Rashad Evans KOs Chuck Liddell at UFC 88: Focus on Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture
By Frank D'Avanzo
Sep 8, 2008
Rashad "Sugar" Evans defeated UFC's legendary "Iceman" with a 2nd round knockout that rendered Chuck Liddell unconscious in the main event of the UFC 88 pay per view from Atlanta, Georgia. The perfect punch to the sweet spot on Liddell's chin left the 38 year "Iceman" out cold on the canvas with UFC personnel, the ringside physician, and his own people trying wake him up. Liddell was trying to throw a looping right of his own, when Evans nailed him perfectly. This is yet another defeat for Liddell, and one eerily reminiscent of his defeat at the hands of Rampage Jackson.
Focus on Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture (pictured, Image: Wenn)
Evans, the winner of Season 2 of the "The Ultimate Fighter" Reality TV show on Spike TV, danced around in the first round, frustrating Liddell. As Liddell grew more and more impatient, Evans started swinging for the knockout. He connected. It was all over at 1:51 of the 2nd round. UFC wasted little time in announcing Evans challenging Griffin for the title in December.
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But all the focus in UFC this week was on UFC 91, which will now see the returning UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture take on former WWE World Champion Brock Lesnar. Don't forget Lesnar is a former NCAA Wrestling Champion as well.
Lesnar's former on-air agent in World Wrestling Entertainment, Paul Heyman offered his insight on the business behind the brawling.
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"This fight was put together as a multi-tier business move by UFC," Heyman wrote in the UK SUN over the weekend, "Zuffa — parent company of UFC — settles its lawsuit with its most popular fighter, and at the same time deals a crushing blow to the Affliction Entertainment promotion. Without the promise of Couture coming in to fight Fedor Emelianenko, Affliction has just lost a great deal of its lure. Great for UFC, terrible for the competition. That looks like a first round knockout to me."
See moe on the fight and a video link to the knock out punch here. You can read Heyman's entire blog on the Lesnar vs Couture showdown here.
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