Chuck was known for having god tier TDD, but Rampage took him down in Pride?

[Escopeta]

Chuck's td defense was great but it was his ability to scramble and get back on his feet that was more impressive.

 

[Noraa 666]

I cant believe how many peoplw thought Chuck would beat Rampage in the rematch considering how poorly he did the first time.

Lol are you serious?

Just because a fighter beats another doesn't mean he can't lose to him down the road FYI

 

[Noraa 666]

Chuck's td defense was great but it was his ability to scramble and get back on his feet that was more impressive.

This and he had a hamstring injury the first fight with Rampage

 

[HARDCORE CHINO]

he could not "wall walk" on the ring

but rampage was just the style to beat chuck.

 

[moreorless87]

There are really two sides to the hype that Chuck would beat Rampage in the rematch.

1.The ideal that Rampage had declined - I think theres some substance to the idea that Rampage didn't look great between losing to Shogun and beating Chuck although part of that is I'd say that he shifted in style more towards counter punching, actually making him more dangerous for Chuck.

2.The idea that Liddell had improved greatly, this was really just UFC BS made up to try and excuse his original loss, in reality I think Chuck had been showing signs of decline late in his title run taking punishment from Babalu and Tito much more easily than in the first matches with them.

 

[Z28MARO]

Dana had to sit there and watch his boy get dominated.

 

[ABSthetics]

Chuck Liddell's entire skillset was grossly overrated. I said it.

 

[Cygnus-X]

Great TDD doesn't mean you will never get taken down.

 

[Rozwell]

Rampage was beating the shit out of Chuck on the feet prior to the takedown as well.

 

[giusti825]

Rampage was just a better fighter than chuck. He beat him easily in both a ring and a cage. Chuck was fighting in a weaker lhw division than rampage. Pride had the better fighters at that time.

 

[SPSUDISPATCH]

I remember when Rampage was Slampage and one of the best LHW's in the world. As msoon as he stepped in the Octagon he turned into a one-dimensional striker who only showed occasional glimpses of his old amazing takedowns (I'm still shocked he managed to slam Bader) and absolutely ZERO GnP.

Still not sure why he decided to take this route with his style, tbh.

It's almost like Rampage's PERFORMANCE was ENHANCED while he fought in PRIDE.

 

[ABSthetics]

It's almost like Rampage's PERFORMANCE was ENHANCED while he fought in PRIDE.

You mean like 3/4 or more of athletes in any sport are now?

Ok then.

 

[Mr. Hammer]

It's almost like Rampage's PERFORMANCE was ENHANCED while he fought in PRIDE.

So we are allowed to insinuate steroid usage based on absolutely nothing now?

 

[TheSpartan]

It's almost like Rampage's PERFORMANCE was ENHANCED while he fought in PRIDE.

Yeah...it had absolutely nothing to do with him being a very young man with nothing else on the agenda other than slamming somebody and knocking them the hell out.

 

[moreorless87]

It's almost like Rampage's PERFORMANCE was ENHANCED while he fought in PRIDE.

I look at it more as a difference in style, after moving to train with Juanito Ibarra Jackson became far more focused on counter boxing at the expensive of offensive wrestling. Then after leaving Ibarra be seemed to start slipping physically, still fought the same way but gradually become less effective.

As far as Chucks takedown defence goes I don't actually think his raw wrestling/spralling ability was THAT good, it was more the threat of his standup and his ability to get back to his feet that made him effective against grapplers. The problem verus Rampage and Randy the first time was that Chucks striking wasn't threatening enough to keep them at distance.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

I look at it more as a difference in style, after moving to train with Juanito Ibarra Jackson became far more focused on counter boxing at the expensive of offensive wrestling. Then after leaving Ibarra be seemed to start slipping physically, still fought the same way but gradually become less effective.

As far as Chucks takedown defence goes I don't actually think his raw wrestling/spralling ability was THAT good, it was more the threat of his standup and his ability to get back to his feet that made him effective against grapplers. The problem verus Rampage and Randy the first time was that Chucks striking wasn't threatening enough to keep them at distance.

True and he's much better at getting up in a cage than in a ring, cage walking is much easier than rope walking.

 

[the ambush]

Tito was able to take him down in their 2nd fight. Couldn't hold him there, but he got him down.

Chuck had great TDD. Holding the dude down was pretty god damn impossible, though. But maybe it is a little exaggerated. Regardless, almost nobody was able to hold down Chuck during his prime years. Randy and Quinton are the only ones that had success with that in their first fights with Chuck.

+ Vitor. In the first round Vitor took Liddell down and landed some GNP. Everyone forgets about that fight.

 

[campbecc]

His TDD was good but not incredible, what he was so good at was getting back up. He also used the cage to get back up a lot of the time so in Pride he wouldn't be as good at getting back up.

 

[blkdynamite]

I don't like this "he's just a bad matchup" talk. Prime Rampage is a better fighter than prime Chuck. Period. Put old Rampage, Shogun, or Wand into the UFC Chuck was a champion in, and they'd be champ no question.

You do know Tito beat Wandy to become UFC champ in the first place, right?

 

[RedRackham]

Rampage was (is?) a really good wrestler. He also was/is really strong. Plus Chuck had decent TD defense, but it was his ability to get back up FROM a TD that always impressed me.