Babalu: What about Me?

Dana White’s announcement of Wanderlei Silva fighting Chuck Liddell left a big question mark in the heads of MMA fans. While it would be really effin cool to see those two have at it, it still remains to be seen whether Chuck can defeat Renato “Babalu” Sobral, and then move on to face Silva. It seems like that announcement may have been made a bit prematurely. Or could it be a mind game set up by Dana White so Babalu won’t crush UFC’s star fighter?

It could just be an assumption made by the UFC that this will be a repeat of their past encounter. Liddell defeated Babalu in their first matchup with what some would describe as a “lucky” headkick. I say it was a fluke. Babalu is a really tough fighter. His standup is great, and his takedown/grappling is even better. On top of all that, his tattoos are tough looking. Personally I think he’s got a great chance against Chuck. He’s got an impressive resumé of 27-5-0, compared with Chuck’s 18-3-0. Clearly Babalu is the more seasoned and well-rounded fighter. Babalu hails from the Gracie Barra Combat Team, which means his grappling skills are among the best in the world. Not to take away from The Iceman, though. His hands are deadly and if he can get a clean shot in, Babalu could go down. If the fight goes on for more than 1 round however, Chuck may have his hands full.

Jeff over at Whaledog and MMA HQ have more insight on the matter.