Thread: MMA Fighter Picks Tommy Morrison Over Liddell(Good Read)

MMA Fighter Picks Tommy Morrison Over Liddell Recommend this page Printable version



By Mark Vester

In response to a story I submitted two weeks ago on former heavyweight champion Tommy Morrison calling out UFC fighter Chuck Liddell, I received an interesting email from a mixed martial arts fighter with some opinions on how that particular fight would play out.

We had an email debate on the subject, and the MMA athlete in question allowed me to use his quotes on one condition. I had to give him my word that his name would be kept anonymous. The only thing I can say is this particular MMA fighter has seen action in the UFC on more than one occasion, with success, and he has been successful in Japan and Brazil. For the sake of not being labeled as an MMA Uncle Tom or blackballed from future payday opportunities, he asked that an alias be used, and I decided to call him "MMA Fighter X."

This was a strange debate indeed. I, the boxing guy, was picking Liddell to beat Morrison, who I view as a way past his prime fighter. On the other end, MMA Fighter X is telling me that I'm crazy; Morrison would knock Liddell out cold.

"A lot of people are picking Liddell to win because of the popularity of the UFC. Everybody is on a UFC kick. I'm an MMA guy and I'm telling you that Liddell would not win this fight. I've sparred in the gym with light heavyweight boxers and I've sparred in the gym with MMA fighters who were light heavyweights. There is a big difference in punching power and accuracy. These guys (boxers) are trained for years to do one thing right, punch. Morrison is a very big puncher. He doesn’t have to land clean to win. If he caught Liddell with just a glancing blow with a pair of 4-ounce gloves, he would still knock him out," he said.

"A lot of people don't realize how hard it is to become a successful professional boxer. It's very, very hard and not too many amateurs or Olympic athletes make it in the pro ranks. It's much harder to become a good boxer, than it is to become a great mixed martial arts fighter."

Hah. I was thinkin the same thing+1 for posting it great one indeed.

I'm not really sure I agree at all. If the disparity was that bad then Ray Mercer wouldn't have lost both fghts in his MMA career so far and Matt Skelton wouldn't have been able to become Britain's best domestic heavyweight after taking up boxing at 35 years of age!

Skelton beat Danny Williams twice, was robbed once though and Williams destroyed a shell of a Mike Tyson.

My point being that that shell of a Tyson that Williams destroyed is still better than the shell of a shell of the fighter that is Tommy Morrison.

Maybe a Morrison 10 years younger would kick Chuck's ass but now he would be relying soley on a lucky punch in the first round.

Although Liddell's chin didn't seem to great last weekend so you never know for sure

Looks like Boxing is getting some credit, As Larry Merchant would sometimes say would you agree to disagree or just plain agree with the MMA fighters? I think boxers are the best athletes!

Originally Posted by TheDukeof74

Looks like Boxing is getting some credit, As Larry Merchant would sometimes say would you agree to disagree or just plain agree with the MMA fighters? I think boxers are the best athletes!

I agree the best boxers are the best athletes but I don't count Tommy Morrison as being one of the best boxers, in fact in a fight with him and Butterbean, I'd take the bean.

Originally Posted by Bilbo

I'm not really sure I agree at all. If the disparity was that bad then Ray Mercer wouldn't have lost both fghts in his MMA career so far and Matt Skelton wouldn't have been able to become Britain's best domestic heavyweight after taking up boxing at 35 years of age!

Skelton beat Danny Williams twice, was robbed once though and Williams destroyed a shell of a Mike Tyson.

My point being that that shell of a Tyson that Williams destroyed is still better than the shell of a shell of the fighter that is Tommy Morrison.

Maybe a Morrison 10 years younger would kick Chuck's a** but now he would be relying soley on a lucky punch in the first round.

Although Liddell's chin didn't seem to great last weekend so you never know for sure

CC! respectively, But the the MMA fighter is saying an average boxer would stomp an great MMA stand up boxing striker like chuck anyday.

Originally Posted by Bilbo

Originally Posted by TheDukeof74

Looks like Boxing is getting some credit, As Larry Merchant would sometimes say would you agree to disagree or just plain agree with the MMA fighters? I think boxers are the best athletes!

I agree the best boxers are the best athletes but I don't count Tommy Morrison as being one of the best boxers, in fact in a fight with him and Butterbean, I'd take the bean.

I think you're underestimating Tommy....he is ridding himself of some serious ring rust....sure he is OLDER, but the last thing to go is the strength.....let's not forget he was one of the best fighters in his generation...

Originally Posted by THE Bigragu

Originally Posted by Bilbo

Originally Posted by TheDukeof74

Looks like Boxing is getting some credit, As Larry Merchant would sometimes say would you agree to disagree or just plain agree with the MMA fighters? I think boxers are the best athletes!

I agree the best boxers are the best athletes but I don't count Tommy Morrison as being one of the best boxers, in fact in a fight with him and Butterbean, I'd take the bean.

I think you're underestimating Tommy....he is ridding himself of some serious ring rust....sure he is OLDER, but the last thing to go is the strength.....let's not forget he was one of the best fighters in his generation...

No shat

Originally Posted by THE Bigragu

Originally Posted by Bilbo

Originally Posted by TheDukeof74

Looks like Boxing is getting some credit, As Larry Merchant would sometimes say would you agree to disagree or just plain agree with the MMA fighters? I think boxers are the best athletes!

I agree the best boxers are the best athletes but I don't count Tommy Morrison as being one of the best boxers, in fact in a fight with him and Butterbean, I'd take the bean.

I think you're underestimating Tommy....he is ridding himself of some serious ring rust....sure he is OLDER, but the last thing to go is the strength.....let's not forget he was one of the best fighters in his generation...

No he wasn't.

Originally Posted by THE Bigragu

Originally Posted by Bilbo

Originally Posted by TheDukeof74

Looks like Boxing is getting some credit, As Larry Merchant would sometimes say would you agree to disagree or just plain agree with the MMA fighters? I think boxers are the best athletes!

I agree the best boxers are the best athletes but I don't count Tommy Morrison as being one of the best boxers, in fact in a fight with him and Butterbean, I'd take the bean.

I think you're underestimating Tommy....he is ridding himself of some serious ring rust....sure he is OLDER, but the last thing to go is the strength.....let's not forget he was one of the best fighters in his generation...

One of the most heavy handed too.+1

I'm more of a pro boxing guy but i'm not sure if i can agree...if one of these guys gets a boxer down then it's a whole different world and it doesn't matter how much of a puncher you are....standing it wouldn't even be close but on their turf i dunno...

Originally Posted by Mar

I'm more of a pro boxing guy but i'm not sure if i can agree...if one of these guys gets a boxer down then it's a whole different world and it doesn't matter how much of a puncher you are....standing it wouldn't even be close but on their turf i dunno...

What the MMA fighter is saying if it was just stand up striking(Hands only) that the boxers are much more skilled, Probably in an all MMA tournaments, more than likely the boxer would get submitted.

Originally Posted by p4pking

Originally Posted by THE Bigragu

Originally Posted by Bilbo

Originally Posted by TheDukeof74

Looks like Boxing is getting some credit, As Larry Merchant would sometimes say would you agree to disagree or just plain agree with the MMA fighters? I think boxers are the best athletes!

I agree the best boxers are the best athletes but I don't count Tommy Morrison as being one of the best boxers, in fact in a fight with him and Butterbean, I'd take the bean.

I think you're underestimating Tommy....he is ridding himself of some serious ring rust....sure he is OLDER, but the last thing to go is the strength.....let's not forget he was one of the best fighters in his generation...

No he wasn't.

Agree with p4pking. Morrison wasn't one of the best fighters of his generation. One of the heaviest-handed, but not one of the best.

Well let's just say Liddell better get on a good pair of running shoes. He better move, throw alot of leg kicks and/or take Morrison down. If he decides to stay in front and trade or pull that litttle stunt of his like he did with Jackson by reaching in with a body shot and moving out to his own left.... he won't be asking the ref "what happen?" because they will either be carrying him out in a stretcher or he'll be somewhere up there in the nose bleeder section after Morrison knocks him out the octagon.
Morrison will KO'ed Liddell even if he manages to block the punches. Name a fighter that Liddell has fought with effective striking and power like Morrison.....

I honestly do not understand why people regard Liddell as such a great striker.......

These guys aren't in the same weight class....I dont know what Tommy is walking around at these days but I doubt he could get down to 205