The UFC Results

In an incredibly shocking fight Quinton “Rampage” Jackson knocked out Chuck Liddell at 1:53 in the first round. This fight was four years in the making. After Liddell’s shocking loss to Randy Couture at UFC 43: Meltdown he made a stint in PRIDE where he was defeated by Rampage in 2003. After that defeat Liddell went back to the UFC and was unstoppable for seven straight fights, which were all won by knock out.

Liddell predicted that this fight would be his moment to erase his only unavenged loss. He said in pre-fight interviews that he would knock Rampage Jackson out in the first round. He was very confident and was in character as the “Ice Man”. Liddell getting knocked out in the first round was on neither fighter’s mind, in fact, in Rampage’s pre-fight interviews he said that “He is going to whoop Chuck’s ass” and win in the third round with a knock out.

The fight started like any other Liddell fight. The challenger moves forward as Chuck tries to lure them in. Rampage circled and Liddell slid around the octagon. About a minute in something strange happened though. Rampage takes a small step back and puts up his in arms, basically calling Liddell out. Instead of sticking to Liddell’s tried and true formula he reacted to Rampage and started to pursue, he took Rampage’s bait.

Not much longer after Rampage Jackson’s taunt Liddell threw a hard body shot that Rampage blocked. From Jackson’s defense posture he exploded with an enormous right hook that hit Chuck squarely on the chin. Chuck fell to the ground and Rampage pounced and punished a relatively helpless Liddell with strong hammer fists and elbows before John McCarthy, the ref, stepped in and called the fight.

Chuck Liddell initially thought the fight was called too quickly but didn’t pursue with argument after he saw the fight replayed on the big screen. Rampage Jackson is the new UFC light heavy weight champion and is now set to defend his title against the PRIDE middle and light heavy weight champion, Dan Henderson.

After some initial taunting and a jarring hook that put Houston Alexander on the mat Keith Jardine was humiliated by Houston Alexander’s relentless punches and knees to Jardine’s face. Keith Jardine came into this fight hot off of a win against Forrest Griffin and brimming with confidence. He was so confident that he made mocking gestures at the UFC newcomer, Houston Alexander, during the beginning of the fight. In retrospect I think Jardine is kicking himself for those actions and his poor mentality during this fight.

In the prefight interviews Jardine was upset that he was having to fight a previously unknown fighter like Alexander, he felt that he should be fighting a real contender. Contender or not as a fighter it is your job to win, and if you want to fight for the title then beat the fighter that stands in front of you. Despite rumors of the UFC having a hard time finding a fighter for Jardine, this fight was a test to see if Jardine was going to live up to his performance against Griffin and emerge as a real contender. Real champions don’t complain about who they compete against; they take the challenge before them and prove themselves, but Jardine let his ego take hold of him and he was literally crumbled at the hands of Houston Alexander, and showed that Jardine isn’t worthy yet of a title shot.

Houston’s dismantling of Jardine has validated him as a fighter and made him an instant mini-UFC star. His next fight will really define him. Alexander will have to step up big time and have another impressive showing and not let himself get intoxicated on confidence like Jardine did. I know that I now look forward to Houston Alexander’s next fight and have lost respect for Jardine and will be indifferent to his fights until he can prove himself to have a better attitude.