UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Rampage Jackson, who will defend his title against Forrest Griffin Saturday night at UFC 86, is almost universally regarded as the best fighter in the world in his weight class.But he does have one rather large hole on his resume: Wanderlei Silva has whipped him twice. When they were both fighting for Pride in Japan, Silva beat Jackson with a first-round technical knockout in 2003 and a second-round knockout in 2004.
So Griffin, who like Silva trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas is picking Silva's brain in preparation for Saturday night's fight. He tells MMA Weekly:
"The one thing he said was immediately grab the head and throw the knee instead of trying to set it up and make the perfect... bam! Grab and go, start throwing, don't sit there and let him think about it."Obviously, it can't hurt for Griffin to get some tips for Silva. But Griffin also notes that, You really got to be a specific guy with a specific skill set and specific cardio to fight like Wanderlei," adding, "I can't emulate his style."
I think Griffin will have the right game plan when he fights Jackson, thanks in part to those consultations with Silva. But I think Jackson is the more powerful fighter and the better fighter, and Griffin's game plan won't be enough.
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