Finally, the fight everyone has been waiting for and talking about is finally here. UFC 71: Liddell vs Jackson could end up being one of the best events of 2007 if the main even lives up to the expectations. The main fight card features several solid fights including the return of Ivan Salaverry to the UFC. No time to waste so lets jump right into the preview.
Chuck Liddell Vs. Quinton Jackson - There isn’t much more that I can say about either of these fighters that hasn’t already been said over-and-over again on this site and others all over the internet. Chuck Liddell is the “living legend” of the Light Heavyweight division of the UFC.
When I thought about this fight I first thought about who was under the most “pressure” to win this fight. Your first thought my be that all the pressure is on Chuck Liddell since he is the current champ. With each successful title defense, the pressure to defend that title must grow more and more; and that pressure must be especially large for this fight since Chuck has lost to Quinton Jackson in the past. But I don’t see it that way. I think all the pressure is on Rampage in this fight. Sure, there is some pressure on Chuck to defend the belt but I think that Chuck is one of a handful of fighters who truly is not affected by any pressure. I think Chuck is so supremely confident in his skills as a fighter, and that he knows what he can and can’t do, that he is truly at ease when he enters the octagon. Chuck knows what his job is, knows how he wants to do that job, and goes out and performs.
On the other hand, I think Rampage is under a lot of pressure to win this fight. Everyone knows that Rampage defeated Chuck in the past, and that is a big weight to carry in a fight of this magnitude. I personally think that this fight is happening sooner than Rampage and his camp would have preferred, but now that the fight is here I think Quinton is as ready as he every could be. Rampage has a confidence that only Jeremy Horn and Randy Couture have ever been able to share; he has beaten Chuck in the past. While the rest of the world views Liddell has unbeatable, Rampage knows firsthand that isn’t the case. Quinton has the style, strength, endurance, and experience need to beat Chuck; now he just has to make it happen for the second time.
As much as I will be rooting for Rampage to win (and personally actually do think he will win) I’ve got to pick Chuck Liddell here. He is the champ and until someone defeats him, I’ve got to pick him. I’ve picked against Chuck pretty much every fight for the past few years (except for the last Tito fight). I’m not going to fall into that trap again. Winner: Chuch Liddell
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(via MMA HQ - Mixed Martial Arts News and Analysis)