Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Eyes June 14 Main Event
By Brian O’Hara
LAS VEGAS – Chuck Liddell has Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in his crosshairs.
Still the UFC’s biggest draw, Liddell will collide with the former PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix winner in the main event at UFC 85, tentatively scheduled for Saturday, June 14 at the O2 Arena in London.
“I think it’s going to be a great fight,” said Liddell, who recently made a guest appearance at the headquarters for Throwdown Industries. “I think he’s going to strike, he’s going to wrestle a little bit and he’s going to mix it up. It should be fun, and it should make for an interesting fight.”
Once received as the world’s premier 205-pound fighter, Rua (16-3, 0-1 UFC) submitted to Forrest Griffin in his promotional debut at UFC 76 in September. The 26-year-old Brazilian underwent surgery to repair a torn knee ligament in wake of the loss, his first in nearly two years.
Rua holds a pair of first-round stoppage victories over reigning Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem. He also knocked out current UFC light heavyweight titleholder Quinton “Rampage” Jackson – a man who has defeated Liddell twice – at PRIDE “Total Elimination 2005” two years ago.
“I don’t really think that plays a factor in MMA, because there’s so many factors in the sport,” said John Hackleman, Liddell’s longtime trainer. “This guy beating this guy doesn’t mean that guy can beat this guy, so I don’t think ‘Shogun’ beating ‘Rampage’ has anything to do with anything.”
Liddell (21-5, 16-4 UFC), meanwhile, has re-emerged after back-to-back losses to Jackson and Keith Jardine. The former UFC light heavyweight kingpin roared to a unanimous decision victory over longtime nemesis Wanderlei Silva in one of the year's most memorable fights at UFC 79 in December.
At 38, Liddell carries with him one of the sport’s best resumes, which includes a pair of knockout wins over both UFC Hall-of-Famer Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz. Thirteen of his 21 career victories have come by KO or TKO, and he once went more than three years between losses.
Despite Hackleman’s desire to see the match with Rua contested in Las Vegas, Liddell said traveling to the United Kingdom will have no ill affects on his performance.
“John likes Vegas better,” Liddell said. “I don’t think he likes traveling that far. It doesn’t have to do with me. I don’t really care. I don’t think it affects me. I don’t usually get jetlag going there. I get jetlag coming back.”
Hackleman believes Liddell would have held a decided home-turf advantage with the fight in Las Vegas.
“I’d just rather keep the training local,” Hackleman said. “We just don’t like to travel, and we want to keep our camp local. It’s easier for all of us. It doesn’t make quite as much sense [to travel] on our side.”
Although the bout against Rua fight will mark Liddell’s first-ever appearance in the U.K., Hackleman remains confident that competing overseas will not change the desired outcome.
“Chuck will knock someone out anywhere,” he said.
Will be a great fight and I am picking Shogun in the upset.
Chuck by KO R1 or 2.
ttt
This would be a very cool card to be the first to happen on a major network like CBS
Great opening comment. That's exactly what Shogun is going to have to do, he still wont win though. I never thought Shogun would beat Silva, and we saw what happened against Liddell for Vanderlai.
I got Chuck.
But a healthy Shogun is obviously capable of anything.