Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz 3 video recap: Ortiz knocks out rusty Liddell

In the main event of the first Golden Boy MMA show, Tito Ortiz earned redemption with a knockout win over Chuck Liddell. Well, that was certainly something. Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya decided to promote MMA, and the first main event h…

In the main event of the first Golden Boy MMA show, Tito Ortiz earned redemption with a knockout win over Chuck Liddell.

Well, that was certainly something. Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya decided to promote MMA, and the first main event he wanted to use was a third fight between Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell. Both men were retired, with Liddell out for a full eight years, but Oscar saw money in this bout. It remains to be seen if it will actually draw cash, but it was just as awkward and strange as most expected it would be.

From the start, Liddell looked off balance. Was the mat slippery? Did he have a leg injury? Or was he just a 48-year-old man that shouldn’t be within a mile of an MMA cage any more? No matter what it is, Liddell looked pretty terrible. His punches were awkward, he coudn’t find his footing, and he didn’t look dangerous at all. Even Tito’s jabs seemed to wobble him. Ortiz didn’t look incredible himself, but he didn’t have to.

After a few leg kicks from Tito and a general slow start, Tito started to pressure a bit and Liddell started circling. Finally Tito stepped up and threw a flurry of punches that mostly missed until he landed a right hook directly on Chuck’s jaw. He went down like a sack of potatoes. A couple of follow-up shots on the ground weren’t necessary, because Liddell was already out.

What was the highlight of the fight?

The only highlight of the fight was the finish. Tito connected with one big shot. Liddell’s chin couldn’t take it. The end.

Where do these two go from here?

Hopefully back into retirement. Tito implied that he will continue fighting for Golden Boy, and at least he still looked like a legit fighter. Ortiz implored Liddell to continue fighting in his post-fight interview, but I have no interest in seeing that at all. It’d be downright sad if he fought again.

Watch now, later, or never?

In terms of pure action, you could definitely give this a miss. If you’re still curious about how the two men looked in the cage, you’re only wasting five-odd minutes of your life by watching. It’s up to you. But my vote is never.