Sounds like Liddell and Silva fight might now happen.

**rar1015** · 08-11-2006, 06:17 PM

This kinda sucks.

One month after announcing that Wanderlei Silva had been signed to fight in the UFC and would likely face Chuck Liddell in November, the UFC has backed off of those claims in a Canadian media interview.

Pride has not yet commented on the UFC's statements. Here is the full article, courtesy of the Canadian Press.

Liddell Silva fight could be off, according to UFC president
by Neil Davidson, Canadian Press (CP)

It appears the much anticipated mixed martial arts bout between rival champions Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva scheduled for November might be off.

``I don't even know if Silva's going to happen,'' Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, told The Canadian Press in an interview.

White cited problems in dealing with the Japan-based Pride Fighting Championships that is home to Silva.

White said UFC 65 will instead probably feature Liddell against Tito Ortiz in a rematch of UFC 47 in 2004 when Liddell battered and bloodied the Huntington Beach Bad Boy.

The Liddell-Silva bout was considered a blockbuster matchup, finally bringing the rival UFC and Pride organizations together

Liddell (18-3-0) is the current UFC light-heavyweight champion at 205 pounds. While the Iceman has been out of commission recently with a toe injury, he remains the face of mixed martial arts in North America for many.

Known as the Axe Murderer, Silva (24-3-1) is a fighting machine who holds the Pride title. He has appeared in the UFC before, losing to Ortiz at UFC 25 in 2000 in his last outing in the Octagon.

The UFC, now looking to expand to Europe, has had the U.S. market largely to itself. Pride dominates Japan, using pay-per-view shows and Fox Sports TV to spread the word.

Complicating matters is the recent announcement that Pride is staging its first ever show in North America, The Real Deal!, in UFC's backyard of Las Vegas on Oct. 21.

``Obviously there are a lot of things going on,'' White said of the Pride situation. ``I'll [tell] you this, the Japanese are very hard to do business with and you never know what's going to happen.''

The UFC surprised viewers at UFC 61 last month in Las Vegas when Silva and Liddell met in the ring for a stare down as White announced their bout.

The Liddell-Silva fight was contingent on Liddell defeating Brazil's Renato (Babalu) Sobral at UFC 62 on Aug. 26 and Silva surviving Pride's Final Conflict Absolute card Sept. 10 in Saitama, Japan.

**Hellmaskbanned** · 08-11-2006, 07:46 PM

Sliva lost to ortiz..........

So this might be a closer matchup than I thought.

They better fight damnit.

I want to see Fedor Slap that deformed looking silvia around.

**Coop77** · 08-11-2006, 08:51 PM

Doesn't surprise me. Having the champs of two different organizations fight each other is a lot on the line for both.

**Tedbear981** · 08-11-2006, 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by Hellmask

Sliva lost to ortiz..........

So this might be a closer matchup than I thought.

They better fight damnit.

I want to see Fedor Slap that deformed looking silvia around.

Get the silva ortiz fight on youtube, Ortiz Layed on top of him the entire fight holding on for dear life and rest of the time on their feet he ran away..

**rar1015** · 08-12-2006, 12:52 AM

Yeah i dont know what would happen but i will say that since i started see more and more of Silva's fights im gonna have to say that this would definintely be a tough one for chuck to win.

**Hunter** · 08-12-2006, 01:54 PM

Fighters mature at different times silva was not what he was when he faced ortiz or belfort. Since those loses he has beat rampage twice, yoshida twice, drew with crocop with rules favoring crocop, got robbed against hunt, beat nakamura, he has put together a incredible run. Chuck has also put together a incredible run beating couture twice, revenging his loss to horn, randlemen, alistar, ortiz. Either way its going to be who lands the big punch silva has a flash chin and what I mean by that is he he tends to blank for a moment when stunned but neither crocop nor hunt really knows how to take advantage of that chuck does. I see it 50/50 who ever lands first.

**rar1015** · 08-12-2006, 07:19 PM

Originally Posted by mn_fighter

Fighters mature at different times silva was not what he was when he faced ortiz or belfort. Since those loses he has beat rampage twice, yoshida twice, drew with crocop with rules favoring crocop, got robbed against hunt, beat nakamura, he has put together a incredible run. Chuck has also put together a incredible run beating couture twice, revenging his loss to horn, randlemen, alistar, ortiz. Either way its going to be who lands the big punch silva has a flash chin and what I mean by that is he he tends to blank for a moment when stunned but neither crocop nor hunt really knows how to take advantage of that chuck does. I see it 50/50 who ever lands first.

Agreed.

**Tedbear981** · 08-12-2006, 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by mn_fighter

Fighters mature at different times silva was not what he was when he faced ortiz or belfort. Since those loses he has beat rampage twice, yoshida twice, drew with crocop with rules favoring crocop, got robbed against hunt, beat nakamura, he has put together a incredible run. Chuck has also put together a incredible run beating couture twice, revenging his loss to horn, randlemen, alistar, ortiz. Either way its going to be who lands the big punch silva has a flash chin and what I mean by that is he he tends to blank for a moment when stunned but neither crocop nor hunt really knows how to take advantage of that chuck does. I see it 50/50 who ever lands first.

How so?? I have watched that fight like 15 times and never thought wandy won....

BG · 08-12-2006, 09:15 PM

Originally Posted by Tedbear981

How so?? I have watched that fight like 15 times and never thought wandy won....

Very true, Hunt definitly took that one.

**KAEW44** · 08-12-2006, 09:45 PM

The fight isnt happening anymore. Dana white said it was prides fault for not making it possible but not clear why, he will replace it with Liddel vs Ortiz 2, UFC should change its name to URC, R being for rematch, its getting old how every matchup is leading up to endless rematches, Shamrock vs Ortiz 3 is just terrible news.