There is something to be said for a good 'ole fashion "roll up the sleeves and lick the fists" fight. Just last weekend hard-hitting kickboxers Cheick Kongo and Pat Barry collided in a back-and-forth brawl for the ages in the UFC on Versus 4 main event, which the Parisian won with a spectacular come-from-behind knockout.
Expect more of the same when Wanderlei Silva and Chris Leben step inside the Octagon to trade leather at UFC 132: "Cruz vs. Faber 2," which is scheduled to go down tonight (Sat., July 2, 2011) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
And expect it to end just as violently ... if not more.
"The Axe Murderer" and the "Crippler" have combined for an insane amount of highlight-reel finishes throughout their exciting careers, whether they have been on the winning or losing side of the result. Silva will forever be known for his brutal knockout wins (two) over Quinton Jackson, as well as for his savage loss to "Rampage" in 2008.
Leben, meanwhile, will be tied to his knockouts of Terry Martin and Alessio Sakara, among others, just as much for the lopsided beatdown he took at the hands of Anderson Silva back in 2006.
It's these memories, and their often reckless styles, that whet the appetites of fight fans, and promotion officials, heading into this explosive Fourth of July weekend 185-pound showdown later this evening. It's human fireworks.
Despite what either man may want you to believe, the winner tonight will not crack the top 10 of the division. Leben was making a nice run -- three straight wins before his most recent loss to Brian Stann earlier this year -- but still has much work to do to even sniff a title shot.
Silva simply doesn't fight all that often. Once, maybe twice a year, if we're lucky. It's been about 18 months since he earned a decision win over Michael Bisping at UFC 110. By comparison, "The Count" has competed three times since and won all of them.
In addition, the Brazilian is still looking to distance himself from a recent slump that saw him lose five of six fights, three of which were inside the Octagon.
Nonetheless, the lack of divisional implications shouldn't take away anything at all from this heavy-handed tinderbox. That's not the reason the match up was booked. On the contrary, it has all the ingredients to get people on their feet screaming, talking about an incredible, and memorable, 15 minutes of fierce aggression.
If it lasts that long.
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