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11-17-2008, 09:31 AM

Report: Anderson Silva could headline UFC 95, against Chuck Liddell
by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Nov 17, 2008 at 10:07 am ET
When the UFC returns to London, England, for a show at The 02, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (23-4 MMA, 8-0 UFC) could headline the event -- possibly in a non-title fight at 205 pounds against Chuck Liddell (21-6 MMA, 16-5 UFC).

The Sun, a reputable newspaper from the U.K., reported the possibility of the UFC 95 main event overnight.

However, neither fighter has been officially booked for the Feb. 21 event, and the Silva-Liddell fight is only being discussed a possibility.

"SunSport understands middleweight champion Anderson Silva, 33, has been asked to appear on the card, with a potential bout with light heavyweight star Chuck Liddell already being mooted," the report stated.

If it does pan out, the fight is certain to raise some eyebrows.

While Silva, who's made easy work of the UFC's 185-pound division since his arrival in 2006, has been granted permission to fight in the 205-pound division once before, his fight with James Irvin was largely considered pointless. However, with UFC Fight Night 15 being a late-booked event and in desperate need of a main event to counter Affliction Entertainment's debut event on July 19, the circumstances warranted even a non-ideal booking.

The UFC 95 fight, meanwhile, could be -- and perhaps should be -- criticized on two fronts. Not only would the light-heavyweight fight put the UFC's middleweight title picture on hold again (Silva made just two title defenses in 2008), he'd also be competing against a fighter -- though surely a future UFC hall-of-famer -- who's lost three of his past four fights and whose stock has never been lower. In fact, the 38-year-old Liddell hasn't scored a knockout victory in nearly two years.

Liddell is still a draw, and the fight could be marketed. However, a loss for "The Iceman" could be a disaster and force him into retirement. Worse yet, a loss for Silva would greatly impact his standing as the world's top pound-for-pound fighter and would likely derail any future plans for the 33-year-old Brazilian to fight outside the 185-pound division.

Silva is currently riding a nine-fight win streak, which includes eight consecutive victories in the UFC. None of his UFC fights has gone to a decision, including his most recent title defense. Last month at UFC 90, he defeated Patrick Cote via third-round TKO due to a knee injury suffered by the Canadian fighter.

For the latest on UFC 95, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

So if this happens, and Silva beats Liddel. Do you think he should get a title shot at LHW?

11-17-2008, 09:31 AM	#8
kayaker Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Official MMA Thread Report: Anderson Silva could headline UFC 95, against Chuck Liddell by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Nov 17, 2008 at 10:07 am ET When the UFC returns to London, England, for a show at The 02, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (23-4 MMA, 8-0 UFC) could headline the event -- possibly in a non-title fight at 205 pounds against Chuck Liddell (21-6 MMA, 16-5 UFC). The Sun, a reputable newspaper from the U.K., reported the possibility of the UFC 95 main event overnight. However, neither fighter has been officially booked for the Feb. 21 event, and the Silva-Liddell fight is only being discussed a possibility. "SunSport understands middleweight champion Anderson Silva, 33, has been asked to appear on the card, with a potential bout with light heavyweight star Chuck Liddell already being mooted," the report stated. If it does pan out, the fight is certain to raise some eyebrows. While Silva, who's made easy work of the UFC's 185-pound division since his arrival in 2006, has been granted permission to fight in the 205-pound division once before, his fight with James Irvin was largely considered pointless. However, with UFC Fight Night 15 being a late-booked event and in desperate need of a main event to counter Affliction Entertainment's debut event on July 19, the circumstances warranted even a non-ideal booking. The UFC 95 fight, meanwhile, could be -- and perhaps should be -- criticized on two fronts. Not only would the light-heavyweight fight put the UFC's middleweight title picture on hold again (Silva made just two title defenses in 2008), he'd also be competing against a fighter -- though surely a future UFC hall-of-famer -- who's lost three of his past four fights and whose stock has never been lower. In fact, the 38-year-old Liddell hasn't scored a knockout victory in nearly two years. Liddell is still a draw, and the fight could be marketed. However, a loss for "The Iceman" could be a disaster and force him into retirement. Worse yet, a loss for Silva would greatly impact his standing as the world's top pound-for-pound fighter and would likely derail any future plans for the 33-year-old Brazilian to fight outside the 185-pound division. Silva is currently riding a nine-fight win streak, which includes eight consecutive victories in the UFC. None of his UFC fights has gone to a decision, including his most recent title defense. Last month at UFC 90, he defeated Patrick Cote via third-round TKO due to a knee injury suffered by the Canadian fighter. For the latest on UFC 95, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com. So if this happens, and Silva beats Liddel. Do you think he should get a title shot at LHW?