Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva has been a dream fight for years. Last year we were teased by the possibility of it happening, only to have the deal fall apart. Last week it was announced that the fight was back on, and Liddell vs. Silva would take place in September. But a few days ago UFC President Dana White went on the record and said the fight was off…again.
Zuffa’s side of the story is that Silva turned down the fight. That left fans stunned at the thought of “The Axe Murderer” turning down anyone. Silva’s side of the story is that he was given the option of fighting in September or November. He chose November. Next thing you know, Dana White says the fight is off.
In a video on Silva’s website he said, “I want to fight Chuck in November and make a huge show, and make it the biggest show ever…I have no doubt it’s the most important fight of my life. This fight is on, if he doesn’t hide behind this mess.“
To make matters worse, UFCJunkie is reporting that Chuck Liddell will now fight Keith Jardine at UFC 76 in September, possibly ruining any chances of getting Silva to agree to ever fight in UFC.
The Wrestling Observer reported that EliteXC’s deal with Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou has fallen apart. The highly sought-after PRIDE fighter is now expected to sign with K-1 Hero’s.
It’s official: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will take on Ryoto “Lyoto” Machida at UFC 76. If Rua wins, look for him to be an immediate top contender for the title.
Also added to the card is Jason Lambert vs. Wilson Gouveia.
Cage Rage 22: Hard as Hell took place in England on Saturday night, and UFC referee Herb Dean was on the card in his final MMA fight. Dean suffered an injury to the eye near the end of the first round and was unable to continue the fight. His opponent, Dave Legeno, earned a TKO victory. Herb Dean ends his mixed mnartial arts career with a record of 2-3. He will now focus full-time on officiating. No word on how the eye injury will affect his ability to stop fights early.
It was announced on Thursday that Clay Guida will take on Marcus Aurelio at UFC 74.
The rest of the card is as follows:
Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck
Joe Stevenson vs. Kurt Pellegrino
Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. David Heath
Kendall Grove vs. Patrick Cote
Travis Lutter vs. Ryan Jensen
UFC Fight Night 11 is headed to Spike TV in August or September. The card will feature the long-awaited rematch between The Ultimate Fighter season one’s Chris Leben and Mike Swick. Swick has mentioned dropping down to welterweight after his loss to Yushin Okami at UFC 69, but this fight is expected to be at 185 lbs. We’ll have more on this as it develops.
In related news, Luke Cummo of TUF2 has announced that he will also be on the UFN card. No opponent has been named.
Some new names are floating around as possible contenders on The Ultimate Fighter 6. Paul Georgieff (3-1) and Dorian Price (6-2) have been added to the ever-growing rumored list of potentials.
