Post by The Mac on Dec 13, 2009 14:34:47 GMT -5
If the recent announcement that Chuck Liddell (21-7 MMA, 16-6 UFC) will oppose Tito Ortiz (15-7-1 MMA, 14-7-1 UFC) in the upcoming 11th season of "The Ultimate Fighter" left you scratching your head more than pumping your fist, you're not alone.
UFC president Dana White had to be convinced, too.
But having made a promise to his friend, White lived up to his end of the bargain. Now White just hopes Liddell will call it quits after one more trip to the cage.
"I wanted [Liddell] to retire," White recently told a small group of reporters at a UFC 107 press conference. "It just went back and forth for so long. What he said to me was, 'How about I take some time off. Let me take some time off.' He did this 'Dancing with the Stars' thing, and he had fun with it. I was happy with how aggressively he went after it and really trained.
"[Liddell and I] made some other deals, personal deals, between me and him for this season of 'The Ultimate Fighter.' We'll let [Liddell and Ortiz] go at it again."
After Ortiz and Forrest Griffin fought to their second split-decision result in as many outings, many MMA observers felt those two might end opposing each other on "TUF 11." White said that wouldn't have been fair to Griffin.
"Forrest beat Tito," White said. "Forrest will move on and take another fight at 205 (pounds).
"Forrest just coached for me with 'Rampage' (on 'The Ultimate Fighter 7') not too long ago. We'll let Chuck and Tito do it."
Liddell already owns a pair of wins over Ortiz, so many have wondered aloud what the "Iceman" has to prove with a third victory over "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy." White said he honestly doesn't know what Liddell has to prove in the octagon at all.
"My question is, 'Why?'" White said. "'What for? You've already achieved everything. You've beat the who's-who of the sport. You've had the world title. You're as famous as anybody could possibly be. You've made [expletive]-loads of money. What else is there?'"
For Liddell, it's obviously the thrill of competition and the need to prove he can still win despite a recent stretch of just one victory in five trips to the octagon. While White disagrees with his longtime friend and business partner's desire to step in the cage again, the UFC exec said he knows Liddell is still physically capable of performing.
"He's been checked out," White said. "He's had the CAT Scans and all the other stuff. He's healthy. He can fight. My thing is me and Chuck have been together since the beginning of this thing. For a promoter and a fighter to have the relationship that we've had for as long as we've had it – and he became such a huge superstar and everything else, and we've had this great relationship – the reality is I love this guy. I care about him personally.
"Even back in my boxing days, you had this guy who was your hero when he was fighting, and then we all get old, man. We all get old. And it's hard to deal with for some professional athletes. Then you see your guy, and he just keeps losing and losing and losing. You're like, '[Expletive], I wish he would have retired three years ago.'"
White said while he wishes Liddell was comfortable remaining on the sidelines, he won't stop a man that has proven physically capable of stepping in the cage.
"This is what these guys choose to do for a living," White said. "If there was a situation where Chuck wasn't right to fight, Chuck wouldn't be fighting. He can still fight; I just don't want him to do it. The only thing wrong with Chuck is right now Chuck's too old. Chuck hasn't lived the Randy Couture lifestyle. ... I think you all know what I'm talking about. He's had a much different lifestyle than Randy.
"The reason that Chuck can even still compete is that he's healthy. ... If I thought Chuck was at a point where he physically couldn't compete anymore because he's got a brain injury or something's wrong, there's no way in hell he would be fighting."
So Liddell will return first as a "TUF" coach and then as a tough fighter seeking one last shot at glory. And if things finally go according to White's plans – and hopes – it will be just one shot.
"I'm not thrilled with it," White said. "It's not what I wanted. But like I said, I'm not his father. I'm not his dad. We'll see what happens after the Tito fight. I would like to see him hang it up after the Tito fight.
"That's my plan: He does one fight and then he retires – win, lose or draw."
- MMAjunkie.com
UFC president Dana White had to be convinced, too.
But having made a promise to his friend, White lived up to his end of the bargain. Now White just hopes Liddell will call it quits after one more trip to the cage.
"I wanted [Liddell] to retire," White recently told a small group of reporters at a UFC 107 press conference. "It just went back and forth for so long. What he said to me was, 'How about I take some time off. Let me take some time off.' He did this 'Dancing with the Stars' thing, and he had fun with it. I was happy with how aggressively he went after it and really trained.
"[Liddell and I] made some other deals, personal deals, between me and him for this season of 'The Ultimate Fighter.' We'll let [Liddell and Ortiz] go at it again."
After Ortiz and Forrest Griffin fought to their second split-decision result in as many outings, many MMA observers felt those two might end opposing each other on "TUF 11." White said that wouldn't have been fair to Griffin.
"Forrest beat Tito," White said. "Forrest will move on and take another fight at 205 (pounds).
"Forrest just coached for me with 'Rampage' (on 'The Ultimate Fighter 7') not too long ago. We'll let Chuck and Tito do it."
Liddell already owns a pair of wins over Ortiz, so many have wondered aloud what the "Iceman" has to prove with a third victory over "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy." White said he honestly doesn't know what Liddell has to prove in the octagon at all.
"My question is, 'Why?'" White said. "'What for? You've already achieved everything. You've beat the who's-who of the sport. You've had the world title. You're as famous as anybody could possibly be. You've made [expletive]-loads of money. What else is there?'"
For Liddell, it's obviously the thrill of competition and the need to prove he can still win despite a recent stretch of just one victory in five trips to the octagon. While White disagrees with his longtime friend and business partner's desire to step in the cage again, the UFC exec said he knows Liddell is still physically capable of performing.
"He's been checked out," White said. "He's had the CAT Scans and all the other stuff. He's healthy. He can fight. My thing is me and Chuck have been together since the beginning of this thing. For a promoter and a fighter to have the relationship that we've had for as long as we've had it – and he became such a huge superstar and everything else, and we've had this great relationship – the reality is I love this guy. I care about him personally.
"Even back in my boxing days, you had this guy who was your hero when he was fighting, and then we all get old, man. We all get old. And it's hard to deal with for some professional athletes. Then you see your guy, and he just keeps losing and losing and losing. You're like, '[Expletive], I wish he would have retired three years ago.'"
White said while he wishes Liddell was comfortable remaining on the sidelines, he won't stop a man that has proven physically capable of stepping in the cage.
"This is what these guys choose to do for a living," White said. "If there was a situation where Chuck wasn't right to fight, Chuck wouldn't be fighting. He can still fight; I just don't want him to do it. The only thing wrong with Chuck is right now Chuck's too old. Chuck hasn't lived the Randy Couture lifestyle. ... I think you all know what I'm talking about. He's had a much different lifestyle than Randy.
"The reason that Chuck can even still compete is that he's healthy. ... If I thought Chuck was at a point where he physically couldn't compete anymore because he's got a brain injury or something's wrong, there's no way in hell he would be fighting."
So Liddell will return first as a "TUF" coach and then as a tough fighter seeking one last shot at glory. And if things finally go according to White's plans – and hopes – it will be just one shot.
"I'm not thrilled with it," White said. "It's not what I wanted. But like I said, I'm not his father. I'm not his dad. We'll see what happens after the Tito fight. I would like to see him hang it up after the Tito fight.
"That's my plan: He does one fight and then he retires – win, lose or draw."
- MMAjunkie.com