""For all Liddell’s achievements in the last four years, for all the appearances on TV, radio and magazine covers and the like, the fact is that it was Rampage, not the Iceman, who did the butt-kicking last time out. No matter that Liddell has gone undefeated since that night while Jackson hasn’t, Rampage is the better fighter over the Iceman until Liddell proves otherwise on the battlefield.
Jackson barked: “What’s going on TV or being in magazines got to do with his fighting skills? What he do, I mean the photo shoots, the interviews that he have, that don’t bother me, they don’t got nothing to do with how good he can throw a punch. It don’t bother me at all. I don’t give a damn. It means nothin’ to me. I beat him. That‘s all.”
The Iceman shrugs the jibes off and notes that far from taking offense to Rampage’s taunts, he actually finds them kinda funny.
“He’s a funny guy, one of my favourites,” Liddell smiled. “I like him and respect him a lot. He’s very entertaining, man. One of my favourite things he did was when we were watching a fight (at a previous UFC) and everyone else was yelling the ref to stand the
fighters up, Quinton was yelling at the ref “Put them on the ground! Put them on the ground!” It made me laugh pretty good.”
Joking aside, though, surely Liddell - perhaps during a hard run or before he shuts his eyes at night – must have considered Jackson’s claims that the Iceman’s punches never hurt him in their infamous PRIDE FC fight.
“He can say that,” Liddell said. “But I know I hurt him in the last fight. He’s a better striker than Tito or Randy, sure, and I think he can stand with me and he hits hard. I’ve got to hit him and not get hit a little. I’m going to try and make him adjust to what I want him to do. When I go out there I’m going to try to make them fight my fight. And, you know, I’m not afraid to stand there and exchange with anybody.
“So, if he really (believes I can’t punch hard) and wants to exchange with me it will be at least fast, exciting and short night for him. I am just ready for this.”
Real ready, by the sound of it. Hackleman, a no-nonsense ex-boxer who doesn’t go in for hyperbole, insists: “This is the best camp we’ve ever had, Chuck and I. We’ve not done anything any different and we always work very, very hard in camp, but something has just clicked perfectly for this fight.”
OK, like what?
“Some of it was luck,” the Pit master said. “Chuck hasn’t picked up a single injury, not one pull or strain, which is pretty unique for us. Chuck especially seems to pick up injuries here and there but he’s 100% healthy for this one.
“But Chuck's hitting harder now than he ever has and his timing and accuracy right now better than ever. Really. He is punching harder from every angle, moving away or moving in towards the target. This could be the best Chuck you’ll ever see. This could be the performance and fight of his life.”"
I especially like the last couple paragraphs. I am so pumped up for this fight. I just hope that it isn't a 1 minute brawl. ROCK AND ROLL!!
