Light heavyweight championship: Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell (20-3, 15-2 UFC) vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (26-6, 1-0 UFC)
It's well known in the world of mixed martial arts that Jackson defeated Liddell during a Pride match in 2003, but since that bout Liddell has won seven straight matches -- all by knockout.
Liddell, in my opinion, has become the best counter striker in the UFC, but even though he's the champ, it's tough to bet against Jackson after watching how he overwhelmed Liddell four years ago. After working with boxing coach and now manager Juanito Ibarra, expect Jackson's improved standup to set up his takedowns. Liddell has to keep Jackson away, be more tactical and land those nasty counterstrikes like he did against Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Tito Ortiz.
Welterweight match: Karo Parisyan vs. Josh Burkman
You know what Sinatra said about New York: If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. That applies to Parisyan (6-2 UFC) as well.
Because if you can beat him, you deserve to be among the elite. Look at his two losses in the UFC: A decision loss against Georges St. Pierre and a decision loss against Diego Sanchez. Nothing to be ashamed about. Besides being a phenomenal showman, he's a tough dude. He's good for at least three highlight-reel judo throws a fight. But he might have a tough time throwing Josh Burkman. Burkman, a tremendous athlete, is 4-1 in the UFC and has gone the distance and won his last two fights against Josh Neer and Chad Reiner, respectively. I think the pace of this match will be ridiculous, we could be looking at the best match of the night.
Light heavyweight match: Keith Jardine vs. Houston Alexander
After Jardine's TKO victory against Forrest Griffin, if he puts together another win he should be considered a serious title contender; setting up maybe a Jardine/Jason Lambert matchup after Lambert's impressive win over Sobral (Fight not set, just my opinion). Jardine can break down even the toughest light heavyweight with his vicious leg kicks. Alexander, 35, makes his UFC debut. I don't really know much about him except for this quote on UFC.com when he was asked what his favorite technique was: "I like to lift people off their feet and slam them into the ground and strike away." So there you have it.
Middleweight match: Terry Martin vs. Ivan Salaverry
Terry Martin does have a 17-2 mixed martial arts record, but he's 1-2 in the UFC. He dropped down to middleweight and won his last match against Jorge Rivera. Salaverry lost his last match in the UFC to Nate Marquardt. The 36-year-old Canadian is 3-2.
Middleweight match: Kalib Starnes vs. Chris Leben
Out of the gate, Leben looked indestructable. Winning his first five matches, including two knockouts and a submission. But then he ran into Anderson Silva. After that loss he is 1-1, most recently with a loss to Jason MacDonald. Leben needs a win, but Starnes will be in his way. Starnes is 1-1 in the UFC, but lost his last match to Yushin Okami (4-0), who is tearing through the middleweight division and faces Rich Franklin at UFC 72 in Ireland.
Also on the undercard:
Thiago Silva vs. James Irvin (Light heavyweight)
Sean Salmon vs. Alan Belcher (Light heavyweight)
Jeremy Stevens vs. Din Thomas (Lightweight)
Carmelo Marrero vs. Wilson Gouveia (Light heavyweight)
Fightin' Words readers: Which UFC 71 matchup will be the most entertaining and who will win?
Comments (1)
Why is Din Thomas on an undercard? I would much rather see his skill and experience over someone like Leben.