Prior to UFC 115, Chuck Liddell said all the right things. He had changed his diet, changed his training regimen, returned to his roots. Appearing on a podcast with Sports Illustrated’s Josh Gross, the former UFC light heavyweight champion claimed that his time away from the sport had helped his body heal. You wouldn’t see a glancing punch drop Liddell to the canvas this time out.

Instead, it was a flush shot to the jaw that knocked out one of the greatest competitors in UFC history.

For four minutes, it looked like Liddell had regained some of his former greatness. In an action-packed main event, Liddell and Rich Franklin exchanged punches, kicks and takedowns. Liddell staggered Franklin with a strong punch, sending the former middleweight champion stumbling back. The Iceman displayed a variety of strikes, including heavy kicks to the body and head of Franklin. After the fight, Franklin admitted one of those kicks broke his left arm midway through the round.

But for fans hoping the fight would mark a return to form for Liddell, reality struck with just seconds left in the first round.

Liddell landed an elbow to Franklin while disengaging from a clinch. Like in previous losses, he then followed up with a left-right combination that came up just short. Franklin responded with a counter right hook from an odd angle. Liddell’s forward momentum carried him into the punch.

Liddell was out cold before he hit the mat.

In his post-event press conference, UFC President Dana White said that the Liddell of old would not have been knocked out by that punch. When asked about Liddell’s future in the sport, White guaranteed that Saturday’s fight would be the last in Liddell’s UFC career. White made similar comments following Liddell’s loss to Mauricio Shogun Rua in 2009.

If this is the end for the Iceman, his fight with Franklin serves as a fitting capstone to his career. Win or lose, Liddell provided moments of electrifying entertainment each and every appearance in the cage. Alongside Randy Couture, Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar, Liddell is as responsible for the UFC’s rapid growth as any other fighter.

Liddell has graced the cover of ESPN the Magazine, appeared on Entourage and Dancing With The Stars and acted in movies. Hopefully, he transitions to life after fighting gracefully.

The sport was better with Chuck Liddell as a part of it. Now, it will be better without him.

Undercard Action

While up-and-coming fighters Martin Kampmann and Evan Dunham shined in dominating wins, UFC youngster Rory MacDonald impressed in a heartbreaking loss. After winning the first two rounds against former WEC champion Carlos Condit, MacDonald faded down the home stretch. Condit poured on the pressure, delivering a barrage of elbows from the mount for what seemed like an eternity.

The fight was stopped with just seconds remaining in the final round.

While the hometown crowd hated the decision, MacDonald’s reputation won’t suffer due to the outcome. At the age of 20, MacDonald showed he belongs in the cage with the best in the welterweight division. He will emerge stronger as a result of the loss.

With complaints about officiating dominating the NBA finals and the ridiculous Armando Galarraga not-quite-perfect game, perhaps the UFC shouldn’t be surprised at poor decision by referees.

In a lightweight bout between two fighters desperately in need of a win, Matt Wiman was awarded a submission victory over Mac Danzig. The only problem was that Danzig had not tapped out nor was he unconscious.

Referee Yves Lavigne determined that Danzig was unresponsive despite obvious visual evidence that Danzig was still defending a tight guillotine choke. Danzig popped to his feet in protest as soon as the fight was called as the cage was showered with a chorus of boos. Announcer Joe Rogan vehemently protested the decision while showing that Danzig, while in danger, had one side of his neck exposed.

Danzig and Wiman were classy about the decision. Hopefully, a rematch will be made ASAP.

– Morgan Marx

Both are Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belts. Both have taken up versions of wrestling. Both have cross-trained in multiple striking arts, including boxing and kickboxing.

But when Lyoto Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua square off Saturday night for the UFC light heavyweight championship, the fight will come down to a battle of styles: Shotokan Karate versus Muay Thai.

Machida captured the title and fan’s imaginations using a fighting system unique to the sport of MMA. While building a perfect record within the Octagon, Machida seemed to glide through victories without being punched or kicked. Complaints that his patient, counter-striking style was boring to watch were quickly silenced by a pair of stunning knockouts, including his “Oh my God, I think he’s dead” KO of former champion Rashad Evans.

But just as karate schools began reopening across the country, Machida’s air of invulnerability vanished in a controversial title defense against Shogun. The former Pride Grand Prix winner aggressively attacked Machida with leg kicks and power strikes. While Machida earned a razor-thin decision, many fans, fighters and journalists believed Shogun deserved the nod.

And so Machida and Shogun will rematch at the Bell Centre in Montreal to definitively decide the king of the 205 pound division.

At UFC 113, Shogun will have his chance to correct the perceived wrongdoing in the first fight. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the rematch will be the changes both have made in the six months between fights. The outcome will show whether Shogun’s Muay Thai skills truly are the answer for Machida’s Shotokan striking, or whether Machida has adapted his style to exploit Shogun’s over-aggressiveness.

Undercard Action

Continuing the theme of style versus style matchups, Paul Daley and Josh Koscheck will face each other in the traditional “striker v. wrestler” contest. Daley, nicknamed “Semtex” for the explosiveness of his striking, has scored first round knockouts in both his UFC appearances. A victory over American Kickboxing Academy fighter Koscheck may well earn a Welterweight title shot for the British brawler.

However, Koscheck represents the one big weakness in Daley’s game. Having come up short against wrestlers like Jake Shields and Nick Thompson in the past, Daley must show that his takedown defense has evolved enough to survive against arguably the best wrestler in the division (other than Georges St-Pierre, of course).

If Koscheck is able to stop or thoroughly control Daley en route to a victory, he might be next in line for GSP. Since losing to the Canadian champion in 2007, Koscheck has seen attempts at earning a title shot derailed by untimely defeats. A loss to Daley would run his record to a pedestrian 5-3 since 2008. In the deep 170 pound division, Koscheck could find himself cut adrift from the title challengers.

Elsewhere, Kimbo Slice will make his UFC PPV debut against fellow The Ultimate Fighter cast member Matt Mitrione. Both men possess heavy hands and the UFC is surely hoping for a highlight reel KO. Kimbo did show a glimpse of a ground game in his victory over Houston Alexander. Maybe his training with American Top Team has turned the former street fighter into a complete competitor.

The big question will be whether those mainstream fans entranced by the bearded one will follow Kimbo to pay-per-view.

Finally, if one undercard fight has a chance to steal the show, it’s the lightweight matchup between Sam Stout and Jeremy Stephens. If the two bring their penchant for out-of-nowhere knockouts and back-and-forth battles to Montreal, UFC President Dana White will have the “Fight of the Night” check written out ahead of time.

–Morgan Marx

There’s bad news for anybody that was looking forward to Roy Jones Jr. boxing mixed martial artist Anderson Silva. UFC President Dana White says he will not grant permission for Silva to participate in the match if terms are reached. Since White is the Prez he has veto power over Silva’s dealings while Silva is under contract with the UFC.

I wish I could see Jones and Silva fight, but I also understand where Dana White’s coming from. The UFC and Silva have everything to lose and nothing to gain. If Anderson beats Roy, he beat a has been that’s past his prime. If Jones wins, then Silva lost to a has been that’s past his prime. He would pocket a fat paycheck but other than that it’s lose-lose for Silva.

For the last year and a half or so, fans of boxing and MMA have been going back and forth about which sport is better. The answer is clearly boxing, but instead of arguing the two sides should join forces. I’m talking about one event, pay-per-view or not, with boxing matches and MMA fights. I’m not sure how the organizers would put a ring and an octagon side by side, but if they can put monster trucks and dirt bike races inside buildings, then this small problem can be solved. The cost of a PPV would probably jump $25 or more though you’d have to admit a card with Mayweather-Cotto and Silva-Okami would be worth the price. This seems like an idea that Mark Cuban and his maverick ways could make happen.

Dana White won’t permit Silva-Jones Jr. fight. Courtesy of Yahoo Sports

Tags: Anderson Silva, Roy Jones Jr., Dana White, UFC, boxing, MMA

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Hip HopBoxing is dead.. That’s if you listen to the critics. What people are conveniently forgetting is that boxing has been written off a thousand times before and yet it still staggers forward. The fight over the weekend and the untimely death of Diego “Chico” Corrales have people talking boxing for now… Even if it’s for all of the wrong reasons.

 I was lucky enough to catch up with HBO Boxing’s Jim Lampley just before he boarded a plane to New York. Lamps had plenty to say.

HG: There’s been varying opinions on the outcome of the fight..Some people calling it controversial. How did you feel about the decision?

JL:Well I don’t know why there would be any controversy. I thought it was pretty cut and dry. It was a good fight, better than I expected. I give Oscar De La Hoya a ton of credit for being able to threaten Floyd Mayweather and make him look vulnerable at times, but at the end of the day, particularly in the late rounds, I thought Floyd’s precision punching and effective defense won the fight. I think the two scorecards that had Mayweather winning 116-112, 115-113, those are right in the same neighborhood with where I would have seen the ultimate outcome of the fight. That’s what I expected. Floyd Mayweather to win by decision. I think Oscar deserves a ton of credit, he fought better than I would have expected him to be able to do under those circumstances and he made it a real fight. That was the best thing that could have happened for the sport.

HG: Does the fight warrant a rematch?

JL:I think economics may in fact lead to a rematch, that wouldn’t surprise me. What would surprise me is if there was any difference in the outcome. I think that in the case of an experienced, technical fighter like Mayweather, once he’s had a chance to look at an opponent for 12 rounds, he’s probably going to do better against that person the next time around. Consequently, it’s highly unlikely to me that Oscar could do better. I think probably a lot of his fans and followers don’t really realize that. There’s a lot of people that saw this fight that hadn’t been exposed to Mayweather before. Now that people have seen Mayweather perhaps they understand his precise approach to the sport, his risk free style of fighting, it’s not terribly exciting but it let’s him win all of his fights..that’s what he does.

HG:What did you think of Judge Kaczmarek’s decision, 115-113 for De La Hoya?

JL:Kaczmarek’s scorecard is more enthusiastic for Oscar than I could bring myself to be. I think in order to have scored the fight for Oscar you have to give him every conceivable benefit of the doubt, and it just didn’t look to me that he was able to win rounds after he stopped connecting with his jab. The lingering mystery that will affect people’s view of the fight is what happened to De La Hoya’s jab? Why did it go away after the 7th or 8th round? As long as he’s landing his jab he was in the fight with a chance to win, once that stopped he was no longer in the fight with a chance to win.

HG:You made some comments about the MMA, mixed martial arts/UFC after the fight. Would you like to follow up on those comments or offer any other views on mixed martial arts vs. boxing?

JL:NO. Because in retrospect I’m sorry that I brought it up. I think that it sounded to defensive for our sport. We had a good fight in circumstances which created audience demand the likes of which no other combat sport could ever approximate. I felt like that was a good enough statement in and of itself. To be totally honest, I haven’t watched as much mixed martial arts as for instance Max Kellerman who disagreed with me so I defer to his opinion on the subject. I wish that I had just kept my mouth shut and stuck with commenting on boxing as opposed to something that was extraneous at the time.

HG:Finally, boxing lost one of it’s warriors last night.. Diego Corrales. Your final thoughts on Diego.

JL: I loved Chico. If you knew him, if you knew him sweet, sober, prepared to fight, the way I saw him several times during his career, you couldn’t help but love Chico. He was a warm, gregarious, outgoing guy. He had a problem when he drank alcohol. I hate to suspect that alcohol might have had something to do with his ultimate demise. There’s a lesson to be learned there. It’s a dangerous substance, legal or not. I don’t think Chico ever really completely got a handle on that, which is true of a lot of people in our sport. But he was essentially a sweet person, a very out going person. He was as big a boxing fan as any fighter could be. He came to as many fights as he could possibly attend. It was always fun to see him at ringside. He had a tremendously entertaining career and will forever be remembered for having fought in the fight that many of my colleagues regard as the greatest they ever saw. I only saw his first fight with Jose Luis Castillo on television, I was not there live, but that drama was unforgettable. His comeback win in that fight is a monument to courage and we’ll miss him.

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