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UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008, on paper, promises to be one of the greatest cards in the history of the UFC. And on that card, there is one fight that stands out as the most explosive: Wanderlei Silva vs. Rampage Jackson III features two fighters with a combined record of 60 wins, 35 of which have come via TKO or KO—22 from Wanderlei and 13 for Rampage.
You've heard it a thousand times, and usually it's incorrect, so I refrain from using it myself, but this seems as good a fight as any to use it: "Someone is going to sleep" or "This one isn't going to the judges." So with this preface, let us delve into the matchup.
First, a brief history of the last two fights: Wanderlei knocked Rampage out—brutally— twice. The second knockout, one of the greatest in MMA history, left Rampage stiff and tangled between the ropes. Silva got him in the clinch, used his knees, and Rampage had no answer.
Here we are, four years and two months later, prepared for the rematch. It's fair to say that neither fighter has been the same since. Silva has gone 5-5 since, losing to a who's who of opponents: Mark Hunt, Ricardo Arona, Mirko Cro Cop, Dan Henderson, and Chuck Liddell.
The peak of Silva's career may just have been as he jumped onto the turnbuckle with his hands in the air after destroying Rampage for the second time, with the confetti falling around him and the music playing.
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