MMA Crunch

Quinton Jackson shocked most of the world when he lost his light heavyweight championship to Forrest Griffin. Less than two weeks later, he shocked the world again with the recent antics that landed him in jail. Now, shocked is the most common word used by mma fighters upon their reaction to the past week’s events.

MMAmania.com gathered reactions from a few of the top fighters in the sport. Chuck Liddell went on to say, “I am shocked over this. It’s really out of character for him.”

Affliction’s Tim Sylvia offered a similar response. “I feel for Rampage. I’ve been there.”

Lastly, Jackson’s close friend and training parner Michael Bisping has this to say. “I’m reeling in shock after hearing about Rampage. I’m devastated for him. It’s not like Rampage. He’s a good guy, he’s a law-abiding citizen. I’m very, very concerned for him.”

UFC Chuck Liddell, Michael Bisping, Quinton Jackson arrest, Tim Sylvia

With each passing day, UFC 88 is shaping up to be one of the best fight nights of the year. The past couple days has seen the addition of two new bouts to an already stellar event. Anderson Silva will take on Yushin Okami even though that fight will come less than two month after his bout with James Irvin.

It has also been reported that today Matt Brown was offered a fight against Dong Hyun Kim, the second Korean fighter ever to compete in the UFC. The September 6th event will feature a Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans clash in which the winner may wind up being the next in line to get a shot at light heavyweight gold.

Rich Franklin and Karo Parisyan will also be part of the card which could turn out to be a huge draw for the UFC. UFC 88 Breakthrough could in fact be the breakthrough event of the year when it airs on pay-per-view live from Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

UFC Chuck Liddell, Dong Hyun Kim, Matt Brown, Rashad Evans, UFC 88, Yushin Okami

The light heavyweight division is really heating up in the UFC. Amidst the flames of Saturday’s Forrest Griffin-Rampage Jackson blowout, many eyes are now looking forward to Chuck Liddell’s showdown with Rashad Evans at UFC 88. The winner of that bout could be next in line to face Griffin, the new light-heavyweight champion.

There is no question that all the heat manufactured by Jackson vs. Griffin will ignite the hype surrounding Liddell-Evans. Furthermore, the inevitable explosion at UFC 88 will then carry over into the next light-heavyweight title match. But even if the winner of Liddell vs. Evans is forced to wait and watch a Griffin-Jackson rematch, the energy surrounding the match should be scorching.

Mma junkie.com poses that a Griffin-Liddell end of the year match-up could be huge. However, with so many talented light heavyweights at the top of the division, the stage is being setting for a torrid ending to a an already blistering year.

Before the notion of a Liddell-Griffin face off can even be entertained, Liddell must first get past Evans. But regardless of who closes out the year as Griffin’s next opponent, it figures to be one of the hottest selling items of the year.

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Not a day has passed after Forrest Griffin handed Quinton “Rampage” Jackson the seventh defeat of his career and talks of a rematch have already begun to surface. Such an event would be a use draw and would also turn the tables. But instead of Jackson coming in as the heavy favorite, Rampage would likely play the unfamiliar role of the underdog. Griffin, now the UFC light heavyweight champion, would also head into another bout with Jackson equipped with the full respect of the media, audience and fellow fighters.

One of the main reasons that a rematch would be a smart move on everyone’s behalf is because the previous fight was extremely entertaining. Why wouldn’t anyone want to see a sequel to what was arguably one of the best fights of the year? However, there are more contenders in the light heavyweight division hungry for a shot at the title. Chuck Liddell and Rashad Evans are both waiting in the wings.

Liddell has been thirsting for quite some time to get another shot at gold. And Evans will argue that an undefeated record is more than worthy enough to warrant a title shot. So who should be next for Griffin?

Simply because Jackson was the former champion does not give him the right to be the next in line to reclaim his title. Jackson did not fight for nine months prior to UFC 86 and perhaps he should see some more action before receiving another shot at the title. A Liddell victory over Evans at UFC 88 would build a heightening momentum towards his championship run.

The only thing audiences love more than a rematch is a comeback. Liddell is putting together exactly that and it’s hard to imagine that a win over Evans wouldn’t land him in a title bout with Griffin.

Mauricio Rua is among the top light heavyweights in the UFC, although he fell victim to Griffin via a third round knockout almost a year ago at UFC 76. That loss kind of pushes Rua to the back burner as he will probably have to wait his turn for another shot at Griffin.

In the meantime, Griffin is putting together his own impressive run as he will look forward to defeating a third straight top quality opponent. Actually, it could wind up being his fourth straight win as he put down Hector Ramirez before notching victories over Rua and Jackson. Regardless of who is next in line, one thing has changed for Griffin. As the light heavyweight champion, he is now the man to beat.

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The Iceman was once the hottest name in mixed martial arts. The punching power of Chuck Liddell enthralled audiences and it seemed as though the sport was set to have a dominant champion for some time. Then came the Rampage. But that does not mean that Liddell is still not one of the top fighters in the UFC even though his super-stardom has dimmed out ever so slightly.

Part of the reason Liddell has faded into the backdrop is because he has not fought in 2008. And that lack of activity is mainly because Liddell was bitten by the injury big. However, it looks like he will finally get his chance during UFC 88 as he prepares to take on Rashad Evans. A victory over Evans would surely propel Liddell back up to the level where he was before two consecutive losses to Quinton Jackson and Keith Jardine.

MMAnews.com recently caught up with Liddell and talked to him about his upcoming fights. Apparently, the Iceman is ready to return to the octagon and has more plans for the future.

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This weekend’s bout between Rampage Jackson and Forrest Griffin feature two of the top light heavyweights in the world of mixed martial arts. There may only be a few voices disputing the fact that Jackson is the world’s top light heavyweight fighter, but where does Griffin fall among the elite? A victory over Jackson would surely thrust Griffin into the upper echelon of the division. Yet, for right now, Griffin ranks sixth on MMA Weekly’s list of top ten light heavyweights in the world. The list is as follows:

1. Quinton Jackson
2. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
3. Chuck Liddell
4. Lyoto Machida
5. Wanderlei Silva
6. Forrest Griffin
7. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
9. Keith Jardine
10. Thiago Silva

Multiple losses to Jackson hasn’t dropped Liddell too far down the list. Keeping that in mind, where will Griffin be ranked if he too loses at the hands of Jackson? Rua already split a pair of fights with Rampage and yet he remains slotted at number two. But despite what has happened in the past, Jackson is now the man to beat in the light heavyweight division. However, opinions vary and rankings always change according to who writes up the list. So if the ink was flowing from your pen, how would you rank the light heavyweight division?

Pictures, Recent News Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Mauricio Rua, Rampage Jackson, top 10 light heavyweights

UFC president Dana White threw a counter punch after Affliction decided to launch its first ever pay-per-view event. Now, Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio claims that he finds the move flattering. Flattering? That might not be the first word to pop out of someone’s mouth after being a hit by a much stronger opponent.

Atencio also made the claim that the UFC would not have made such a move if it didn’t see Affliction as a legitimate threat. With the popularity of mma continuing to climb comes the advent of more organizations there are and the better it bodes for the sport. That also means the UFC will have be in for more of a fight in the future.

The UFC threw a similar punch to the EliteXC back on May 31 when it countered EliteXC’s first network television event with a Chuck Liddell special on Spike TV. Regardless of how many people did tune in to watch that Kimbo Slice debacle, the EliteXC probably wasn’t very flattered by White’s move. MMAjunkie chimes in with the entire Atencio interview.

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UFC’s highly anticipated showdown between Forrest Griffin and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is now less than a week away. Next Saturday night, the two will finally take center stage and square off in the octagon. While Griffin is most recognized as the first Ultimate Fighter, Jackson carries with him the notoriety of the man who dismantled Chuck Liddell. Yet, this fight could be a defining moment for both men.

Jackson has since established himself as the man to beat in the light heavyweight division. A win would further cement the foundation he is building as one of the most dangerous fighters in the UFC. Adversely, a loss may drop him down a notch and hinder his credibility. That doesn’t mean that Griffin is not a worthy opponent. But if Griffin can came out with a victory, he could find himself catapulted up to the same echelon as Jackson. Putting forth a game effort against Rampage just won’t be enough to elevate him to that same status.

A long time coming

Although the fight is still a few days away, the stage was set a long time ago. This past season, both Griffin and Jackson were coaches during the latest Ultimate Fighter saga. And that was by no coincidence. Throughout the season, the two seemed to get along. However, there always seemed to be an underlying tension in the air. In casting the two, UFC president Dana White carefully positioned them both as though they were chess pieces. Neither man made any bold moves during the Ultimate Fighter series, but rather waited until this week for the chance to say check mate.

In the past, both Griffin and Jackson also shared a similar opponent in Mauricio Rua. Rua was Griffin’s latest victim in a dramatic match that ended late in the third round this past September. Jackson is also no stranger to Rua as Rampage felt his wrath during a PRIDE match-up in 2005 in which Rua scored a first round knockout.

Needless to say, a lot of hype and history has led up to the Jackson-Griffin battle. More hype will follow in the week to come, and on Saturday both fighters will make history. There has been so much building up to this event, that anything less than the dramatic would be a bit of let down.

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