Liddell vs. Wandy - Breakdown

Great article from UFC dot com breaking down the Liddell vs. Wandy showdown.

The Breakdown: Silva vs. LiddellAccordingly, Liddell and Silva will engage primarily in a Muay Thai kickboxing contest at UFC 79.

That is good news for the fans because this should turn out to be an all-action, old-fashioned slugfest that ends definitively with one man lying on the Octagon floor.

Liddell’s main keys to victory are keeping the fight at a comfortable distance, constantly circling to create angles for his big right hand and looking for effective counter punching opportunities.

The “Iceman” stands with a bit of an unorthodox stance for a kickboxer, keeping his shoulders very square to his opponent most of the time. As a result, his natural tendency is to throw his punches with a bit of an arc, rather than right down the pipe.

Many so-called experts criticize that style of punching by calling them “looping shots,” which implies an arm punch thrown with less-than-optimal power. But Liddell happens to have long arms and very wide shoulders. Because he stands with such a square stance with those long arms, he needs to add a bit of an arc on his shots, far from what any true boxing cognoscenti would call “looping,” in order to generate maximum torque with his hips and transfer that torque into a knockout punch.

What that means is that Liddell needs space when throwing punches. He can establish that space by employing a quick, snapping jab right from the start while regularly circling out of harm’s way, preferably to his left.

Circling to his left helps keep Liddell in good position to throw strikes, unlike circling to his right, which forces him to reset his feet and hips before he can throw a truly effective right hand and which constantly places him out of position to really fire his jab with any authority while moving.

Circling to his left also creates excellent angles to land Liddell’s best weapon – his concussive right hand.

Liddell’s right hand is his bread and butter. He delivers it with malice aforethought each time he pulls the trigger. By circling to his left, Liddell positions himself on the outside of Silva’s left shoulder, which allows him to deliver the blow in his traditional slightly arcing manner without worrying about Silva blocking it with his left hand. If it lands anywhere near the jaw or temple, a knockout is almost sure to follow.

Lastly, Liddell is a natural counter puncher. He needs to remain patient and calm in the face of what likely will be a furious Silva attack so that he can effectively counter.

The best way for Liddell to create opportunities to counter is to jab effectively and circle. That will cause Silva to attack wildly out of frustration. When fighters attack Liddell wildly, he picks them apart with surgical precision until he can fire one of his scud missile right hands, which usually brings things to a brutal, painful end.

Silva’s main keys to victory are very different than those for Liddell. To maximize his odds at victory, Silva needs to close the distance and wage calculated, but very aggressive assaults.

Silva is a savage Muay Thai fighter. He loves to throw hands in order to work his way to the inside for a Thai clinch. Once there, Silva unloads knee strikes like nobody else in the UFC—all due respect to middleweight champion Anderson Silva. The “Axe Murderer” fires the knees with bad intentions, and if one happens to find his opponent’s jaw, it is lights out. Just ask reigning 205-lb champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, who was twice knocked out from Silva knee barrages.

Liddell has been tested in virtually every position inside the Octagon, except by an expert Thai fighter who possesses devastating knees. Silva knows that. He knows that the position will be an unfamiliar one for the former UFC champion. If he can put Liddell there, then he is at a distinct advantage.

The other main focus for Silva on Saturday night should be fighting with controlled aggression. Liddell is a counter puncher, so he wants opponents to pressure him. But there is a difference between wild pressure and unrelenting, controlled pressure.

The former is a death sentence against Liddell. The latter may be the best way to beat him.

Keith Jardine applied the same sort of pressure, albeit in spurts, in Liddell’s most recent bout. Liddell responded by planting his feet and firing back wildly. Jardine capitalized by keeping his composure and scoring with accurate punches, winning by a close decision.

If Silva chooses his spots, slips a Liddell jab and then attacks with controlled fury, Liddell will do what comes natural in the face of an onslaught, which is plant his feet and swing wide for the fences. Silva is at his very best during those exchanges because it opens the door for him to close the distance by stepping inside Liddell’s punches.

Here is the full article from Ufc.com