UFC 71 REPORT: RAMPAGE DENIES LIDDELL REDEMPTION

Posted on | May 27, 2007 | 1 Comment

UFC 71 AT THE MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA IN LAS VEGAS

POST FIGHT REPORT BY:

RICH BERGERON

 

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High off a week of unprecedented, history-making publicity, the UFC hosted another sellout crowd in Las Vegas for UFC 71 Saturday night. All in attendance—including celebrities like Kevin James, Adam Sandler, Mandy Moore, David Spade, Andre Aggassi, Steffi Graff, and Rob Dibble—saw an amazing line up of fights that included a shocking main event upset.

Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell folded against the relentless, heavy-handed strikes of a much more toned and sculpted Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. With the win, Jackson swiped the Light Heavyweight crown away from Liddell and gave the Iceman a wake up call he’ll never forget. Liddell reached superstar status during his championship reign, completely saturating the media in recent weeks with his story and status flaunted in magazines, newspapers, and TV shows. He fell from grace in just one minute and 53 seconds after a right hook from Jackson sent him crumbling to the mat. Jackson pounced and made the champion blurry eyed and woozy with a few well-placed final blows to end the match.

The undercard was no less impressive with a couple major wars ending in decisions and a few wild slugfests leading to early endings. Stacked with “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show alumni, there weren’t too many new faces on the card. The exception was Iowa’s own Jeremy Stephens, who was able to hang tough and fight past some early difficulty until his fight ended by submission in a bit of controversy after the replay revealed he didn’t tap out. It was a night of knockouts more than submissions, and Houston Alexander would provide one of the most fantastic finishes as he came up off the canvas after getting cracked hard by Keith Jardine in their first exchange of punches. He regained his composure and stormed back into the fight on his way to a stunning knockout.

Repeating the same catch phrase over and over again throughout the telecast, Joe Rogan’s Sidekick Mike Goldberg wouldn’t let viewers forget that the UFC is in the midst of a “Meteoric Rise.” Both Rogan and Goldberg emphasized the league’s recent exposure in magazine cover stories, an HBO cameo by Chuck Liddell, and ESPN’s coverage of the weigh-ins for UFC 71. The card itself proved why that growth continues and only inspired a few brief spates of booing from the crowd when there were some lulls in the action.

HERE’S THE ROUND BY ROUND WRAP-UP:

Light Heavyweight Championship:

“The Iceman” Chuck Liddell (20-3), San Luis Obispo, CA (37 y.o.)

VERSUS

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (26-6), Irvine, CA (28 y.o.)

Jackson dubbed himself “the icebreaker” before the match, and though celebrities in the audience seemed to be favoring Liddell, UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture predicted Jackson would pull off the upset.

ROUND ONE

Both fighters started out slowly, neither pushing the action much. Looking at the two of them circling around the ring, Jackson seemed way more imposing. Liddell looked every bit like the underdog hero matched up against the enormous plug-ugly henchman from any Hollywood movie with a fight scene: like the “Entourage” character Johnny Chase thrown into the cage against Chuck in his cameo appearance on the show.

Chuck kept circling and trying to land his patented outside shots coming from crazy angles, but Jackson walked right through and around all of Chuck’s punches and kept up some solid defense as he stalked Liddell around the cage. He seemed to be baiting Chuck in, waiting for the champ to gas out from running or make a huge mistake. “Rampage” even shrugged his shoulders at one point as if to say, “C’mon, Chuck, you said you were gonna knock me out in the first round, here’s your chance.” When Liddell finally waded in, Jackson landed a potent left and right combination, and Liddell jumped back outside again.

The next exchange would be the last. Liddell threw a couple glancing blows only to leave his left hand low and get caught with a roundhouse right hook from Jackson. Liddell’s legs gave out. His knees buckled, and before he could even put his arms up to guard his face “Rampage” jumped on him and finished the fight with a few furious head shots. Liddell took three or four solid shots, including a mean elbow, before he managed to start trying to roll over and out of trouble. His eyes were out of focus and showing signs of impending unconsciousness as he made a final feeble effort to reach for Jackson and only found thin air. It only took a few big bombs from Jackson, but it was enough to force “Big” John McCarthy to step in and stop the fight at 1:53 in the first round.

Jackson had no qualms about setting up a rematch, and he probably would have done it on the spot if he could have. “Let’s do it again,” he said to Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview while sporting the new belt to match the old chain around his neck.

Liddell was humble in defeat, not at all contesting the way the match ended. “I got caught. I made a mistake and got caught, there’s nothing else to say,” he explained and added later, “I always want a rematch.”

Dan Henderson’s transition from PRIDE was then announced, and Henderson strode into the octagon with his belts to talk about fighting his newly-crowned friend. “We’re all friends in this sport, but it’s a sport and a business, so I’m happy to make some money with some of my friends,” said Henderson about a possible future Henderson vs. Jackson match-up.

 

 

MIDDLEWEIGHT (185)

Kalib Starnes (9-2-1), British Columbia

VERSUS

“The Crippler” Chris Leben (16-3) Seattle, WA

ROUND ONE

Leben landed the bulk of the early punches thrown, and he mixed in a few kicks and knees once the grappling started. Starnes landed a nice right hand, but Leben still kept coming in.

Starnes landed a loud, thumping leg kick that also failed to stop Leben from his pursuit. Finally, Leben penetrated the defense of Starnes with a swift uppercut followed by a leg kick. With Starnes on the run, Leben fell down trying to kick his opponent in the head. Leben recovered pretty quickly and landed a roundhouse left to Starnes’ head. Starnes, waiting for the right moment, slipped in a few leg kicks until both fighters started punching like mad, throwing straights and roundhouses at each other.

Leben landed a huge left hand as Starnes connected with a kick. Starnes circled away, waiting for another opening, adopting a defensive mentality, and grappling his way out of trouble whenever he could. Leben fought his way out of one clinch with an uppercut and added a couple knees before backing out.

Starnes picked up a late takedown, but he didn’t get much done other than landing a few decent body shots and a couple of awkward head shots. Starnes worked his way to a standing position and landed some of his heaviest bombs just before the bell.

ROUND TWO

Starnes landed a huge right early on that wobbled Leben, taking him down before he can recover his wits. Starnes worked back to a standing position to land some great shots, and then he let Leben back up. Both fighters grappled up against the fence until Starnes connected with a nice right. They both traded leg kicks, and Starnes really started showing signs of gassing out. He backed out of Leben’s next attack. Glancing punches, knees, and kicks landed as both traded shots, but nothing did any major damage. Leben suddenly bulled forward with combos as Starnes covered up. Starnes managed to back out, land a knee, and come back with his own punches. Showing great defense and countering well, only his cardio threatens to unravel him as the bell rings while he gasps for every breath.

ROUND THREE

Starnes got off to an early start, landing nice head shots. Leben came back with wild combos landing. Chasing Starnes down with leg kicks, Leben is the only one really attacking, and Starnes can only land blind, short shots.

Leben connects with a hard body kick and picks up a takedown on Starnes. Dropping hammer fists, Leben gains the advantage only briefly. Starnes earns himself a reversal only to lay his head on Leben’s chest while Leben lands blows from the bottom. Starnes fights back, only throwing sparing shots and one big elbow. The crowd begins booing. Starnes adjusts his position, but he can’t get an opening. Landing a few late, looping bombs, he shows his ability to fight to the end, but he also reveals that his cardio needs serious work.

The judges score the bout 29-28, 30-27, 29-28, all for STARNES. He’s not very proud of it, and he admits Leben did a great job. Leben tells the fans he’s confident he gave them what they came to see and says judging doesn’t matter.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (205)

KEITH JARDINE (12-3-1) Albuquerque, NM

VERSUS

HOUSTON ALEXANDER (6-1) Omaha, Nebraska

ROUND ONE

Jardine starts slugging right off the bat and wobbles Alexander. Alexander almost collapses to the canvas but bounces right back up, pouring it on. A few hard, accurate right hooks demolish Jardine. Alexander drops him twice, lands a big knee, and just goes ballistic after that. A storm of punches from start to quick finish, this is the most intense bout of the night. A right uppercut drops Jardine for the final time and knocks his mouthpiece out. Alexander mentioned before the fight that it took him seven years to get to the UFC, but it only took him 48 seconds to make the best of it with a knockout.

“I know what type of ability I have,” said Alexander after the fight, refusing to give Jardine any credit for hurting him and maintaining, “I slipped.”

 

UFC 71 Houston Alexander vs Keith Jardine
Uploaded by Mcouenne

 

MIDDLEWEIGHTS (185)

Ivan Salaverry (12-4-1) Seattle, WA

VERSUS

Terry Martin (17-2), Chicago, IL

ROUND ONE

Salaverry lands a low-blow leg kick, and after a pause for an apology they both start trading a bit. Salaverry lands a body blow and tries to follow up with a head kick. He misses and almost loses his balance. He goes for a leg kick that lands, but Martin starts coming back. He can’t get position while grappling against the fence to land any blows, so he tries to slam Salaverry. All Salaverry can do is hold onto Martin’s wrist to try to work a submission. Instead of going anywhere with it he gets dropped on his head. Martin leaps on top of him and starts hammering the back of his head until the ref calls the fight. It seems like a bit of an early stoppage, but Salaverry seemed unable to defend himself, so the stoppage turns out the be justified after the replay. Martin gets the TKO at 2:04 of the round.

Martin tells Rogan afterward that he’s willing to stand with Anderson Silva as long as Silva is he willing to stand with him. “I’m not worried about no 185 pound fighter,” he adds.

WELTERWEIGHT (170)

KARO PARISYAN (24-4), North Hollywood, CA

VERSUS

JOSH BURKMAN (19-3), Salt Lake City, Utah

ROUND ONE

The two former training partners start off with a nose to nose staredown. Burkman comes on strong early connecting first with a punch and following up with a leg kick. At the same time he lands the kick he walks into a Parisyan punch. Burkman fights through a few more strikes and works a takedown against the fence.

Unable to get anything done on top, he backs out, and Parisyan lands a straight right. Roundhouses land from Burkman while straight shots prove to be Parisyan’s best weapon. Parisyan begins landing more as Burkman switches stances. Going to the right hook briefly, Parisyan follows with more straight shots. Another exchange leads to another takedown for Burkman. Again ineffective on the mat, he lands a few shots while Karo stands up, landing some more harsh shots as Parisyan backs out of trouble.

Still, Burkman allows Parisyan back into the fight. Parisyan takes advantage and throws Burkman to the mat with a big trip. Choosing to take his chances on his feet, he lets Burkman up. Parisyan lands a few hooks and then misses a head kick. Burkman ducks a punch and goes in for a third takedown, but he can’t lock it up as the round comes to a close with Parisyan trying for a submission.
ROUND TWO

Parisyan lands a quick right and a body shot. Burkman lands a short knee, and Parisyan responds with a glancing head kick. Burkman connects with a big shot, and Parisyan comes right back again to stun Burkman with more straight punches. Burkman comes back with a 1-2 combo, but Parisyan keeps his cool.

Burkman pays for it when he misses an uppercut and Parisyan connects. Burkman prevents Parisyan from laying it on too thick with a counter right hook. Parisyan works in to grapple and lands a knee. Burkman is visibly slowing down, waiting for an opening instead of charging in wild. Both end up trading slugging blows and grappling through the last minute. Karo lands a few looping rights from the outside while Burkman throws plenty of shots, but they all look really sloppy and way too slow. On the other hand, Parisyan is taking over, targeting Burkman with accurate, straight shots. Couture, advising Parisyan between rounds, stresses the need to throw more combinations.

ROUND THREE

Burkman comes out strong again early in the third. Parisyan, now used to feeling his power, is immune to Burkman’s best. Burkman knows he needs the knockout and starts swinging wildly. Parisyan is clearly taking it easy, pacing himself, while Burkman is working in desperation. He finally makes progress with a takedown slam, but as usual he can’t do anything with the great positioning. Parisyan escapes easily and almost ends up with a submission. Burkman tries another takedown, but Parisyan punches out to get back on his feet. Burkman runs in with a 1-2 combo only to meet a hard left jab from Parisyan. Burkman just can’t do enough to turn the tide.

The judges score the bout 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 for KARO PARISYAN

Karo tells Rogan after the match that he’s been working on his standup for a while. He ten addresses Dana White and voices his desire for a title shot. “I’m not gonna get down on my knees and beg, but I want my title shot,” he announces.

LIGHTWEIGHTS (155)

DIN THOMAS (22-7), Port St. Lucie, FL (30 y.o.)

VERSUS

JEREMY STEPHENS (13-1), Des Moines, IA (21st birthday)

ROUND ONE

Stephens looks relaxed going in, maybe even a little over-confident. Thomas starts trading shots right away until he slips in to get a takedown before Stephens can blink. Stephens guards well at first, but Thomas is able to land a few elbows. Trying to get out from underneath Thomas, Stephens turns over on his stomach and gets caught having to defend from a rear naked choke. Thomas starts punching him from behind. Stevens finally reverses and starts throwing wild, swinging bombs. None of them connect with any real effect. He stands it back up to end the round.

ROUND TWO

Stephens starts off the second fighting smarter and with more poise. He even lands a spinning backfist, which is a glancing shot but still potent. He connects later with a left hook and moments later unleashes a left hook and uppercut combination. Gaining more and more of an advantage on his feet, he lands a double kick to Thomas’ leg and body. Looking great on his feet, he takes one big left from Thomas, responds with his own jab, and sprawls out of a takedown. He ends up on top where he drops an elbow. Working to land more blows, Thomas grabs hold of his arm. Trying to slam his way out of an arm bar, Stephens can’t pick Thomas up high enough to jar him loose after dropping him back to the mat. Instead Thomas locks up his arm and ends the fight at the 2:44 mark. The replay proves Stephens never tapped out, but considering how tight Thomas had the arm bar locked, the stoppage could have been considered as the safest thing for the referee to do in order to prevent serious injury.

Din Thomas decided to make a statement after the win, calling out boxers Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Kermit Cintron. Both boxers inserted themselves into some controversy by debating the topic of which sport has the best athletes: Boxing or Mixed Martial Arts. Mayweather called MMA “a fad,” and Cintron (who has some wrestling experience in addition to being a world champion boxer) announced he would love to fight the UFC’s Sean Sherk to put an end to the discussion.

Thomas admonished “ALL THEM BOXERS TALKIN’ SHIT” and said, “If they wanna fight, I’ll fight ‘em!”

 

UFC 71 – Din Thomas vs Jeremy Stephens
Uploaded by Mcouenne

 

IN OTHER UNTELEVISED ACTION:

Wilson Gouveia took out Carmelo Marrero by Guillotine choke at 3:06 in the first round.

Alan Belcher also won by Guillotine submission just 53 seconds into the first round against Sean Salmon.

Thiago Silva won by TKO due to a knee injury against James Irvin in another short bout lasting only one minute and six seconds.

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