(Go ahead. Tell Chuck you forgot to order the ice cream cake for his birthday party. I’m sure he’ll understand.)
As Chuck Liddell prepares to try and prove to Dana White and the rest of the MMA world that he still belongs in the UFC, some recent comments seem to suggest that he maybe he has suffered serious head trauma after all. Regarding his goal to take back the UFC light heavyweight strap, Liddell told Fighters Only:
“I don’t plan on letting [Rashad Evans] stay champ for long. I thought I was winning that fight. I made a mistake, got caught and dropped. I was winning the fight up until then. People ask me about retiring after that fight. It wasn’t like I got my ass kicked and then got knocked out. I was winning the fight, got sloppy for a second and got caught. I made a mistake.”
[Sigh] I can’t help but feel like he’s using the old ‘got caught’ explanation as a crutch here. Yes, he got caught in the sense that he left himself wide open and was absolutely hammered by a right hand from Evans. But he wasn’t really winning the fight up until then. He wasn’t losing, either. The fight was fairly even with little significant action. And then he got knocked out.
He didn’t get caught any more than Wanderlei Silva got caught by “Rampage” Jackson or Andrei Arlovski got caught by Fedor.
I’d be willing to give Liddell the benefit of the doubt if we weren’t talking about a guy who is 1-3 in his last four fights with lone win coming via decision against Silva, who is 1-4 in his last five fights. Now Liddell is looking like he might be at the end of an illustrious career, fighting a “Shogun” Rua who is also nearing his last stop (if he can’t turn things around), just to see who gets to stick around a little while longer.
That doesn’t sound to me like a guy who is at all close to a title shot against Rashad Evans. He’ll have to win a few fights first, and the way the UFC’s light heavyweight division is, who knows who the champion will be by then.
Amazingly, Liddell seems completely unaware of any of this. To him, Evans is walking around on borrowed time wearing his belt. Maybe that’s the world you need to live in to be Chuck Liddell these days, even if it’s not a very realistic one.
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Comments
Wed, 03/25/09 - 04:23
suckas!
Wed, 03/25/09 - 04:25
Chuck's great but getting old real fast
Wed, 03/25/09 - 04:33
He switched (read: RAN) to the ATT gym pretty fast after getting knocked out by Rashad. He knows the days of Pride style slugfests in the Octagon are over. He talks dumb but I'm sure hes getting the right training. And say what you may, he IS talented. I'm sure he'll come back strong.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 04:33
Chuck would have to beat at least 2 more top names. I'd rather see Liddell-griffin, because shogun's pretty irrelevant now.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 04:33
Rashad kicked my ass. If Chuck himself wont say it, I will, damnit!
Wed, 03/25/09 - 04:33
I just really really hope this losing streak has just been Chuck being lazy cuz he's been on top for so long. It would suck to see him go.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 04:33
Damn, it must be hard to let the glory go.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 04:37
Chuck "One Six pack Too Many" Liddell is suffering from brain damage. Fuck him and his cheap "I got caught" copout! As a matter of fact fuck anybody that uses the got caught excuse. "I got cought, we all get caught." No bitch, I haven't got caught and neither has Machida. I'm fixin that soon though. ;)
Wed, 03/25/09 - 04:37
Maybe he needs more realistic goals. Like, instead of "not letting Evans stay champ for long" he should worry about not letting himself look like Mark Coleman in his fight against Shogun... baby steps Chuck.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 04:42
He was on MTV FFS ! can't you people remember the good ol' days ... now all you kids care about is your jitsu and danablogs...
Wed, 03/25/09 - 04:43
so there is still a few chuck nut hugers out there...its o.k. guys, im still sad about couture falling off. just stop picking favorite fighters, and when someone ask, tell them u dont have a fav. just say u like to watch the sport.or look like an idiot and make excuses for the lose
Wed, 03/25/09 - 04:45
OK from now on if you are first poster it doesn't count unless you reference Kyle Maynard AND the reference makes sense to the article. Lets see if I can think of a good one... Sorry. All I can do is imagine the often photo-shopped picture of KO'd Chuck Liddell with with Kyle Maynard standing [Kneeling?] over him instead of Evans. Too bad I'm not a photo-shop whiz. Someone seriously needs to make that happen!
Wed, 03/25/09 - 04:47
what's the problem he's trying to sell his product? what you want him to say "hey I'm just a journey man now hanging around for paychecks"..get a fcuking grip CP..chuck sells the product always has done....he's part of the reason you get so many hits and sell your add space that gives you a handy number sitting around pulling your plum all day like it or not he brought a face to the sport...he knows he can't beat rampage..he knows he cant beat machida...could he beat evans in a rematch? possibly...he knows better than you because the guy has actually fought at the top...these gossip column articles really give me the shits
Wed, 03/25/09 - 04:51
Cut the guy some slack jesus it's not that unrealistic. Rashad couldn't do a godamn thing against Tito and Chuck has crushed Tito twice with no effort. Forrest was schooling Rashad too for most of their fight. I don't think it's that far fetched that he could put Rashad away.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 04:52
Mexican Arm Bar ^ No shit. By the time a fave settles in they are over the hill. Its tearing me apart watching all of my old faves get knocked around. Before you know it Anderson Silva will be on a 2 or 3 fight loss streak and a bunch of fags will be talkin about how he sucks. What pisses me off though is how they were treated like gods by all of us and now after shedding blood and tears in the ring they are so quickly discarded. I will never say a bad thing about anyone that has the marbles or lack there of to step in the cage. Fuck the keyboard jockie haters. H
Wed, 03/25/09 - 04:55
I thought all previous champions had to at least pretend to be on a run to 'get it back'. Don't go all drama queen on normal fighter talk.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 05:02
Guys, look at Chuck's early fights in the UFC where he's interviewed....compared to how he sounds now. Punch drunk syndrome, anyone?
Wed, 03/25/09 - 05:09
I beg to differ, Bens. Chuck did get caught a bit more than Wandy and Arlovski. There wasn't many posts after their fights from people saying they were concerned for their health. For about a week I've seen posts from a lot of people, and from you guys, saying how corncerned you were. So with that said, maybe he did suffer head trauma that left him a bit dillusional.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 05:12
You certainly have as much class as Rashad Evans.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 05:24
"I don’t plan on letting [Rashad Evans] stay champ for long." Wow, Rashad hit him so hard that he thinks he's Machida.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 05:24
Charles...The Ice has melted...goodbye old friend...goodbye
Wed, 03/25/09 - 05:36
Yes, he got caught by a lucky punch. A punch that Rashad was setting up the entire damn second round. 9 fights out of 10, Chuck would lose to Rashad, and 10 fights out of ten he would lose to Machida. I'd say 9.5 out of 10 times he would get knocked out by Rampage
Wed, 03/25/09 - 05:41
i can fight fedor and get caught too... you see¡¡¡
Wed, 03/25/09 - 05:46
Hey "Chucks Beer Belly", Rashad kicked my ass, not yours. Quit stealing my thunder.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 05:53
idk how u think chuck wasnt winning that fight up till the ko, he was. rashad didnt do anything that whole fight except dance around making chuck mad and waiting for a hole. chuck could definately beat rashad in a rematch.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 05:56
Chuck is a great fighter , it should be a good fight against shogun. But if he fights for the title I dont think it will be against Evans. WAR MACHIDA
Wed, 03/25/09 - 05:57
Wow, although I concur Chuck doesn't have the same aura he had back in 2004 - 2006 when he was running through the likes of Tito, Randy, and Babalu (still impressive, but no longer top 5 guys that they used to be) I think his fall-off is a bit over stated. There is a huge hole in his striking defense and Chuck pretty much said so after the Rampage loss. Rashad capitalized on the hole. This weakness is especially vulnerable to someone with better than average hand speed. But outside of this hole in his game, one I have to think he is working on improving, Chuck hasn't looked as bad as the often referenced 1-3 in his last 4 fights with the only win over a 1-4 in his last 5 fights fighter. That 1-4 fighter hasn't been fighting tomato cans. Chuck showed good versatilty in his fight with the Ax Murderer, keeping him guessing with a few take downs. The Jardine fight was a close decision loss, go back and take a look at Jardine's head after that fight. That decision loss would have been very similar to Jardine's fight with Rampage had Jardine not been knocked down in the final ten seconds and stole a split decision victory. Bottom-line is that Chuck isn't as irrelavent as he is made out to be as a fighter. Never forget he has the "Lesnar factor" when it comes to title shots as he will sell PPVs. I think Dana is smart to go on record that Chuck needs to look impressive to cash in on that marketability factor. That said I think the Shogun fight is an excellent one to erase the memory of a quivering Chuck laid out by Rashad after getting impatient. Assuming he gets by Shogun I would like to see another "make sure he's for real" fight with a Stephen Bonner type, then a rematch with Jardine. He gets through those two then give him one last shot at a top ranked guy for a title shot; Lyoto, Rashad, or Rampage in a #1 contender match. Chuck stumbles anywhere on that road and its time to find a position for him outside the Octogon. President of the 1st UFC union perhaps as a puppet chief for Dana and Zuffa would be my suggestion. But until that time he isn't insane for thinking he is still a threat in the devision. Not the threat he once was, but still a threat.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 05:58
I can totally see why people think he's done. As for me, I hope he's not done. His past 4 fights he wasn't really that impressive, if at impressive. But before that he won like 7 fights in a row all by TKO or KO. If he didn't lose to Couture it would have been 15 wins in row. Doesn't that count for something? I don't want to launch a 20 page formal complaint here, but can't he turn it around? I have my doubts too, I hope he's just doing some shitty smack talking and actually fixing those holes in his game that everybody but Wanderlei knows about.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 05:59
* "if impressive at all" is what I meant.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 06:01
I don't care if he could be Rashad in a rematch or not. I don't care if people think he's washed up. I don't care if he's not as good as he once was. I don't care if his style of fighting doesn't work anymore. He was one of the faces that made the sport I love popular. I'm not sure if MMA would be what it is today without him and for that, Chuck will always be one of my favorites. Fuck the haters! I'm tired of all the bandwagon fans that separate themselves from their "favorites" as soon as they lose a couple of fights. My name is Bruce Buffer, and I'm a Chuck Liddell fan. Stay as long as you like Chuck...
Wed, 03/25/09 - 06:24
Liddell (and his fans) suffer from a condition I call "Roy Jones Syndrome" and it's this: you can't keep fighting with the same style and bad habits for too long. He used to be fast (and feared) enough to get away with it, not now. Chuck's always had a hanging left hand that goes BEHIND him sometimes when he punches and he also "takes a picture" when he even slightly connects. Now he's facing guys who are stronger (Jackson), younger, faster(Evans), and not afraid. (Jardine) He may not be washed up but he won't be anywhere near the top ever again.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 06:29
id say if he can beat tommy morrison then he should get the title shot.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 06:33
And that T on those throwdown clothes is retarded. It looks like one of those heavy duty tent stakes or a boat anchor.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 06:44
I like pie
Wed, 03/25/09 - 06:45
Chuck will be fighting the Mark Colemans in the washed up division before long.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 07:01
I agree with those saying that.. well basically that you guys are all assholes. Show a little bit of respect at least it's not like he got ko'd by a bunch of scrubs. If losing to Rampage, Rashad, and Jardine makes you a pussy then what's that make the rest of the world. He may have lost a few fights but there's still probably only a handful of people that can beat him.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 07:04
The big deal about this whole situation is the "what have you done lately" attitude of most MMA fans, which, with as often as fighters fight is an understandable attitude. How long ago was Chucks loss to Page? Almost 2 years. 6 months before that he ruined Tito, again, and was still the indestrucible Iceman. A TKO loss to Page, a SD loss to Jardine, a UD over Wand and a TKO loss to Rashad. All of those guys are top level fighters, and losing to them is nothing to be ashamed of. These guys must have 100 hours of fight footage to watch of him, so of course with careful, well execute gameplans, he can be beat. I have him smashing a still out of shpae Shogun in the 2nd. Unless his cardio has CONSIDERABLY improved, Shogun is the one I would be worried about. Chuck isn't likely to gas in the 1st with him like Coleman did.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 07:39
There's a world of difference between washed up and on the decline. Guys like Liddell and Couture have peaked, and are now starting to slide, slowly losing their strenght, speed and drive. Guys like Ken Shamrock and Tank Abbott are washed up and need to decide between retiring with whatever dignity they have left and resting on their accomplishments or chasing increasingly pathetic opponents to try to squeeze out one more victory that doesn't really mean anything.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 07:45
that was a k.o. loss to rashad
Wed, 03/25/09 - 08:02
I can't hate on Chuck's idea that he only got caught by Evans -- because that is exactly what had happened. He was doing a fine job, got cocky and then got caught. Same way Rampage took advantage of him. Now, I believe he should've retired awhile ago, but he didn't. None the less, I hope he can be successful for a few more fights. I believe he can at least beat Rua.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 08:54
Chuck will retire Shogun! Mark my words.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 09:58
SHogun iz gonna take a bazooka and blast chuck liddell into a nursing home.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 10:01
I'm actually starting to feel bad for him.
Wed, 03/25/09 - 10:11
I find it hilarious that a bunch of asshole (more than likely out of shape and obese internet bloggers ) have the nerve to critque guys who make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year kicking the shit out of people...... the facts are straight and you all know them. chuck was king of the ufc in his division for a number of years.....Face it he is a BAD ASS... but just like the neighborhood bully and the tough SOB across the street .. there will always be someone faster better or just plain luckier than you at some given point in time... Chuck lost the last 3 out of 4 of his fights... end of story .. he would still rip off your arms and beat you to death with them in a brawl . including you me and everyone else that posts here, he is a tough mutherfucker end of story... we can all armchair the dogshit out of it with our gripes or opionions , but it dont make a pile of dogshit smell better... he will come back .. why you ask... he is dana's golden cow.. he brings business.. now whether he wins or not is up to chuck. can he do it ? i think so .. just look to couture to see how you can be at one point considered done with your career then come back and become champ and he is alot older than chuck. so if he can do it at 42 or 43 i think chuck can work hard and do it also... but it is all up to him....
Wed, 03/25/09 - 11:32
intercept440, why are you comparing us to proffessional fighters on ppv, man your a douche
Thu, 03/26/09 - 01:02
Chuck just has to remember he has technical ability, and he has to stop drinking. Period.
Thu, 03/26/09 - 02:36
dont worry about chuck if he is done in mma he could always star in porn movies he has a 9 1/2 inch cock.
Thu, 03/26/09 - 02:49
not really looking forward to the battle of the washouts at ufc 97
Thu, 03/26/09 - 03:55
So, by that rationale, I guess Chuck would be fine admitting that many of his own wins weren't really "victories" -- just cases of him fluking out and "catching" his opponents.
Thu, 03/26/09 - 04:41
Most K.O. Losses involve someone "getting caught". Welcome to the club Chuck. You have initiated many members yourself.
Thu, 03/26/09 - 05:40
I have admired and backed Chuck in the past, but you have to admit that he has lost a step or two. I have noticed that with his "lobster" boxing style, he is just not as quick as even a year ago. With that style, your primary need is quickness. It is just physics... it's pretty dang hard to block a straight punch with your own hands way out to the sides. I hope Chuck can somehow compensate for the curse of getting older. I want Chuck to leave the sport gracefully whenever he chooses.
Thu, 03/26/09 - 06:28
I agree almost completely with intercept440. I train five times a week with some of the best guys in my state, but there is no way in hell I could touch one of the UFC's best on my best day. Chuck Liddell is a fucking legend and you internet douchebags should have some fucking respect, no way is he done completely. If Chuck changes his game its not out of the question for him to beat Rashad, dont forget this is the same Rashad evans that got handled by Ortiz and almost by Bisping.
Thu, 03/26/09 - 06:49
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Thu, 03/26/09 - 07:07
Um... I hate to say it guys but you do know it's all hype right? He's talking up the fight. If nobody thinks he has anything left why would they bother watching his ppv? He doesn't need to believe it. Truth is he WAS winning the fight. Rashad is a cautious counter-striker and his gameplan (care of Greg Jackson) paid off; but until then Chuck was dominating the scorecards if not his opponent. He is simply using what there is to spin into some hype for the next event. I know its CPs job to create talk over events but I hope they don't actually believe anything in this article. Chuck may well know exactly where he stands but who admits that they aren't champion material anymore when trying to hype a fight. Also as for focusing on his repetition of the "I got caught" line. We all love Chuck for what he's done for the sport but let's face it he's not a rocket-scientist. If you ask a guy who's not the brightest tool in the shed (especially after all those KOs and fights) what he thinks of a fight don't expect a Randy Couture style rundown. Another possibility is that he's playing dumber than he is and he full well know's what his weakness was in that fight and has been working to fix it but wants shogun to be trying for it and expose himself in the fight. Bottom line? Chuck Liddel says something giving the impression hes not the brightest? Another day at the UFC office.
Thu, 03/26/09 - 07:20
I see a 15 round fight between Chuck and Ken Shamrock in the future. it would be an epic battle between two people who don't know when to quit.
Thu, 03/26/09 - 07:20
Jizzman, you're a douche.
Thu, 03/26/09 - 07:48
um Intercept440, he WAS Dana's golden boy only because he was winning. Now he has been replaced by others who in turn will be replaced by others, deal with it. And WTF, so do you have be play the sport to have an opinion? So NFL fans just need to sit there with their hands on their knees saying "Well, that Ryan Leaf has earned my respect by just being on the field."? That's crap and you know it. So STFU and go back to your knitting class!
Thu, 03/26/09 - 07:50
OMFG CP and others need a bot to write the first comment automatically to lose the retards with their "First" posts. Chuck was a great. But the wear and tear on bangers like Liddell seems to really take its toll later in their careers - and those careers are lasting longer and longer now that the money has come up.
Thu, 03/26/09 - 08:33
I agree w/Chuck. He must smash Shogun though.
Thu, 03/26/09 - 09:26
Thanks for keepin' it real Bruce Buffer! Chuck decides when he retires and not a bunch of haters.
Thu, 03/26/09 - 10:33
Sounds plausible to me. I look forward to his comeback. Rashad's eyes were closed.
Thu, 03/26/09 - 11:16
The Chuckhuggers need to get it straight, he's on the decline and it's obvious , especially to those of us who have watched him for years. And crying how we're a bunch of interwebz punks who are fat losers is stupid. You don't know what you're talking about. You why you "go to the gym" and "train"? Because you don't have any idea about what REAL fighting is. It's not fair, you don't pick and choose who, how, and where you fight, and there's a real possibility you could get killed. Try tapping in a streetfight. You know why I don't "train"? Because I'm sick of fighting! I saved for a long time to get out of the hood and I'm going to avoid all the real life violence if at all possible. I don't need to go play fight in a gym to know I can handle my business.
Thu, 03/26/09 - 03:11
Bootylam....keep it real brother! you should write a book about your hard times.........or go tell someone who gives a fcuk..unless you have something relevant or something that hasn't been said already in the thread shut the fuck up..REAL fighting? a street fight? you wouldnt even last 15 seconds with liddel or any cultured fighter..street fights me hole
Thu, 03/26/09 - 03:47
Yo Dag, you miss the point. I know these trained fighters are fighting for REAL, but I'm talking about fighting for your life or fighting to keep what's yours IN REAL LIFE, out in the street. Never claimed I would last against ANY trained fighter, the point is the same: just making a comment about a fighter doesn't mean it's a challenge, but then you get all these gym rats challenging people to fight or go up against a pro and that's just dumb. Then they commence to insult US because we're on the webz posting OPINIONS not realizing that they have no concept of where that person is from or why they think the way they do. They want us to go to the gym, I want them to take a stroll through the projects. It's entirely different when you fight because you have to, not because you pay to go the gym and WANT to. And I would not write a book about my hard times because way more people have had it way worse. I was smart enough to get out and STAY out. Way too many people never even get that chance. Now read the post again and see if you get it.
Thu, 03/26/09 - 03:54
First off... the motherf*ck*rs using that ascending text should be banned from posting on the site. Secondly, Chuck might be aging and slowing down, but I'd hardly call him washed up, and I think the biggest factors affecting him right now are his confidence, and faith in John Hackleman's training. I'd suggest that Hackleman is failing him, and can't help but wonder how much a difference there would be had Chuck had Greg Jackson training him instead. I fully believe Chuck still possesses KO power in his fists, and his sprawl defence is still pretty solid. For a black belt in Kenpo, he throws far fewer kicks than I'd expect. His ground and pound is rarely utilized, and when old tricks stop working it's time to make some changes. I'm not saying Chuck will be champ again, but I believe he'd still perform well against the top 5'ers in the LHW division with better strategies and better coaching.
Sat, 03/28/09 - 07:45
The Iceman is THE SHIT...so take a big whiff..... Yeah he may hve lost a few recently, but he'll get his groove back. He is my favorite fighter, and I am keeping the faith... Good Luck Chuck......showin love in OHIO
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