I think most of us would agree that this fight is happening too late, and an approximate ranking history would agree. Rua/Chuck looked like it would have been at its peak as 2005 came to a close.
The Excel trendlines (Poly.) suggest potential trending for each fighter. These are not very scientific, and only suggest possible trends. However, I will note that all similar trends suggested a decline for Liddell, while Rua’s trend was varied. Since they will face each other in a few weeks, the trends presented are the only logical ones, with the exception being a draw.