Fighters are never exactly eager to give away their game plans, but without giving away too many secrets, Rich Franklin does a fairly good job in this video of explaining what he needs to do to beat Chuck Liddell in the main event at UFC 115.
"We were talking the other day about inside leg kicks, about throwing the inside leg kicks and how Chuck's fighting stance is a little wider so he's going to be heavier on that front leg," Franklin says. "We were emphasizing the times I can take advantage of that, not getting caught by any kind of overhand or any kind of straight that my opponent will throw."
I think Franklin is correct that those inside leg kicks are going to hurt Liddell, and I also think Franklin's comments demonstrate the way Liddell's stand-up style became fairly predictable as the Liddell who won seven straight fights from 2004 to 2006 gave way to the Liddell who lost four out of five from 2007 to 2009. That's not a knock on Liddell, it's just a fact: The sport evolved, Liddell got older, and opponents figured out how to beat him.
And although Liddell says he's been refining his style while sitting out for the last year, he also says he's the same guy he's always been, saying, "I'm always going to go back to my big right hand."
I think Franklin will be ready for it.
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