UFC 115 Preview: Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin

When Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and Rich “Ace” Franklin meet in the octagon this Saturday night, no titles will be on the line but as our MMA writer Drew Ellis writes: a career will likely end, while a legacy will be shaped.

Ellis previewed UFC 115 for Bullz-Eye.com, which you can read here. Below is a taste of the preview and a gallery dedicated to the fight. Enjoy!

The main event of Saturday’s card features two former UFC champions when Rich “Ace” Franklin and Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell meet. At one time, both were considered among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but now, the two are thought to be past their prime.
Liddell (21-7) is making his return to the octagon after being away for over a year. His last fight was a first round knockout loss to current light heavyweight champion, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

Liddell won the UFC Light Heavyweight title back at UFC 52 against Randy Couture. That win was part of a seven-fight win streak that saw Liddell defend his title four times before running into Quinton Jackson. “Rampage” knocked out Liddell in the first round of that fight, which started a string of four losses in five outings for Liddell.

The problem that Liddell has been facing is that he was so successful for a stretch earlier in his career that he believed he didn’t have to continue to evolve. He continued to rely on his punching power, while his opponents found new ways to gain the upper hand on him. As Liddell refused to change, wins subsequently turned to losses and now, a loss to Franklin will end his career. (Or so says UFC President Dana White.)

The road hasn’t been much different for Franklin (27-5), who won the UFC middleweight title at UFC 53 by defeating Evan Tanner. From there, Franklin put together some dominant wins over mediocre talent in Nate Quarry and David Loiseau.

Read the full UFC 115 Preview at Bullz-Eye.com.

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Follow the Scores Report editors on Twitter @clevelandteams and @bullzeyedotcom.

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