Prime Chuck Liddell vs current top 10 LHWs

Yeah but I don't think it has any real bearing on a prime fight.

Speed would be a huge factor as Wandy would be very aggressive and Liddell would be countering. I just think Wandy is able to pressure him to the point where Chuck is going for takedowns.

 

It was not marginal at all mate.

See my thinking with Wanderlei is the same as it is with Anderson in that once they trained grappling seriously they were much more complete fighters.

Tito wouldn't have had as much success once Marcelo joined Chutebox. Once he could defend that takedown attempt and keep the fight standing he smashes Tito in next week.

 

It's about when he became head grappling coach and when Wanderlei put in the ground work when it came to grappling. In fact the loss to Tito is probably the best thing that ever happened to him. He was cut in one fight and caught in the other but Tito was the first man who straight up beat on him for 25 minutes. The BJJ training came after that loss and the Wandy we saw after that has a much better chance of beating Tito imo.

The disparity in depth was not as pronounced as HW I agree. But the top 3LHW fighters of that era were Wandy, Rua and Page. Chuck and Tito were not on that level imo.

 

I agree that Pride was more talent rich. I also think this post shows why MMAth doesn't always ring true.

Wanderlei had a crazy run at 205. A run that still has him in the running(not really, it's probably Jones) for the best ever at that weight. Wanderlei lost to Liddell, just after each fighter had lost in championship fights. Liddell won by decision, beating Wanderlei head to head. While Liddell may have been better H2H, he didn't prove better overall. Rampage has two wins over Liddell, but lost twice to Wanderlei.

This post is making my head hurt. I'm out for a sec

 

Why would that be a tall order? Why would Cormier necessarily need to keep him there, if he can just take him down again?

Liddell never faced a wrestler quite like Cormier. Liddell faced Couture, and won twice. Liddell was also outwrestled, and outpointed, by Couture.

I get that Chuck's power makes him dangerous for Cormier. I don't get thinking Chuck can defend Cormier's wrestling the way he defended against lower tiered wrestlers.

 

Well. I do agree not putting gospel truth into MMath, but in this case it definitely rings true. As for Wanderlei.... He was also fresh off brutal KO defeats to Cro Cop and Henderson. Safe to say they he had the prime beaten out of him by the time he fought Liddell. Prime for prime would have likely been different.

 

Liddell throws shorter punches, particularly his one-two. This is how he defeats Wanderlei. Wanderlei likes to wade in, winging punches from the sides. Liddell's jab and cross will land more often.

 

I can't prove you're wrong.

This is it. This is the type of discussion that makes fantasy boxing matches so much fun, but it get gets worse for us. Grappling, not to mention other forms of striking, is an issue.

DC can take Liddell down, presumably. How does the fight unfold once they get there?

 

Yes but where Liddell throws 2 or 3 shots Wandy throws 5 or 6.

Its a very intriguing matchup.

 

It is, and it was. Liddell uncharacteristically took Wanderlei down during their fight, showing he could adapt under the circumstances.

 

Yes at that point I thought Liddell had a clear striking advantage and no need to shoot like he did.

It was a brilliant fight and it's just a shame it came marginally too late.

For me the improvement made by Wandy in the year 2000 just from the Tito to the Henderson fight shows how rounded he would become.

Beyond that he proves superiority over Liddell by winning the GP. If Liddell wanted to be better than Wandy he should have won that tourney, but instead he ran into Page.

Speaking of Page, if him and Chuck never fought, hell if him and Chuck never rematched, I would swear blind Chuck had the beating of Page.

 

a washed up war torn Wanderlei who was coming off back to back BRUTAL KO defeats where he literally had the prime knocked out of him. Did you not see what Cro Cop and Henderson did to him? a lot worse than what Liddell had gone through in the lead up to their fight.