For roughly 15 minutes Saturday night, I was in a trance. It had been six years in the making. Former Pride Fighting Champion Wanderlei Silva stepped into the Octagon versus former UFC kingpin Chuck Liddell. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing was really happening.

For years I had dreamt about this fight. This fight was a perfect match-up: the clash of styles, the aggressiveness of Silva, the counter-punching of Liddell, and their ability to end the fight with one swift punch. But alas, it seemed that the powers that be would never let this fight happen.

First, there had been the middleweight (205lb division in Pride) tournament in 2003. Chuck and Wanderlei had been set on a collision course until Liddell ran into someone by the name of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Jackson ended the dream so many MMA fans had been clamoring for. Then, there was UFC 61: Bitter Rivals, in which Silva came into the Octagon and issued a challenge for Liddell and his belt. Many fans felt that this would be the time we finally get to see the two square off together. But again, disappointment was on the horizon.

Fast forward to the UFC’s buyout of Pride, and then the signing of Wanderlei Silva. They were finally supposed to fight in September of this year, but Wanderlei pulled out of the match because he was in the middle of moving to the United States. Liddell took a fight with Keith Jardine instead, and many fans felt that this was just a fight to keep Liddell busy. Little did they (and myself) know, Jardine would take the fight by split-decision and hand Liddell consecutive loses for the first time in his career.

I was devastated. There they were, so close to fighting, and it wouldn’t happen. I had all but given up hope on the idea that we would see Chuck Liddell fight Wanderlei Silva. To my surprise, the UFC made the fight happen. For once, they got it right. They would put the fight on at the end of the year at UFC 79: Nemesis.

So there I was, staring at the TV and realizing that this match had delivered in so many ways. Both fighters gave everything they had, and each had their moments in the fight. I was on my feet for the entire match, and couldn’t hear any of the ten other people in my house. Chuck Liddell did something that not a lot of people thought he could do; he had the answer for Silva’s aggressive style. Silva did something a lot of people didn’t think he could do either; eat plenty of Chuck’s right hands. But, don’t think for one second that I’m taking anything away from Silva. Silva showed me that he has the fighter’s spirit. He took so many shots, and he just kept coming forward. He is the definition of a fighter, and I don’t care if he loses ten fights in a row. I will watch every Wanderlei Silva fight I can get my hands on. Chuck showed me that he’s a better striker than I thought he was. I thought for sure that he was going to get annihilated on the feet against Wanderlei. He still has a long way to go to have a chance at beating Rampage.

For one of the few times in my life, I actually watched a fight with a different kind of passion. This was a fight that I wasn’t breaking down when I watched it; I was absorbing it. I want to give a big “Thank You” to Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva and the UFC. Thanks for bringing a great fight into my living room, and thanks for leaving everything on the line. What do you guys think? Did the match live up to the hype for you? How did you feel about the judge’s scorecard? Would you like to see a rematch?

Picture Source: Tracy Lee - Combat Lifestyles