Heading into next weekend’s UFC 115 tilt between Chuck Liddell and Rich Franklin, a lot of attention will continue to focus on how Liddell looks before, during and after the fight. After all, when you’re one of the sport’s top draws, get KO’d in back-to-back fights, and your boss publicly declares you should never fight again; people are going to tune in. Of course Liddell’s stints on Dancing with the Stars, TUF, and a ‘hee-hee they’re nude’ Reebok commercial, are also why “The Iceman” probably hasn’t had this much hype since 2006.
Yesterday we posted some comments from Franklin, who, while crediting Liddell’s striking abilities, stated he believes he will have the advantage the longer the fight goes. Well, in an interview with MMA Fighting’s Mike Chiappetta, the 40 year-old Liddell had this to say about his conditioning:
“It’s the best shape I’ve been in for a while, yeah. I was sort of in shape since Dancing with the Stars, since I made that bet with Dana to get down in weight in September. In November, I started training camp to get ready to coach the show. I wanted to be in shape for the guys when I got there. I did kind of a mini-camp for seven weeks. I kept training and working out and went right back into camp after it ended. I made some changes and it’s put me in the best shape I’ve been in in a long time.”
Other topics Liddell tackles in the interview includes strategy for Franklin and Tito Ortiz dropping out of the bout. To read more head here. To bet on the UFC 115 fight click here.