Former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell is not guaranteed a chance to reclaim his 205-pound title if he defeats Keith Jardine at UFC 76: "Knockout" on September 22, according to Steve Seivert at Brawl Sports.
"The Iceman" lost his belt to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson via first round technical knockout at UFC 71 back in May.
Here's a snip from UFC President Dana White:
"Chuck would have to win one more fight. I think Chuck has to win two fights in a row and then, yeah, he's back in the mix again. He got knocked out in a minute 30 in the first round (in his last fight). No matter how great he is, I'd like to see him win a couple of fights and then come back and fight for the title again."
This makes sense I guess, considering that former PRIDE FC middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva is expected to return to the Octagon in December. It's a star-studded showdown for which fans have clamored to see for years.
Unclear at this point, however, is who would challenge the winner of the championship unification bout at UFC 75 between Rampage and current PRIDE FC Middleweight Champion Dan Henderson. The logical thinking is the victor of the Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Forrest Griffin match, which is also booked for UFC 76.
In fact, White said here that Shogun would earn a title shot if he is victorious in his debut. Not sure if the same reward applies to Griffin if he pulls off the upset.
Finally, with two losses in two tries for Liddell against Rampage, perhaps the UFC is not so keen on throwing him back in the cage so soon since their last encounter (provided, of course, that Liddell stops Jardine and Rampage beats Hendo).
So what can we possibly expect looking into our crystal ball?
- Rampage/Henderson vs. Shogun/Griffin
- Liddell vs. Silva (Jardine vs. Silva ... no thanks)
Most fans would drool at the prospect of seeing those fights before the year closes. I already am.
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