Fourth of July fireworks
2008 Cityfolk Festival
Spotted at the Cityfolk Festival
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS INSIDER
Liddell vs. Silva on ... then off ... then on again (maybe)
Monday, July 16, 2007
Mixed-martial-arts fans got teased by a possible Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva fight again.
Last week I learned that Silva, a longtime 205-pound champion for Japanese-based PRIDE Fighting Championships, had agreed in principle to fight Liddell, the UFC's recently dethroned champion. Despite both fighters coming off losses, MMA fans have long clamored for the bout.
Extras
Unfortunately, later that day, UFC president Dana White stated that the deal had fallen apart — because Silva didn't want to face Liddell — and that the fight would probably never happen. (Silva later refuted the claims and said he simply wanted to fight in November, rather than September, to assure sufficient training time.)
The fight was supposed to take place at UFC 76 on Sept. 22, but I've learned that Keith Jardine is expected to battle Liddell instead.
However, a Liddell-Silva bout may not be entirely dead.
Insiders now say the two fighters could possibly meet on a Dec. 29 card in Las Vegas. The UFC traditionally uses a December show to end the year with a bang, and with a fight between welterweight champion Matt Serra and former champ Matt Hughes also expected at the event, the show would do just that.
Evans vs. Ortiz
It wasn't the night's main event, but a fight between Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans stole the headlines at UFC 73 earlier this month.
Unfortunately, the UFC legend and his reality-TV-star opponent fought to an anticlimactic draw.
Just days after the fight, I was tipped off that an immediate rematch had tentatively been scheduled for UFC 77. which takes place at Cincinnati's U.S. Bank Arena on Oct. 20. Cincinnati native Rich Franklin will look to reclaim his belt from current champ Anderson Silva in the event's headline fight.
However, Ortiz and Evans could steal the headlines again — but only if the fight actually takes place.
Ortiz, one of the sport's highest-paid fighters and shrewdest negotiators, could use the marketable rematch to score a long-term contract extension.
"At this point, a (Cincinnati) fight isn't a lock," says a source inside Evans' camp, "With Tito, nothing is ever guaranteed."
Prime-time MMA?
As far as reality television, the UFC has the market cornered with its popular Spike TV series, "The Ultimate Fighter."
However, some major competition may be on the horizon from a rival organization.
Legendary reality producer Mark Burnett (of "Survivor" and "The Contender" fame) and ProElite (parent company of EliteXC) are discussing the possibility of an MMA-themed prime-time reality series that would showcase up-and-coming fighters.
The show could air on major network TV and introduce millions of new fans to the sport of MMA – under the EliteXC name.
Dann Stupp is editor-in-chief of UFCjunkie.com. For your daily fix of UFC and MMA news, go to www.ufcjunkie.com.
