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In terms of pioneering the new generation of the UFC, few gave more in blood and sweat than Chuck Liddell and Matt Hughes. When Zuffa took over controlling ownership of the UFC in 2001, they were faced with a huge task. Needing to change the image of mixed martial arts from ‘human cock fighting’ to a legitimate sport, the promotion chipped away over many years to become mainstream. In November of 2001 Matt Hughes became the UFC welterweight champion with an iconic slam KO against Carlos Newton.

Going on to defend the title five times in his first reign, Hughes also faced Frank Trigg in one of the greatest 170-pound bouts ever. Regaining the belt in 2004, the Miletich Systems product defeated the greatest welterweight ever in Georges St-Pierre with a submission by armbar. Hughes has the second most welterweight title defenses in the promotion’s history with seven.

Matt Hughes UFC welterweight champion

Hughes With The UFC Welterweight Title

Chuck Liddell won the UFC light-heavyweight championship in 2005. Thrilling fans with a trilogy of fights against Randy Couture, a duo of huge knockouts against Tito Ortiz and a classic encounter in Japan against Alistair Overeem, ‘The Iceman’ was renowned for his ungodly KO power. Having defeated many of his fellow legends, Liddell decided to hang up the gloves in 2010. After calling it quits on his fighting career, Liddell was hired as UFC executive vice president of business development.

Hughes went on a few more years, eventually retiring in 2013 after back-to-back knockout losses. He took a job as vice president of athlete development and government relations. Given the fact the UFC finally made it to New York City during Hughes’ reign in his exec position, he clearly did a great job. Apparently there’s no room for either Liddell or Hughes under the new ownership, though.

Liddell & Hughes Laid Off

Tallying approximately 100 lay offs since the $4.2 billion WME-IMG takeover, MMA legends Chuck Liddell and Matt Hughes are the latest to get the boot.

“The UFC has been great to me,” Hughes told MMA Fighting Friday night. “Times change, and I understand the decision that was made. I will move on. My family and I are fine.

“I do love adventure, and who knows what’s next for me.”

After hearing about two of the most well known champions in UFC history getting canned, it’s safe to say nobody is safe. Where will the axe land next?

The post MMA Legends Chuck Liddell & Matt Hughes Fired By New UFC Owners appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

The layoffs promised by the new UFC owners have hit the promotion fast and hard.

Following a report that owners WME-IMG would lay off ‘under 15 percent’ of the company’s current employment following their record-setting $4.2 billion purchase of the world’s biggest MMA promotion this summer, the talent industry giant has put into motion a far larger impact on the UFC’s floundering Canadian division.

Word arrived from MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani today (Wed., October 19, 2016) that the new owners laid off roughly 80 percent of the company’s Toronto office, with head man Tom Wright, the UFC Executive Vice President and General Manager for Operations in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Wright had been employed by the company since 2010 after leaving the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Wright’s departure comes one day after WME-IMG let go of top senior executives Garry Cook, Marshall Zelaznik, Ken Berger, and Jaime Pollack. The layoffs reportedly affected UFC offices in Las Vegas, Europe, Brazil, Canada, Latin America, and Asia, and could include others before all is done.

According to Helwani, approximately 60-80 overall employees out of the company’s roughly 350 were affected. New ownership has declined to comment on the reporting.

The move brings the future of the UFC’s once-thriving Canadian division into serious question, as Wright’s departure comes during a week when legendary Canadian star Georges St-Pierre revealed that WME-IMG allegedly took a deal he had with former UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta off the table before leading him on without a concrete fight offer. St-Pierre says he’s a free agent, but his employers, who are interestingly the direct competitors of GSP’s own talent agency CAA, insist he’s still under contract and will remain that way.

The promotion clearly missed a golden opportunity to explode back into the Canadian market in a big way with the UFC 206 pay-per-view headed to Toronto in December. St-Pierre headlining it would have most likely all but guaranteed a million-plus buy card, and now the Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson headliner just doesn’t have the same appeal.

In any case, the UFC is about to look a whole lot different heading into 2017.

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