Curious to know what everyone thinks is going to happen in this fight.
I don't have a prediction but would like to see Rampage take it.

I see Rampage by TKO in the later rounds. If Chuck wins, it will be by KO. This is possible, but Rampage tends to have more technical striking than chuck and good enough defense to stop Chuck's unorthodox and wild punches. Not only this, but Rampage has a great chin and heavy hands.

Styles make fights. Rampage is a horrible match up for Chuck. Regardless of the fact that both fighters have changed, Rampage still has a clear edge. Besides, I feel Chuck is hyped in general. That is not to say he is a man to trifle with in the cage however.

Basically agree with Gahan- it's a horrible match for an overhyped Liddell.

I predict Rampage will prove to be the better fighter of the two with a TKO in round 3.

Should be interesting, but I dont think Liddell is done with his run quite yet. Rampage, as much as I love the guy and his antics, is wishy washy. If he goes in with his A game it will be a close fight, if not, Chuck by ref stoppage 3rd round

I would LOVE to see rampage beat chuck senseless again, but I am feeling like it is never going to happen in the cage/octagon - He IS too good at staying mobile and not getting cornered (no damn corners in the thing anyhow!) and sliding away along the fence while throwing bombs.. I tell you the octagon is a big factor in who wins/loses matches.. bigtime. Now chuck and Rampage in the ring - could go either way, I'd bet on rampage though..

Who saw the weigh-ins? Rampage is ripped to the bone this time, he looks brutal. With all the cardio he has been doing in big bear, that means he is probably in the best all-around shape of his life. Chuck looks pregnant.


As a funny aside, Rampage wore boxer-briefs and he either was sporting wood or has a massive penis.

I still don’t understand how Chuck’s bony ass can produce such incredible power, it’s impressive to watch his punches look like their sticking to his opponents, of course that is because he’s penetrated several inches through the guy. Perhaps all that VAT gives some sort of elastic recoil to his upper body.

Chuck has a punchers chance like no other, but his bread and butter punch that overhand right delivered from a stance with his hands low and wide is partially neutralized when he has to cover up because a badass is punching him in his face.

Watch the last Tito fight, as soon as he decided Tito couldn’t hurt him he drop his arms into that cocked position and proceeded to do what he does so effectively. Rampage can deliver the KTFO with the quickness, so Chuck better cover his ass.

Rampage for the win!!!

This post gets my vote for most non-heterosexual post on a bodybuilding forum.

Anyways, I don't think Liddell is over-hyped whatsoever. The guy is fucking amazing. I think it is disrespectful as hell when we downplay people like Chuck Liddell, who has beaten many of the best fighters out there, train hard as hell and is a champion.

It doesn't matter if he wins or loses in this fight, the guy is still a bad ass warrior and he deserves more respect from you guys than saying he is over-hyped. He is not over-hyped. Anyone who has 2 wins over Randy Couture is not over-hyped!!!!!!!!!!! Punchers chance or not, and if you say Randy Couture is over-hyped, you shouldn't be allowed access to this part of the forum.

Overhyped doesn't mean he's not a good fighter- he clearly is a good fighter.

But yes, I do view him as overhyped. He's a protected champion who had, during his championship reign, only fought guys who were horrible match ups against him- grapplers who have no answer for his takedown defense and his counterpunching. Put him in there with a guy with very solid striking skills like Rampage, and well, we see what happens.

I just never thought he was everything people made him out to be. A very good fighter, yes, but one who was never TRULY challenged while he was champion until the end of his reign.

His second defeat at the hands of Rampage was obvious to me since the day the fight was announced.

Link to the fight: http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/searc...ntonjackson-200

Rampage beat that ass.

It's so fun to wade through the Sherdog posts everyone made before the fight. Example:

"
Dumbass Rampage fans... Haven't you noticed how Rampage has LOST to all his good opponents lately, while Chuck has blasted through them?! Like they're... Not really in the same league anymore?

His fight against Eastman was a good example. Eastman is getting old, and is gatekeeper material at best now. Rampage barely managed to put him away. What does that tell you about his chances against the world's no. 1 light heavyweight?

One telling thing about who Rampage's fans are is comparing the polls against the betting stats. 53% think rampage will win - yet rampage is atleast +150 for anyone who cares to bet. In other words - your broke, stupid asses can't put your money where your mouth is, because dumbasses don't have money to bet for, because you're too stupid to earn and keep 'em.

YOU'RE ALL TALK AND NO BRAINS!

All you guys want is to be cool like Rampage... Most of you are probably some kind of whiggers with inferiority complexes. Well, I put $825 on Chuck@-165, which will leave me $500 dollars richer in a couple of hours. Watch me come back here and gloat afterwards... Retards.
"

"
Chuck KO first two minutes.
"

Gotta' love the goofballs at Sherdog.

So Rampage is going to Fight Hendo.

I'm betting of Rampage again. After reviewing a few of their fights I think a TD is unlikely. Randleman has credentials almost as good as Hendo and he is probably over two times as strong (Dan is a natural Welter Weight)and he couldn't get Page on the ground.

Dan has heavy hands but Page appears much more crisp and technical and has an iron chin. We saw how good Page's defense is again last night with lose body shots. Liddell didn't even hit him. I say Hendo gets picked apart and Rampage wins by TKO after the 2nd round.

Of course, this analysis could change as I need to review more of Hendo's fights.

I honestly believe if Rampage improves his clinch game he could be as dominant as Fedor.

WAR RAMPAGE--UNIFY THE BELTS

Yeah, Rampage has always had a ton of natural ability. He just needed to get his head right and his skillset in check.

Now that he's done both of those things, he's probably going to be champ for a long time.

Well, I'm happy to see that my prediction was wrong: I was hoping Rampage would win, but really thought chuck would win with home field advantage. Rampage's footwork was good and he was not shy when it came time to exchange punches with the iceman. Would still love to see chuck vs. wanderlei though.

Depends how long it is before Rampage fights Shogun.

Rampage needs to get his thai clinch sorted. He has been destroyed 3 times in the clinch, twice by Wanderlai and once by Shogun. Both of those guys have years of muay thai on Quinton.

At the elite level I think that styles have a massive impact on who wins.

Chuck is fantastic at knocking out grapplers. They have to set up their take down with their hands which gives Chuck a chance to knock them out as he moves backwards. Unfotunatly for him he moves backwards in a straight line, which is actually good against a grappler, keeps them in your arc. But that is what allowed Rampage to get him. chuck threw a punch, moved backwards, with his left hand dowm. Rampage rolled under the shot and then threw a right hook. game over.

Rampage has problems with agressive fighters who get in close and stop him taking them down. Wanderlai and shogun do eactly that. And Shogun has a devastating victory over Rampage. He broke Rampages rib in that fight with a knee from the clinch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ejSeq6fOhg...ted&search=

It will be intersting to see Henderson v Rampage. Rampage is a bigger, strogner version of Henderson. I think Henderson has to really push the pace and try to get into the 4 / 5 th round. Even though Rampage has improved his carrdio, I dont think he can keep up with Henderson in the later rounds uf the pace is really high.

I think Shogun has the best chance of all the current 205's to have a long unbeaten run. Ive seen him spare with Wanderlai and he was all over him.

man, was Rampage destroyed against Shogun! I really do enjoy Pride fights a lot more, something about being in a ring and not in a cage that makes it more exciting

Shogun won't get a title shot for at least a year. The Hendo fight is set for October and Dana will most likely set up a can or TUF fight or two to build up Page after his likely defeat of Hollywood Dan. Rampage appears to be improving rapidly, in a year he could very likely be able to outclass Shogun.

Either way, I see a Fedor--Big Nog relationship forming between the two, though who is Fedor isn't clear at this point .

Another interesting point--with the belts possibly being unified I could Dana manipulating title fights to take place either in the ring or cage depending on how it favors or hampers his current champ and whether or not he wishes to keep said champ.

Given the state of things after 76, I have to say I think Page is going to be champ for a long time. He'll have to fight Jardine and Alexander soon, but the only real threat I see to him is Machida.

Houston has a few fights and likely needs a few more before he's in contention. I don't even see him in the top 10 yet. Machida has yet to taste defeat and is prime position for a title shot. Both Griffin and Jardine are coming off impressive wins but likely need another one before fighting for the champ. Would they possibly rematch to determien a top contender? And who will Wanderlei debut against. Then we also have the Ortiz/Rashad Evans rematch. The winner may also be in the thick of it. But I could see Forest fighting Machida and Jardine against Wand with the winners squaring off to fight Rampage. But this would mean it would be at least 6 months before anyone fought Rampage and I doubt he will sit that long.

Yeah, it is pretty much a clusterfuck. The problem is so many of the former top guys are being on the breaks from losses. Jardine was one away from a title shot before the Alexander fight, so I think they are going to throw him in with 'Page next since he just whooped Chuck. He is the obvious pick from a business perspective, anyway.

TUF was underrated apparently

I am not so sure Fedor is the best HW anymore either...

I guess everyone forgot about a certain Silva that has KO'd Rampage twice coming to the UFC.

I'm worried about him--but not from the standpoint of Rampage. He just got knocked out twice in a row, is old, and has to go through with the transition to the cage. I'm worried because I don't want him to fall on his face.

Anyway, if he does do well, it will be several fights away before he gets a title shot. To tell the truth, I don't think he can take Quinton now in the case that he does make it that far.

Well one of the KO's was to CC and he looked horrible when he fought Hendo. Wand is 31 and Rampage is 29, so there is not a huge age difference and this will not be his first time in a cage. Their styles clash and Wand just seems to have Rampage beat mentally.

I never thought Chuck would lose to Jardine. Prior to his loss to Rampage, Chuck looked unstoppable. Now he's on a downward spiral. Does anyone think he'll rebound and take the title back?

How about Cro Cop? I had never seen him fight until he came to the UFC. So heralded!! And now, 2 losses in a row. Such lackluster performances.

According to Sherdog, Rampage hurt his hand and won't be fighting until the spring. This at least allows plenty of time for some fights to take place to determine who he will fight.
Out of the possible matchups, I'd like to see Silva and Rampage.

IMO, Chuck has been overrated for a while because he has beaten grapplers during his streak, not strikers. Rampage has beat the hell out of Chuck twice now and I was not surprised at how their last fight went.

CC is a different story. He looked incredible during the OWGP in PRIDE last year, but he looks so disinterested in fighting. I don't know what is his mental issue, but he looks completely flat and his footwork has gotten really bad lately.

Did you read that article by his former coach? CC is turning into Elvis, I am afraid.


The cage transition hurt him a lot I think. He spent many years learning how to strike in a ring, and then to lose the ability to cut people off as well etc., I could imagine it would throw a wrench in his shit, so to speak.

For some reason I thought Wandy was much older...

Regardless, I have much faith in the abilities of Ibarra as a coach. I think he is the most important factor in this fight. A coach of his caliber is not going to make the mistake of letting Quinton go in a cage with Wandy without having very much improved clinch defense. That is really the only reason Quinton lost, and he was game in the first fight despite it. Add in the fact that Quinton's hands are becoming more technical and better all the time due to training with the likes of Zab Judah etc., and I see Wandy's clinch game being neutralized and him getting caught due to sloppy boxing technique.

Of course the last year has demonstrated the folly of making certain predictions, but assuming this fight takes place, I'll be putting my money where my mouth is.

A QJ with sharp boxing and improved clinch defense is a scary thing, is it not?

A well rested and pissed Wand is also a scary thing. I am not sure where is going to be training for his re-debut, but I am sure he will be training with a solid camp. I think moving from Chute Boxe may help him to learn new techniques and train with new partners.

Wand holds two wins over Rampage and by brutal KO no less. He could be in Quinton's head much like Page seems to have the better of Chuck. The irony is the UFC and Dana lambasted Pride for letting Wand get KOd by Crocop and then Hendo. So what do they do, let Chuck lose and piss away the potential fight. Even though it's lot a lot of luster in the past year it's still a fight I'd like to see.

They are running out of time for it to be a marquee fight. It needs to happen within the next 6-8 months.

I'd still like to see chuck v. wand, both are coming off back to back losses, both are badass strikers. Both are signed with the UFC - it just makes sense. Not for rankings per se, but for the fans.

As an aside, I saw a show recently where Rampage's punch was measured at 1800 psi. That is well into pro-boxer territory, IIRC. Damn impressive.

Rampage Punch

Technically, it would be Liddell vs. Rampage III. Rampage, for the most part, dominated the first fight in Pride. Second, of course, Rampage dominated again (also, no such thing as a lucky punch. Every punch is thrown intended for contact/damage). I think the third will be the same, but with all MMA, you generally never know (except Sakuraba vs. Silva, well maybe not necessarily the first fight, but the other ones, yeah).

I hope there isn't third fight, though. It would be very boring since everyone knows what's going to happen.