Kelly - It makes sense for Liddell, but not Jardine because he has nothing to gain. If he wins again, people will say “so what.” If he loses, those same people will call the first win a fluke. I’ve been saying for a while that Liddell needs to fight Shogun Rua and still think he should. That fight would have major drawing power and is a must win for both. By the way, has anyone seen Mister Shogun lately? He never seems to be seen cageside so it make me wonder if he’s staying out of the public eye on purpose or is on the outs with the UFC. They spent an awful lot of money on him, so why aren’t they using him more? Apparently he doesn’t have a fight coming up anytime soon or the UFC would be raising his profile more. But I digress…your question was about Liddell and Jardine. My answer is it sounds good, but I think Liddell-Rua is better for each man.

Can Affliction really compete with the UFC?
Mark - Of course not. To compete with the UFC means you’re going to lose a lot of money. These aren’t great economic times to invest millions and millions into really developing an MMA promotion and I don’t think Affliction has a sound enough plan to compete long-term. One thing they have to their advantage is the UFC trimming its roster. One thing they have going against them is putting together quality cards that attract casual fans when Fedor Emelianenko isn’t fighting. Fedor is the Kimbo Slice for Affliction. Obviously, Kimbo was a joke while Fedor is a legend. Still, both promotions falter without the big draw. The true test for Affliction will be the put on a successful card without Fedor. The UFC needs competition, but I don’t see it coming from Affliction.

Kelly - Hold on a second (Kelly turns, puts his hands on his ribs and lets out a belly laugh like Santa) Ho Ho Ho! Affliction compete with the UFC? Ho Ho Ho! As if the demise of EliteXC wasn’t a painful enough reminder of how badly Dana White can trash the best laid plans, Affliction comes out and directly challenges him from the start. The rumors of internal strife within Affliction’s ranks are already bubbling up and grabbing headlines and the deal they made with Golden Boy productions suddenly seems like a lump of coal in their stockings. Look, I’m all for open competition, but Affliction’s business model seems as solid as Brandon Vera’s prediction of being the UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion. It’s too late for Affliction to back down now and the last thing I want is to see them go out of business and leave fighters out in the cold with unpaid contracts, but their days are simply numbered. The smartest plan for a new MMA promotion is to follow the path of the Ultimate Warrior Challenge, which I wrote an article about a few weeks ago here on Fightline. Unless Affliction adopts some better business practices, they won’t be around to talk about next Christmas.

Speaking of which, everyone have a safe and happy holidays!

Kelly Crigger is a freelance MMA writer and author of the book "Title Shot: Into the Shark Tank of Mixed Martial Arts" which you can purchase by clicking here. Contact him through his website at IntoTheSharkTank.com

Mark Chalifoux is the man behind the curtain at MMA Stomping Grounds and the Baltimore Sun. Check him out at http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/mma/blog/