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UFC 80

UFC 88: Breakthrough
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Atlanta, GA

When I first saw this card in passing, I just shrugged, mainly because I am of the opinion that the “star” talent pool (fighters who sell the most tickets/pay per view buys) for the Ultimate Fighting Championship was starting to become thin. While that may technically still be true, there is always tomorrow and the UFC is stepping forward and doing something that other fighting events have failed to do – promoting new stars from within. So upon re-examination I think this installation is in fact a hot ticket...at least for hardcores. Every fight is compelling and even competitive in its own right.

One thing the UFC is showing on this particular event is their ability to flex their rosters’ multiple levels. They have everything from veterans and (former) champions: Chuck Liddell, Rich Franklin, Nate Marquardt (Pancrase) and Dan Henderson, to mid-career threats: Karo Parisyan, Kurt Pellegrino, Jason Lambert and Jason McDonald, to fresh faces with loads of promise: Rashad Evans, Matt Hamill, Rousimar Palhares and Martin Kampmann. I’ve scoffed in the recent past about the company’s possible fight for sustainable marquee names, but this event attacks from a different, old school angle; it just features a cavalcade of really good fights.

Chuck Liddell

Vs.

Rashad Evans

Like all ex-champions, Chuck Liddell doesn’t just want to be in the holding pattern of still being “relevant,” he wants the gold around his waist again, and the glory associated with that. Like the man who dethroned him, Quinton Jackson, Liddell has been force-fed the reality of how much the high life can have an evil effect on your ability to perform and retain your championship.

So when is a fight a “must win” situation? This is as close Chuck Liddell has been to that predicament. At 38 years old he is 10 years the senior of Rashad Evans, the winner of the 2nd season of The Ultimate Fighter television show, who represents a speedy but conquerable challenge for “The Iceman, depending of course on which Rashad shows up. When Evans faced former Liddell rival Tito Ortiz he did not look impressive. A tentative performance led to a draw in a fight many though Rashad should have won. He also looked small against Ortiz.

Using the common opponent of Tito one can summarize several things: Evans struggled against the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” but Chuck didn’t, Evans never really hurt Ortiz, Chuck did (Liddell TKO’d Tito both times they fought). But anyone who truly knows this game can safely say that “MMA Math,” or the analysis based on previous competition, usually means next to nothing. But I have to say SOMETHING; otherwise this preview will be 3 words long...(Laughs)

Since Liddell was knocked out by “Rampage” (Jackson) in the first round May of last year, he has stormed back with two barn burning performances: a tooth and nail split-decision loss to Keith Jardine and a scramble that saw caution and technique get thrown to the wind in his unanimous decision over “The Ax Murder” Wanderlei Silva. Yes, Chuck Liddell had accomplished something he had not done in over five years, gone the distance. So the gas is not a problem heading into the bout with Evans, who himself has seen the final bell in his last two contests (the draw with Ortiz and a split-decision win over Michael Bisping).

Rashad’s biggest problems in his fight with Chuck are: 1) trying to out-muscle Liddell-not gonna happen, 2) try to out-slick Liddell-could happen but might result in a ‘shimmy & shake’ dance contest (reminiscent of Evans’s oft criticized early bouts on The Ultimate Fighter) that the UFC and their legions of fans do NOT want and 3) fear of getting knocked out by Chuck-this is a very real possibility...if Evans is careless. So for entirely different reasons than his foe (Liddell), Rashad Evans has his back to the wall too. In facing Chuck Liddell he will again be undersized, will be facing an arguably superior MMA wrestler than himself and definitely will be up against the best striker he has ever faced.

Speed is Rashad’s only reliable trait here...for survival and for the “theory” of getting ‘in & out’ before he gets clobbered. I just hope that Rashad Evans isn’t somehow “encouraged” by someone in a hypothetical pre-fight meeting, on his tactics, strategy and the ‘fact’ that “ex,citement” = dollars (meaning stand and slug with Chuck).

Long story short: I cannot see any other ending for this match than Chuck Liddell constantly chasing Rashad Evans and winning a one-sided decision that looks like a higher-level version of Nate Quarry against Caleb Starnes.

Rich Franklin

Vs.

Matt Hamill

Rich Franklin is in the same boat that Liddell is in (and Dan Henderson to some degree), except unlike Chuck, Rich has two high profile TKO losses to a “new” dominant force in the UFC universe (Anderson Silva), where as Chuck only has one (Quinton Jackson/Liddell’s loss to Jardine was close). And Franklin has a hefty task in front of him in the inspired, and inspiring, Matt Hamill.

Franklin’s key to victory is simple: keep the fight standing and pepper Hamill, because if it goes to the floor it favors Matt, the wrestling standout.

Karo Parisyan

Vs.

Yoshiyuki Yoshida

Judo specialists collide. Karo Parisyan seems to always be just one step away from greatness. Sure he was TKO’d in his last fight, by the guy who destroyed Matt Hughes, Thiago Alves. But he’s won 8 out of his last 10 fights and beaten ‘name’ players along the way (Nick Diaz, Ryo Chonan, Matt Serra, Drew Fickett, etc.). Against Yoshiyuki Yoshida it is his old claim of specialty: judo that will fuel his pride...or his anxiety.

Yoshida has experience but Karo should be able to handle him: Parisyan by decision.

Dan Henderson

Vs.

Rousimar Palhares

Former UFC and Pride two-time champion “Dangerous” Dan Henderson again faces a serious Brazilian threat in Rousimar Palhares. Hendo knows that the Palhares is a submission specialist (especially leg locks) and that he himself was “caught” (submitted/rear naked choke) in his last bout with Anderson Silva. But is Palhares an Anderson Silva? Maybe...but I’m hedging he’s not and pick Dan Henderson to win by decision.

Martin Kampmann

Vs.

Nate Marquardt

This match truly gives me chills. Kampmann has tons of potential whereas Marquardt, who won the King of Pancrase title numerous times in Japan, has seen it all. A win here by Martin Kampmann will put him in title consideration. And if Nate gets the victory, depending on how ‘exciting’ he does it, he will almost be in a similar situation (Marquardt already had a title shot was TKO’d by champion Anderson Silva last year). I lean towards Marquardt.

Stephen Quadros, "The Fight Professor", has worked as a host and play-by-play commentator for some of the world's greatest fight organizations including: PRIDE, K-1 and Inoki Bom Ba Ye. He currently balances his activities between acting, working as a analyst/color commentator for Showtime (EliteXC, ShoXC), choreographing fight scenes for feature films and playing drums for the bands Snow and Whipped Cream. Visit Mr. Quadros on the worldwide web at: www.StephenQuadros.com or MySpace.com/StephenQuadros.