Is Liddell Vs. White for the #1 contender spot against the winner of Belfort Vs. Couture? At the UFC 48 press conference Dana White said "Chuck could have just relaxed and waited to fight the winner of Belfort and Couture, but he has chosen to step up and fight Vernon White at UFC 49.". It sounds like this might be for the #1 contender spot, like when Chuck stepped up and fought Renato Sobral.
Wouldn't this technically be for the #2 spot or something, since the loser of Couture/Belfort would be the #1 contender?
They are both quality fighters and the winner would make a worthy title contender. However, I don't think Zuffa would allow Vernon a title shot immediately after winning his first fight back in the UFC, especially after such a long lay off. Chuck is coming off a big win over Ortiz and I could understand it if he were to win and become number one contender.
Zuffa really need some new fighters at this weight, Liddell has already fought Couture and Belfort and it would be nice to see some new faces in the UFC's LHW division.
Chuck is supposed to face the winner of Belfort/Couture, whether he is the "#1 contender" or not. If he loses to Tiger White, that might put that in jeopardy, but I don't think it makes Vernon the #1 contender.
BSF makes an important point.
Wasn't Chuck vs. Tito basically for #1 contender? That's why Dana made the comment about how Chuck could have just waited to fight the new champ after Randy-Vitor.
i heard iceman has guarenteed shot at belfort-coture winner. i believe this fight is to keep active, like his fight against babaloo. gotta respect a fighter who just wants to fight, and fight often
i think the ufc sees vern as no threat, hope tito fights vitor after randy beats vitor again
Liddell/White have some bad blood, this is why this fight is happening.
The only have 'bad blood' because Zuffa can't figure out any other way to market fights...
Threads like this are going to be so much funnier in August:)
At the least, like any decent striker has done in the past, Vernon is going to make Chuck look bad. That is the best case for Chuck, to win an ugly decision like he did against Busta, Suloev, and Pele. The internet nerds posting about how Tiger poses "no threat" to Chuck will look very foolish then, not that they already don't.
"i think the ufc sees vern as no threat, hope tito fights vitor after randy beats vitor again"
Correct. Dana has this bad habit of completely underestimating certain fighters, such as when he was certain that Chuck was going to beat Randy, Hughes was going to beat Penn, etc. Then he makes plans for the future around what he thinks will happen, then doesn't know what to do when his plans fail.
I also predict these forum experts will have the same shocked look on their face after UFC 43 as Dana White and the rest of the forum experts and mma media did when Randy Couture supposedly posed no threat to Chuck.
"horn hasbeat both these guys :)"
Horn finished Liddell, and won an extremely controversial lay and pray decision against Vernon that even Horn's own manager said was close and could have gone either way.
I am in agreement, Zuffa think Liddell will win an easy fight and become number one contender. However, Liddell does struggle against fighters willing to trade with him and Vernon definately has a good chance of winning.
If he does I wonder if Zuffa will allow him a title shot in his next appearance?
ttt
If the loser of Vitor/Randy is the #1 contender, then the two will be fighting until the end of time.
tiger = the ultimate spoiler.
watch him do something fucked up like drop liddel a couple of times with high kicks.
you've gotta rspect chuck for constantly taking these tough, almost semi-pointless fights. i.e. fighting in pride does nothing in terms of what's going on with his main employer, the ufc, he didn't really have to fight randy right at that time, didn't really have to fight babalu so far as i know, etc.
TTT
http://www.teamtompkins.com/clufs.htm
http://www.teamtompkins.com/clufs.htm
ttt
I'm not sure if this fight is for the number one contender spot though.