Finally, the fight everyone has been waiting for and talking about is finally here. UFC 71: Liddell vs Jackson could end up being one of the best events of 2007 if the main even lives up to the expectations. The main fight card features several solid fights including the return of Ivan Salaverry to the UFC. No time to waste so lets jump right into the preview.

Chuck Liddell Vs. Quinton Jackson – There isn’t much more that I can say about either of these fighters that hasn’t already been said over-and-over again on this site and others all over the internet. Chuck Liddell is the “living legend” of the Light Heavyweight division of the UFC.

When I thought about this fight I first thought about who was under the most “pressure” to win this fight. Your first thought my be that all the pressure is on Chuck Liddell since he is the current champ. With each successful title defense, the pressure to defend that title must grow more and more; and that pressure must be especially large for this fight since Chuck has lost to Quinton Jackson in the past. But I don’t see it that way. I think all the pressure is on Rampage in this fight. Sure, there is some pressure on Chuck to defend the belt but I think that Chuck is one of a handful of fighters who truly is not affected by any pressure. I think Chuck is so supremely confident in his skills as a fighter, and that he knows what he can and can’t do, that he is truly at ease when he enters the octagon. Chuck knows what his job is, knows how he wants to do that job, and goes out and performs.

On the other hand, I think Rampage is under a lot of pressure to win this fight. Everyone knows that Rampage defeated Chuck in the past, and that is a big weight to carry in a fight of this magnitude. I personally think that this fight is happening sooner than Rampage and his camp would have preferred, but now that the fight is here I think Quinton is as ready as he every could be. Rampage has a confidence that only Jeremy Horn and Randy Couture have ever been able to share; he has beaten Chuck in the past. While the rest of the world views Liddell has unbeatable, Rampage knows firsthand that isn’t the case. Quinton has the style, strength, endurance, and experience need to beat Chuck; now he just has to make it happen for the second time.

As much as I will be rooting for Rampage to win (and personally actually do think he will win) I’ve got to pick Chuck Liddell here. He is the champ and until someone defeats him, I’ve got to pick him. I’ve picked against Chuck pretty much every fight for the past few years (except for the last Tito fight). I’m not going to fall into that trap again. Winner: Chuck Liddell

Terry Martin Vs. Ivan Salaverry – Ivan Salaverry is another one of my personal favorite fighters and I have followed his career closely since early 2002. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much of a career to follow since Salaverry has only fought 3 times since 2004. Ivan last fought in the UFC in August of 2005 when he lost a decision to Nathan Marquardt, who will fight Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight title at UFC 73. Since then Ivan was rumored to be close to signing a contract to fight in the IFL, but that fell through. Then Ivan was signed to the “rejuvinated” WFA promotion and appeared in the sole King of the Streets show in July of 2006. Unfortunately, the WFA also folded and never had another show before they were purchased by Zuffa. So Ivan laid low and opened up his new gym/training facility in Seattle, WA.

Well, Ivan now has his chance to return to the UFC and make a splash in the Middleweight division. Salaverry is a very well-rounded fighter and can easily win this fight by submission or on the feet by knockout. Terry Martin is one of the hardest strikers in MMA today and will look to put his heavy hands on Salaverry early and often. Martin does have an impressive 15-2 record and most recently fought at UFC 67 where he knocked out Jorge Rivera less than 20 seconds into the first round. I don’t think Martin will have such an easy time with Salaverry but I think he needs to try to end this fight as soon as possible. The longer this fight drags out, the definitive edge grows in Salaverry’s corner. Winner: Ivan Salaverry

Josh Burkman Vs. Karo Parisyan – Depending on how the title fight plays out, I think this fight could easily be the fight of the night. I think Burkman vs. Parisyan will be as exciting to watch and fast paced as the Roger Huerta vs Leonard Garcia fight at UFC 69. Josh Burkman has been enjoying good success in the UFC since appearing on The Ultimate Fighter season 2 with a record of 4-1 including wins over Josh Neer and Drew Fickett. Burkmans losses have come against Jeremy Horn and Jon Fitch, two top level fighters.

Karo Parisyan is one of those “top level” fighters and his losses come against George St. Pierre, Diego Sanchez and Sean Sherk. I have seen Karo do amazing things in the octagon and seen him also do some unspectacular things. Karo, when he is focused and hungry, can be one of the best welterweights in the world and I think that is the mindset he is in now. Karo loves to push the pace and I think he is going to look to make a statement in this fight and end the fight early. While Burkman is good and improving rapidly, I just don’t think he’s on par to beat Karo at this stage of the game. Winner: Karo Parisyan

Houston Alexander Vs. Keith Jardine – I’ve been a fan of Keith Jardine since I first saw him fight Bryan Pardoe in King of the Cage. Many people seemed surprised when Jardine defeated Forrest Griffin earlier this year, but I predicted that outcome. Jardine still has a way to go before I think he’s ready to contend for the UFC light heavyweight title, but I think he’ll make those improvements quickly. I’ve heard a lot about Houston Alexander and it will be good to see what he has, but I don’t think he’ll have enough to beat Jardine. Winner: Keith Jardine

Kalib Starnes Vs. Chris Leben – No breakdown is needed here other than I hope Leben gets beat quickly in the first round and the UFC lets him jump ship like he says he wants to do. Winner: Kalib Starnes

Thiago Silva Vs. James Irvin – Winner: Thiago Silva
Sean Salmon Vs. Alan Belcher – Winner: Alan Belcher
Jeremy Stephens Vs. Din Thomas – Winner: Din Thomas
Carmelo Marrero Vs. Wilson Gouveia – Winner: Carmelo Marrero