Andrei Arlovski vs Chuck Liddell circa 2005 - Why didn't the UFC do it?

[WHITE ANDERSON]

2005 rampage would smash them both in the same night and go on to get KO'ed by a brazilian

 

[Wes-Sic]

Lol I got Arlovski by being bigger, having faster hands and being more athletic. Prime AA's boxing was no joke.

His chin was no joke too?

 

[Jimmy McGill]

I'd heavily favor AA. Dude is massive, was incredibly fast and accurate, and hit hard. Chuck was too willing to take shots to give shots, would've gotten him hurt here I think.

I was only a few rows from the cage way back at UFC 70 {Where Crocop got Crocopped}…...Cheick Kongo was on that card, huge motherfucker, but I was expecting him to be, AA meanwhile, had me kinda like.... …….he was a big dude, way bigger than I had imagined.

 

[kflo]

I'm not a fan of how corporate the UFC has become in recent years, since signing with FOX Sports. It was so much more raw and gritty (in a good way) back in the Spike TV days. This fight back then would have been an absolute barn burner the likes of which you don't really see too much now. And too, you can be sure that both Liddell and Arlovski would bring it. Neither man would sit back and play the timid points game like almost everyone seems to do nowadays. I'd bet money that this fight ends in a finish.

Yeah back then you had fights like arlovski / Sylvia 3. We don’t get those like we used to...

 

[kflo]

Ultimately, I agree with you. I don't think they wanted to tarnish either guy. Though Arlovski would ultimately be tarnished by Sylvia, in hindsight, this is the fight that UFC should have made.

I wonder why they didn't care so much about tarnishing either Stipe or DC? What makes it ok now but not then?

Circumstances?

Neither guy had a legit interesting opponent. Dc has fought at hw a decent amount. He’s nearing the end of his career. I mean it’s just very different circumstances.

 

[TheBrownGosling]

His chin was no joke too?

Dude he was getting hit by big hard hitting heavyweights. His chin wasn't the best but he's tougher than he's given credit for.

 

[Adamant]

Young Arlovksi KO's the piss outta Chuck

I actually kinda thought that too. But then again, 2005 Chuck didn't have a glass jaw. At that point the dude could take a punch and keep on coming.

 

[Summoning]

Chuck easily. Arlovski can't hang with his power.

A guy who fought all his life at HW, "can´t hang" the power of a guy who never fought at HW.

sould legit.

 

[Shogun515]

Chuck with that look in his eyes

 

[gspieler]

I actually kinda thought that too. But then again, 2005 Chuck didn't have a glass jaw. At that point the dude could take a punch and keep on coming.

He wasn't taking punches from guys like Andrei, though. Maybe Vitor, but idk. Anyway, I think it's basically a coin flip. Gun to my head, I'll go with AA. He was faster, had crisper boxing, and was the slightly bigger/stronger man.

 

[BBMN]

Chuck: 230lbs

Gonna need a source on his cage weight being 230.

edit -

Chuck said himself that on fight day he comes into the cage between 220 and 230. So I'll take his word and assume it's somewhere in there. Especially since he'd be cutting no weight leading up to the fight, I'll go with the heavier side.

I gotta call major bullshit on 230, even if he says it. He's at most 225lb and that is a stretch.

If you want to see dudes pushing into 225lbs, and even into the 230lbs range, look at Rumble and Santos.I understand you're giving him the benefit of the doubt. I'm not. Only way he's coming in over 225 is if he eats a big ass dinner before the fight and pounds a liter of water before walking out. (and that's not muscle...)

That said, if he gets in there at 223, and Arlovski is 240... the bugger man crushes him 3 out of 4 fights. Chuck has the power, but he's smaller, and reckless.

 

[Fight Professor]

Chuck when he had a chin.

 

[SaltFork]

Absolute dream fight but I'd take Chuck via having an iron chin and Arlovski having a glass chin

This right here

 

[acannxr]

Where do you get Chuck weighing 230? Did his 1-pack make you think he had to cut 25lbs to make LHW? 230 would have been his walking-around-after-Thanksgiving weight lol.

Chuck said himself that on fight day he comes into the cage between 220 and 230. So I'll take his word and assume it's somewhere in there. Especially since he'd be cutting no weight leading up to the fight, I'll go with the heavier side.

Liddell was "under 218 lbs" for the Shogun fight.

(Timestamped)

 

[po_thead]

Arlovski murders him

 

[Adamant]

Gonna need a source on his cage weight being 230.

edit -



I gotta call major bullshit on 230, even if he says it. He's at most 225lb and that is a stretch.

If you want to see dudes pushing into 225lbs, and even into the 230lbs range, look at Rumble and Santos.I understand you're giving him the benefit of the doubt. I'm not. Only way he's coming in over 225 is if he eats a big ass dinner before the fight and pounds a liter of water before walking out. (and that's not muscle...)

That said, if he gets in there at 223, and Arlovski is 240... the bugger man crushes him 3 out of 4 fights. Chuck has the power, but he's smaller, and reckless.

Even if he comes in at 220, weight isn't really the point. Even at 215, and Andrei at 240, I think '05 Chuck could still put up a good fight.

Ultimately I favor Andrei to win, but '05 Chuck isn't gonna be as easy to run over at glass jaw Chuck.

 

[SHAZAM]

Drei makes him look silly. Jab KO, easier than Rampages. You would be shocked how easy Drei and Sylvia would make it look. Chuck didn't cut weight for the giggles. He knew. And no, Couture dropping Sylvia with the threat of TD doesn't count for Chuck.

 

[Fedorgasm]

Andre is way stronger. Even if you believe Chuck walked around at 230, that wouldn't be all muscle. Chuck would have to carry fat to be at that weight. Andre was 240 lbs of pure muscle.

Plus Andre was faster and had better boxing. People knock his chin but it wasn't bad back then.

Chucks chin was good but he wasn't getting hit by heavyweights either

 

[Ibm]

Huh?? I love Chuck but Arlovski was bigger, faster and had excellent footwork.

 

[Safton]

I would think Andrei's size, footwork, hand speed, and crisper boxing (particularly his reliance on straight punches) would let him land first in most exchanges, make those hits count, and just generally dictate most of the fight.

Chuck had a great chin, but Andrei knocked guys out with great chins during his career. Chuck also wasn't exactly eating bombs from Heavyweights during his UFC tenure and was hardly immune to TKO via attrition even at his natural weight class during his prime by dudes like Randy in their first fight. I just don't think Andrei is the kind of opponent that Chuck's wrestler-killer style and archetype is well-suited to dealing with, while the opposite is not at all true and AA counters Chuck quite nicely. For all the talk of Arlovski having a "glass chin", he was still fighting men much naturally larger than Liddell without constantly getting destroyed by every glancing blow.

I'd favor Andrei by a margin of 60/40, maybe even 70/30 in this fight. KO/TKO most likely. Failing that, a lopsided Decision and two very bloodied dudes with Chuck having gotten the worst of it. However, Iceman is of course always a live dog because of his durability and often has the ability to eat a punch to give one -- maybe he lunges in and lands a looping overhand that sleeps Andrei while Pitbull is throwing a strike of his own. Crazier things have happened.