPV fights Posted: 07 Sep 2008 02:54 AM CDT
UFC 88: "Breakthrough" from the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on September 6 has come to a close. The main event of the evening had perhaps the most shocking upset of the year and will definitely be talked about ad nauseam through the next event and beyond. Despite a couple of other one-sided contests, the promotion rewarded Kurt Pellegrino & Thiago Tavares, as well as others, for their outstanding performances with cold hard cash. Here are the special fight bonuses for UFC 88:
Each fighter received $60,000 for their efforts in addition to their respective base salaries, which we will pass along as soon as humanly possible. Congratulations goes out once again to Rashad Evans for doing what no one else expected him to by knocking out Chuck Liddell. "The Iceman" is definitely going to feel that one in the morning. For complete UFC 88 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here.
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| UFC Quick Quote: Expect the unexpected in MMA Posted: 07 Sep 2008 12:25 AM CDT
– UFC commentator Joe Rogan comments on the unbelievable result at UFC 88: “Breakthrough” tonight when Rashad Evans iced Chuck Liddell with an absolutely devastating overhand right to knockout the former light heavyweight champion. And he was out for a very long time. Wow … stunning. Seriously fucking stunning. |
| UFC 88 results, coverage and winners LIVE tonight! Posted: 06 Sep 2008 12:10 PM CDT
Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of UFC 88: "Breakthrough." If you're going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it on the main UFC 88 results post and not this one. |
| UFC 88 DVD Special: UFC CLASSICS COLLECTION DVD BOX SET (VOLUMES 1-4) Posted: 06 Sep 2008 12:09 PM CDT
UFC Classics take you ringside to the original battles - before there were rules. Masters in the skills of boxing, jiu-jitsu, karate, tae kwon do and more, the original warriors battled it out to the bloody end.
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| ‘MMA Live’ UFC 88 edition on ESPN.com Posted: 06 Sep 2008 12:09 PM CDT Lots of good stuff in here with UFC President Dana White, UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture, Brock Lesnar and a whole lot more on UFC 88: “Breakthrough.” Check it out: |
| Fabricio Werdum baffled by Brock Posted: 06 Sep 2008 12:08 PM CDT
Props: Tatame.com Quoteworthy:
Fabricio Werdum is the odd man out in the four-man heavyweight “tournament” that UFC President Dana White recently put together with the return of division champion Randy Couture. Werdum, however, realizes that he was likely overlooked because Lesnar is such a huge box office draw. He is scheduled to fight Octagon newcomer Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos at UFC 90: “Silva vs. Cote” at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., on October 25. With a win he’s apparently guaranteed a title shot, which would mean mid- to-late 2009 if he opts to sit and wait for his opportunity. |
| UFC Quick Quote: Rousimar Palhares over Dan Henderson via heel hook Posted: 06 Sep 2008 12:02 PM CDT
– Mario Sperry — the man responsible for bringing Rousimar Palhares into the Brazilian Top Team fold — tells Tatame.com that his fighter will win tonight over Dan Henderson at UFC 88: “Breakthrough” via heel hook. Henderson has seven career losses, three of which are by way of submission. |
| Matt Brown vs Dong Hyun ‘Stun Gun’ Kim UFC 88 fight moved to main card Posted: 06 Sep 2008 11:46 AM CDT
Brown — who was eliminated from the show by eventual tournament winner Amir Sadollah via triangle choke in the semifinals — bounced back to defeat Matt Arroyo via technical knockout at the TUF 7 Finale last month. It was just his second win in his last five fights and the first inside the Octagon. That makes him essentially perfect within the eight-sided cage (1-0) just like his opponent when it comes time to throw down in the “Peach State.” Kim stopped Jason Tan in his inaugural Octagon appearance at UFC 84: “Ill Will” back in May, pounding out his opponent with elbows in the final frame. The promising DEEP veteran will look to keep his perfect record intact and climb the welterweight ladder one rung at a time. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide complete LIVE coverage and deliver up-to-the-minute UFC 88 results later this evening. In the meantime, to check out the latest UFC 88 card and fight rumors click here. |
The welterweight bout between former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 contestant, Matt Brown (7-6), and undefeated Korean import, Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim (10-0-1), has been promoted to the televised portion of the UFC 88: “Breakthrough” pay-per-view (PPV) main card thanks to Karo Parisyan pulling up lame at the eleventh hour and bowing out of his fight with Yoshiyuki Yoshida.| You are subscribed to email updates from UFC blog for UFC news, results, videos, rumors, fights, pics and tickets -- MMAmania.com To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email Delivery powered by FeedBurner |
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