The Botterm Dollar: UFC Notebook

Columns, News

The following UFC notes are cross-posted over on our sister-site Pulse Wrestling

— Don’t be surprised to see Chuck Liddell move up to the heavyweight division if he beats Quinton Jackson later this year. Liddell wants to fight Mirko Cro Cop, and Mirko has already indicated that he isn’t dropping to light heavyweight in UFC. Liddell said on Bubba the Love Sponge that he wanted to fight Wanderlei Silva, Mirko Cro Cop, Quinton Jackson and Fedor Emelianenko. I’m pretty sure Liddell will easily beat Rampage and he’d probably murder Silva right now because Silva obviously still hasn’t mentally recovered from the knockout from Mirko, but Cro Cop would be a tougher one to call. Fedor is easy to call, because Fedor would murder him. Chuck Liddell is a great striker and a great champion, but there’s no way in the world he’d stand a chance against the fighter most believe to be the greatest of all time.

— Liddell also laughed off Kurt Angle’s claims that he (Angle) would beat Chuck in a fight. If anyone ever needs resounding proof that Kurt Angle is certifiably insane, the claim that he would be Chuck Liddell in a fight is all you need. Angle had claimed that Chuck wasn’t a wrestler, so Liddell reminded everyone that he was a four-year started on a his college wrestling team. He took it easy on Kurt, but did say that Kurt had never been punched in the face.

— Dana White did an interview with NBCSports.com. “I’m after all the best fighters in the world. I’ll have Fedor someday.” Not if he keeps insisting on single fight deals, you won’t. “What’s happening now, is that with us going international now, and going after that talent, Tim [Sylvia] is finally in a position where a lot of those questions are going to be answered. A lot of people think that the mystique over in Japan, they’re bigger, better, making more money. All of it’s bullshit. It’s all a big myth and now we’re in a place where we can prove it. Look at Nick Diaz. Diaz was cut by us because he lost so many times and he just beat Gomi who everyone thought was unstoppable and the best guy in that weight division. Not only did Nick Diaz beat him, but BJ Penn destroyed him.”

Regarding PRIDE’s claim that UFC was the problem in making Chuck vs. Wanderlei: “I’ve been trying to make that Wanderlei Silva fight for Chuck for years. And that got these goofs running around saying I wouldn’t make the fight and I’m the reason it won’t happen. That’s bullshit. I’ve always been willing to prove we have the best fighters in the world. Now it’s unfolding anyway. It’s happening”.

— White also confirmed that the winner of the Mirko Cro Cop/Gabriel Gonzaga battle at UFC 70 in England would face the heavyweight champion at that time.

Stay tuned to Inside Fights for full coverage of tomorrow’s UFC 68!