Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans
Pat’s Prediction: This is a fight with a lot of variables, but none of them change the fact that Chuck Liddell will score a KO victory early in the second round. Sportsbook.com has the odds at Liddell -240 / Evans +190
The main event of the evening sees UFC poster-boy Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell trying to earn another shot at the title he used to hold by putting the first blemish on the undefeated record of ‘Sugar’ Rashad Evans. This is an exciting fight no only because of the stylistic match-up, but because of the clear implications for the Light Heavyweight title picture.
Rashad Evans, while not always exciting in the process, has managed to make it past every obstacle placed in front of him in UFC with a mix of wrestling, striking, and pure athleticism. While he does not necessarily have dangerous knockout power or intimidating submission prowess, Rashad is extremely adept at stifling his opponents offense with powerful take-downs and unorthodox striking. His best bet to win is to stay active, moving in and out and throwing a lot of short punches to hopefully set up a take-down attempt.
Unfortunately for Rashad, he is walking into a stylistic minefield in the form of Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell. Liddell’s Hall of Fame career has been punctuated with numerous fights just like this one, where he faced a well-rounded opponent who was not able to stand with him and turned their lights out in dramatic fashion. Rashad is going to face many difficulties in the fight, not the lease of which is that taking Chuck Liddell down is no easy task. Liddell’s sprawl is the stuff of legend, and has crushed the dreams of any number of grapplers over the years. Quite simply, Evans will not get Chuck Liddell to the ground by simply shooting in for a leg.
In order to have any chance at securing a take-down, Rashad is going to have to set it up by moving forward and putting his fists in Liddell’s face. Liddell, though, is more of a counter-puncher than a move-forward brawler like, say, Wanderlei Silva, so by moving in on Liddel, Evan is walking right into Chuck’s most dangerous weapon, being a looping hook from out of nowhere as he steps backward. Better fighters by far than Rashad Evans have fallen victim to those hoos, and if Rashad wants any chance at securing some real offense, he is going to have to step directly into the line of fire.
This is a fight that could go a number of ways, but all of them end with Chuck Liddell striking his trademark victory pose. One possibility is that Rashad will just continually shoot in for take-downs. If he does, Liddell will simply sprawl out of them like only he can before unloading hard, damaging combinations to Rashad’s face. The other possibility is that Rashad will attempt to get in Liddell’s face with some punches in order to set up the take-down, in which case he will be sent to a coma ward courtesy of a huge, looping left hook from ‘The Iceman’.
This is a fight with a lot of variables, but none of them change the fact that Chuck Liddell will score a KO victory early in the second round.
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