Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell recently announced his intention to return to the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) to potentially set up a trilogy fight against ex-205-pound titleholder, Tito Ortiz.
Tito, meanwhile, is all for it and is confident a third fight between the two of them would be “the hugest fight in MMA history.” One person that isn’t all that excited about a trilogy bout is Chuck’s longtime trainer John Hackelman. To hear him tell it, if he had his way he wouldn’t have any of his fighters fighting, as he says he never really liked it and would prefer that all of them just train for the love it and work regular jobs.
But that isn’t the only reason Hackleman is opposed to a third fight between the two pioneers, as he says just like making love to an overweight woman, you don’t want to keep doing it unless times get tough.
“It’s like fucking a fat chick again. You don’t want to do it in public again. You had to do it because times were hard or you were forced to do if for whatever reason. You don’t want to keep doing it,” proclaimed John during a recent edition of The MMA Hour.
While the analogy won’t endear the longtime trainer to the plus size women out there, the head master at “The Pit” explains it a bit more.
“I respect Tito, for a lot of reasons, but Chuck beat him twice already, he stopped him twice. And that is all that I mean by that analogy. I’m not putting Tito down at all. Tito is a pioneer and a stud,” he added. “He will fight anyone, anytime, he’s done shit in the UFC that, you know, I think he is a great fighter.”
Indeed, Liddell knocked Ortiz out in impressive fashion at UFC 47 and UFC 66. But now that both men are older and wiser, most aren’t interested in seeing the trilogy fight seeing as how “The Iceman” has shown he clearly has his rival’s number.
As for calling out Jon Jones, Hackelman admits that it is a bit too much to chew at the moment.
“Chuck has his number, and it’s not just him, but he’s already knocked him out twice. So, it doesn’t make me feel better or worse. That Jon Jones thing was kind of pushing it too far on that edge right now. Tito as an opponent, is a good opponent for Chuck just based on history.”
Despite his opposition, Hackelman says if Chuck does indeed mount an MMA comeback and lands a third fight against Ortiz, he will have his back 100-percent and do whatever Chuck asks of him.