Anderson Silva, Chuck Liddell, and The Chewbacca Defense: UFC

The recent, yet widespread rumor is that the February UFC 95 event will be headlined by a 205lb bout between Chuck Liddell and Anderson Silva.

"Ladies and gentlemen of this supposed jury...If Chewbacca lives on Endor, you must acquit."

Like in the Southpark episode, it doesn't make sense.

I understand that the UFC is a business, and I understand that fights are arranged based on financial considerations, and not by any solid ranking system.  That being said, I cannot see why this fight makes any sense at all—for the fighters, the respective divisions, or for the UFC as a whole.  Let's examine those parts, and I think you'll see it my way.

Anderson Silva:  Dana White has stated that a 205lb title shot for Anderson Silva is a possibility sometime in the near future, and I can see how that makes some sense.  However, is a match-up with Chuck Liddell in February really the best way to move towards that goal?  Having Anderson wait another three months to fight already seems to be wasting his time and talent.

Furthermore, if he wins, he will have beaten a fighter who has already lost three of his last four fights, including two brutal knockouts.  If Anderson Silva loses, he will have lost to a fighter who is considered by many to be well past his prime.  Furthermore, should he get a title shot, he might not even want it, as he seems to believe the light heavyweight belt should belong to his friend Lyoto Machida.

Chuck Liddell: A win over Anderson Silva would immediately bump Liddell back into title contention, but let's be honest please; Chuck Liddell's loopy punches, and reduced chin and reflexes do not match-up well against Anderson Silva's quicker striking.  Chuck Liddell is extremely unlikely to come out as the victor of this fight, and in a loss, his drawing power and lustre will be further diminished.  Even worse, Chuck Liddell stands a very good chance of being seriously injured, for no good reason.

The Respective Divisions:  Putting this fight in February will effectively freeze the top of the middleweight division indefinitely, and should Anderson win, the division will be frozen yet again for Anderson's inevitable 205lb title shot. 

The light heavyweight division would also become muddier with this fight. 

Quinton Jackson, Wanderlei Silva, Lyoto Machida, and Thiago Silva all seem perhaps a win away from a title shot.  A win by either Anderson or Liddell only adds further confusion as to who is going to get the next title shot.

The UFC:  While this fight may pull in some decent money for Zuffa, it is hardly a huge fight.  Anderson Silva should be heavily favored to win, but the win will generate little momentum going forward.  Moreover, a likely brutal Anderson Silva win would all but end Liddell's career.

Most importantly, this bout does not maximize future monetary gains for the UFC.  For the above stated reasons, I propose a few possible scenarios that I think would be better for the UFC.

For Anderson Silva:  While Anderson Silva appeared nearly untouchable this year, the reality is that he will have only defended his 185lb belt two times in 2008.  Here are some possible fight options that have a good upside and seem quite doable.

1 a)  Yushin Okami:(The numbering significance will become apparent later) Okami sports an impressive 22-4 record, along with a victory over Silva (albeit by disqualification).  He is currently scheduled to fight Dean Lister on the non-televised portion of the UFC 92 card.  Okami is heavily favored in that bout, and it appears to be a UFC afterthought that after Okami pummels Lister, he will be positioned better for a title shot.  But why not just scratch off Lister, and put Anderson Silva against Okami on the main card instead?

1 b)Robbie Lawler: Lawler's commitments to ProElite should be ending shortly. Although he would likely lose— given his recent run of success, he is still deserving of the next UFC title shot.  A matchup of Lawler and Silva for one of the January cards would add some much needed muscle to those cards, while boosting Anderson's name further.  And while preparing this fight, put the other middleweight contenders on notice so that they are ready to fight Anderson Silva to keep him busy.

As you can see, these fights, among a few other possibilities, allow the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions to seemingly move forward while allowing Anderson Silva to build the legacy that he desperately desires.  However, these fights would only be part of the plan, as they would lead to better options down the line.  They are:

2 a) Georges St. Pierre: St Pierre is going to be a busy man in the near future, but, should he beat BJ Penn, the only other immediate opponent for him is Thiago Alves, as no other fighter has yet to emerge as a significant challenger.

While both the Penn fight and hypothetical Alves fight will be tough, Georges St. Pierre is still favored in both bouts.  If Anderson Silva waits in the middleweight division long enough for GSP to handle Alves and Penn, a potential superfight between GSP and Anderson Silva would make the wait very worthwhile.

But even if GSP fails to hold-up his end of the bargain, as Anderson stays at middleweight, he would then have another option...

2 b) 205lb Title Shot:  If Anderson keeps cleaning out the middleweight division while the LHW division figures itself out, he should be granted an immediate title shot thereafter.

If BJ Penn can challenge GSP after only three consecutive wins at a lower weight, then Anderson should be able to challenge anyone at any time at any place. Furthermore, if Anderson doesn't deserve a title shot now, no win over a decrepit Chuck Liddell should bump him over the line of worthiness.

But if you don't like this idea either, then maybe Anderson should just get a...

3: 205 Title Shot ASAP: As already stated, if he doesn't deserve one now, no win over Liddell is going to change that.

So, if it's going to happen, why not get it over with?  Let Anderson face the winner of the Griffin vs Evans match.  Should Anderson win, let him vacate the 185lb title, and arrange a middleweight tournament of sorts to sort out the 185lb division. 

This is my least favorite option, as it will slow down the already packed LHW division, but if Chewbacca lives on Endor, then you must acquit.