Programming reminder: UFC 'Countdown to 108' debuts TONIGHT (Dec. 29) on Spike TV

by Jesse Holland on Dec 29, 2009 9:28 PM EST

Countdown to UFC 108: "Evans vs. Silva" will debut TONIGHT (Dec. 29) at 11 p.m. ET on Spike TV to promote the upcoming pay-per-view (PPV) event scheduled for the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, Jan. 2.

The network special will provide a glimpse into the preparation and training camps of the fighters set to headline the show, featuring former light heavyweight champion "Sugar" Rashad Evans and challenger Thiago Silva.

For those who miss the "Countdown to UFC 108" premier it will re-air on Wednesday, December 30 at midnight on Spike TV.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Saturday, Jan. 2), which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view from Las Vegas. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 8 p.m. ET with the preliminary bouts.

Check out the Countdown to UFC 108 video preview after the jump.

For our complete UFC 108 archive click here.

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Rashad

I know there’s still a fair amount of hate out there for Rashad but I think this is his fight to lose. Evans has better hand speed, better footwork, better wrestling, and creates angles. I think this combo of skills is going to cause Silva fits all night and I see Rashad being patient and waiting for his opportunity to capitalize.

"I bet a funny thing about driving a car off a cliff is, while you're in midair, you still hit those brakes! Hey, better try the emergency brake!"

by Buster Bluth on Dec 29, 2009 9:57 AM EST reply actions

agreed...

silva plods forward very flatfooted with liitle head movement.hes very aggressive which should play into shads hands.however if thiago gets evans on his back he does have heavy gnp.im still gonna go with a chuck style ko early 2nd round.

by scott1 on Dec 29, 2009 10:01 AM EST up reply actions

Silva is flatfooted because he’s ready to throw bombs. He chose to be flatfooted, Rashad chose to jump around the whole octagon. Rashad is however the faster fighter so Thiago can’t get into any exchanges without covering up before he throws, he won’t beat Rashad to the punch.

What i think is that if Thiago Silva comes in good physical condition he will have a great chance of winning if not Rashad should take over.

sometimes the beauty is in the attempt.

by RoBerto. on Dec 30, 2009 7:37 AM EST up reply actions

you say patient, I say giving away rounds!

Think shads only hope is a TKO. He gives away rounds n is afraid to pull the trigger early. Cant win a decision like that in a 3 rd fight!

Siva has more ways to win this fight!

I think this will be a tough fight for both guys. I think Silva is the future.

Rashad is very skilled, but hasnt proved a damn thing to me yet! I am more impressed with how silva handled Jardine, then anything Rashad has done!

I would say on paper, shad is the slight favorite! but Im rooting and betting silva! not cuz I am so confident that he will win, but because odds on him are juicy!

I think Silva hasnt even scratched the surface yet! I expect tremendous improvement every time he gets in the cage!

by John G. on Dec 29, 2009 10:59 AM EST up reply actions

ive got to go with my head though...

i dont usually do this thats why i get so many picks wrong lol.id love nothing more than shad to get machidad again but i just dont see thiago doing it.i agree rashad starts slow but thiago isnt exactly a cardio machine from what weve seen and the guys who fight with emotion gas quicker than usual thats natural.

by scott1 on Dec 29, 2009 11:30 AM EST up reply actions

Not so sure about Thiago being able to get better. If he does I will become a fan till then I still think that he’s far more overrated than Rashad!

by Alpha Male. on Dec 29, 2009 11:52 AM EST up reply actions

So alpha you will become a fan of dos santos and thiago after this weekend

by mma guru on Dec 30, 2009 3:37 AM EST up reply actions

I am

Thiago is still new to the game, he will improve.

sometimes the beauty is in the attempt.

by RoBerto. on Dec 30, 2009 7:39 AM EST up reply actions

I don’t agree that Silva has more ways to win…I think it’s the other way around. I don’t think there is anything Rashad can do to impress you. Even if he KOed Thiago you’d say that Silva was overrated.

"I bet a funny thing about driving a car off a cliff is, while you're in midair, you still hit those brakes! Hey, better try the emergency brake!"

by Buster Bluth on Dec 29, 2009 3:15 PM EST up reply actions

Totally disagree that Silva is the future, and though I agree that I think he will improve everyime he gets in the cage, to say he hasnt scratched the surface yet is a huge overstatement.

We will see though!!

by WallyBallz on Dec 30, 2009 12:32 AM EST up reply actions

I actually disagree with one thing and thats hand speed. I mean what proof do you have that his hand speed is better than that of Thiago’s?

by AintNoSunshine on Dec 29, 2009 9:44 PM EST up reply actions

man i just cant wait for this fight

this has the makings of an early foty for the lhw division if both guys come out at their best….even though shad is one of my top 5 fav fighters and even though i think hes gonna win by tko in the 3rd im still putting 50 on silva just for the fact i think the odds are ridiculous…shad shouldnt be so much of a favorite….

that way i win either way….if shad wins then i dont mind losing the money cause one of my fav fighters won…but if thiago wins then it eases the pain of shad losing cause at least i made some money…like i said, i win either way…and losing 50 bucks isnt gonna break me..

actually i do this everytime one of my fav fighters is fighting….i always bet against them…so i always win….my fighter wins or they lose and i get money…

smart strategy

my dream fight would have to be Brock Lesnar vs Jake Shields...and before the fight theres a video of jake slapping brock's wife...then id like to see shields try to gay porn a win over brock using his butt sex merry-go-round tactics...the massacre that would take place would be the greatest thing ever televised...every limb jake has would look like corey hill's leg...god i hate jake shields

by HellaHectic on Dec 29, 2009 11:40 PM EST up reply actions

btw, i have to like the most hated fighters in all of mma

some of my fav fighters are..

brock
rashad
koscheck
vera
gsp
gegard

and several others…

but brock, rashad, koscheck, vera are 4 of the most hated fighters in all of mma….i must be their only fans…

by HellaHectic on Dec 29, 2009 11:43 PM EST up reply actions

i take that back, people like brock and rashad

but i must be the only koscheck and vera fans on this site

by HellaHectic on Dec 29, 2009 11:44 PM EST up reply actions

I actually am starting to somewhat enjoy watching Kos fight. I love his “I want to fight as much as possible” attitude, but I hate his cocky ass attitude towards other fighters ie., calling out Hardy after his last win saying he was the #1 contender.

And to address your comment further down HellaHectic, I am sure they are not promoting the Yvel fight because of his checkered past. Let him get a few solid fights under his belt, without any controversy, and then they will start promoting him.

by WallyBallz on Dec 30, 2009 12:39 AM EST up reply actions

well, i have always been a vera fan, and a kos fan too.

sometimes the beauty is in the attempt.

by RoBerto. on Dec 30, 2009 7:42 AM EST up reply actions

This Countdown will be the TUF 10 of the Countdown series:

totally blows

@fjbar75 on twitter...formerly El Mexicutioner

by _Felix_ on Dec 29, 2009 11:38 AM EST reply actions

just watched the clip at the top...

that was enough for me,man i hate rashad.

by scott1 on Dec 29, 2009 11:46 AM EST up reply actions

With Rashad and Semtex it'll be anything but boring

As long as there is no mention of the street fighting loser then this will be automatically better than TUF 10.

"Anderson Silva is the best fighter on the planet...any Anderson Silva fight that is on, people should be buying that PPV, not because he’s my fighter but you know what, he to me is like the Muhammad Ali of MMA...the UFC has been around since 1993, nobody (else) has 10 consecutive wins in the UFC. Anderson has had 10 fights in the UFC, only 1 has ever gone to a decision."

Ed Soares on why Andy is the best fighter in the world

by David W-S on Dec 29, 2009 4:52 PM EST up reply actions

It takes jealousy to hate

by Blood,bath and beyond on Dec 29, 2009 3:04 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Nah just pure rage from me

Ed Soares on why Andy is the best fighter in the world

by David W-S on Dec 29, 2009 4:53 PM EST up reply actions

you know its gonna be

Thiago by ko

WANDY RIP

by Tonyuk on Dec 29, 2009 9:46 PM EST reply actions

I can see that happening

by AintNoSunshine on Dec 29, 2009 9:47 PM EST up reply actions

Not a Big Dog

Thiago is impressive when he wins. To me, he is a bully. I’m not sure he will be able to bully Shard. Furthermore, I find Thiago a bit too sloppy to hang with the big boys… Shard, 3rd, tko.

by TapedUpPair on Dec 29, 2009 11:18 PM EST via mobile reply actions

one thing i hate is how they only promote like 2 fights...

all they talk about is shad and silva..and daley/hazelett…..but its not just this ppv, its this way on EVERY ppv…they only promote like 2 fights when there are a shitload of fights on every card….they’ve hardly even said shit about dos santos/yvel….even on this special they only mentioned for like a half second at the end….and ds is a rising hw star…only 1 or 2 fights from a title shot….and they never said shit about him….

i mean HOW THE FUCK CAN HAZELETT OR DALEY BE BIGGER STARS THAN A POSSIBLE FUTURE HW CHAMPION???

i mean they can at least mention all the main card fights when they promote a card…especially on a countdown show….i mean dos santos is a future star and they never said shit bout him…..they could have spent 5 minutes talkin bout the fight….yvel is a guy who is worth mentioning..mostly only the hardcore fans even know who he is…this is his introduction to the ufc fans…they couldnt spend 5 minutes promoting the fight? did they really have to spend 30 minutes on daley/hazelett??

i hate how the ufc only promotes 2 fights when there are like 8 fights on a card…

by HellaHectic on Dec 30, 2009 12:06 AM EST reply actions