Liddell Silva
fight could be off, according to UFC president.
It appears the much anticipated mixed martial arts bout
between rival champions Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva
scheduled for November might be off.
"I don't even know if Silva's going to happen," Dana
White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship,
White cited problems in dealing with the Japan-based Pride
Fighting Championships that is home to Silva.
The highly anticipated rematch between Liddell and Ortiz
could take place if both fighters continue to win. White
said UFC 65 will instead probably feature Liddell against
Tito Ortiz in a rematch of UFC 47 in 2004 when Liddell
battered and bloodied the Huntington Beach Bad Boy.
The UFC, now looking to expand to Europe, has had the U.S.
market largely to itself. Pride dominates Japan, using
pay-per-view shows and Fox Sports TV to spread the word.
The following is the updated line-up for the August 26th
UFC 62 "Liddell vs. Sobral" event from the Mandalay Bay
Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada:
Full UFC Fight Card
-Chuck Liddell vs. Renato "Babalu" Sobral (UFC LHW Title)
-Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar
-Thiago Alves vs. Josh Neer
-Wes Combs vs. Wilson Gouveia
-Cory Walmsley vs. David Heath
-Yushin Okami vs. Alan Belcher*
-Cheick Kongo vs. Christian Wellisch
-Hermes Franca vs. Jamie Varner**
Okami was originally scheduled to fight David Terrell, but
an injury forced Terrell off the card.
Spencer Fisher was originally scheduled to fight Jamie
Varner, but an injury foced Fisher off the card.
UFC 62 Fight Results
Chuck Liddell Defends his Title Against
Renato Sobral
Renato Sobral has had years to prepare for this rematch
only to be let down a second time when Liddell caught him
with a
flurry of punches early in the first round. Referee
stoppage early in the first round due to the fact that
Sobral could not defend himself. Sobral was so disoriented
that he actually tried going after McCarthy as he’s trying
to help him up.
Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar
On the under card, Forrest Griffin faced
off with Stephan Bonnar for a second time. The first time
these two met was on the season finale of The Ultimate
Fighter on Spike TV. Were they took an all out war on each
others faces. In this second bout, they showed more
respect for each other and fought more on strategy than
instinct brawling. Griffin won by unanimous decision.
Preliminary Fights:
Yushin Okami b. Alan Belcher
- Yushin Okami defeats Alan Belcher via unanimous decision
(30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
David Heath b. Cory Walmsley
- David Heath defeats Cory Walmsley via submission at 2:32
of Round One.
Wilson Gouveia b. Wes Combs
- Wilson Gouveia defeats Wes Combs via submission at 3:23
of Round One.
Eric Schafer b. Rob MacDonald
- Eric Schafer defeats Rob MacDonald via stoppage at 2:26
of Round One.
Main Card Fights:
Hermes Franca b. Jamie Varner
- Hermes Franca defeats Jamie Varner via submission at
3:31 of Round Three.
Cheick Kongo b. Christian Wellisch
- Cheick Kongo defeats Christian Wellisch via TKO at 2:51
of Round One.
Nick Diaz b. Josh Neer
- Nick Diaz defeats Josh Neer via submission at 1:42 of
Round Three.
All in all, UFC 62 was not a superior event, but a strong
one. Liddell looked very good, Griffin-Bonnar was a decent
enough follow up to their original, and the undercard was
interesting.
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The Ultimate Fighting
Championship is a test of pure gladiator fighting
skills. The fight occurs inside an octagon that is 32
feet across. The fighters are contained by a 5 foot
link fence. Most participants have martial arts
training in some discipline, however, this is by no
means a requirement. It has a no holds barred
philosophy although some rules have been added
recently.
Although there can be a
lot of blood, fights usually end with joint locks or
choke holds and it is generally the more skilled
opponent that wins. Size is an advantage, but skill in
ending the fights with a finishing move (choke out,
joint locks, etc.) are the best. |
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