Fight breakdown: Silva vs. Liddell
LAS VEGAS – The following chart compares Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva on a rating of 1 to 10 in several categories heading into their light heavyweight fight at UFC 79 Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center:
Keys to victory | ||
LIDDELL’S KEYS | SILVA'S KEYS | |
Back and forth: As a strong counter puncher, Liddell likes to lure opponents to him. He can do that against Silva, but has to change occasionally, especially since Silva doesn't fight as well going backward. | 1. Fast pace: Silva probably has a conditioning edge and should try a fast pace to make Liddell work. | |
2. Straighten the punches: Liddell tends to punch very wide, which will leave him open to Silva's powerful strikes. | 2. Don't rush straight in: Silva has to be careful not to run into a straight right as he's attacking. | |
3. Avoid the ground: Silva is an expert at submissions, so a ground fight hurts Liddell. | 3. Center it: Silva needs to keep the fight in the center of the octagon and not allow himself to be trapped along the cage. | |
Rating the fighters | ||||||
Comparison of Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva. | ||||||
CATEGORY | LIDDELL | SILVA | IOLE’S SKINNY | |||
Punching power | 10 | 8 | Both are exceptionally dangerous with their hands. | |||
Wrestling | 9 | 6 | Liddell is a former college wrestler. | |||
Knees/kicks | 8 | 9 | Silva is devastating with his knees. | |||
Ground and | 9 | 10 | Both are among the game's best finishers. | |||
Takedown defense | 10 | 8 | Liddell rarely is taken down. | |||
Chin | 7 | 9 | Silva can be hit, but recovers quickly. | |||
Submissions | 7 | 9 | Silva nearly as dangerous on the ground as he is standing. | |||
Stamina | 7 | 9 | A long match would favor Silva. | |||
Strength | 7 | 9 | Silva can be physically dominant. | |||
Intangibles | 10 | 8 | Liddell desperately wants to return to the top. | |||
Total | 84 | 85 | Silva has a more varied attack, but the bout figures to be a slugfest. They're essentially dead even and the fight could go either way. But because Silva attacks and Liddell is a superb counter puncher, go with Liddell by stoppage. |