Tag: Tito Ortiz

UFC 115 Main Event Breakdown: Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin

Filed under: UFCStylistically, Chuck Liddell’s night got easier when Tito Ortiz was forced to withdraw from their fight and he was replaced by Rich Franklin. Competitively though, it likely got more difficult.

After facing and beating Ortiz twice, Lid…

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Chuck Liddell, Rich FranklinStylistically, Chuck Liddell‘s night got easier when Tito Ortiz was forced to withdraw from their fight and he was replaced by Rich Franklin. Competitively though, it likely got more difficult.

After facing and beating Ortiz twice, Liddell has a very good idea of nearly everything Ortiz brings to the table. He understands his strategy, setups and execution. He’s experienced his spacing, striking and shooting. He’s seen it all in 3-D and conquered it. That’s not to say that the third time around would be automatic, just that the variables that go with unfamiliarity are non-existent.

Franklin, too is a familiar opponent, but in a different way. The former UFC middleweight champion has been around the MMA game long enough that he has few secrets in his arsenal, but Liddell has yet to experience them in person. He doesn’t know how quick his hands are, how strong he is, or what kind of power he packs with his striking. And that’s what makes the main event of UFC 115 compelling.

Chuck Liddell Faces a Problem as Old as Prizefighting Itself at UFC 115

Filed under: UFC
In retrospect, maybe Dana White jumped the gun.

When the UFC president stood up in front of the media after UFC 97 last April and declared that his old friend and employee Chuck Liddell was done fighting forever after his TKO loss to…

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In retrospect, maybe Dana White jumped the gun.

When the UFC president stood up in front of the media after UFC 97 last April and declared that his old friend and employee Chuck Liddell was done fighting forever after his TKO loss to “Shogun” Rua, it’s possible he was overestimating his own ability to make life choices for other people.

You can see how that might be a problem for a powerful man like White. Most of the time, when he makes a statement about a fighter’s career the mere fact of him saying it out loud is enough to make it so. If he wanted Liddell to hang up the gloves and turn his focus toward spending the mountain of money he’d already earned with his fists, then that’s what would happen.

UFC 115 Preview and Predictions

Filed under: UFCMore than a year after he lost a fight that UFC fans were told would be his last, Chuck Liddell is back on Saturday night against Rich Franklin, who stepped in on short notice to fill Tito Ortiz’s place both as a coach on The Ultimate F…

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More than a year after he lost a fight that UFC fans were told would be his last, Chuck Liddell is back on Saturday night against Rich Franklin, who stepped in on short notice to fill Tito Ortiz‘s place both as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter and in the main event at UFC 115 in the season-ending fight between the coaches.

So does Liddell still have anything left? Or is the most popular fighter in the history of the UFC about to lose again? We weigh in on that and more in our full preview and predictions below.

Tito Ortiz Still Wants Third Bout With Liddell

The fact that Chuck Liddell had zero sympathy for Tito Ortiz when news surfaced that the former champ was undergoing neck / back surgery again, was less surprising than hearing Dana White using the f-bomb in an interview.  In fact, not only was Liddell really pissed about their third fight being cancelled, “The Iceman” has […]

Tito-Ortiz-vs-Chuck-Liddell

The fact that Chuck Liddell had zero sympathy for Tito Ortiz when news surfaced that the former champ was undergoing neck / back surgery again, was less surprising than hearing Dana White using the f-bomb in an interview.  In fact, not only was Liddell really pissed about their third fight being cancelled, “The Iceman” has made it clear that in his not-so-unbiased-opinion, Ortiz never intended to fight.

Well, now Ortiz is in full rebuttal mode, defending his decision to undergo his second major back surgery in 18 months. In fact, in the most recent episode of Spike’s Inside the Ultimate Fighter podcast, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” had this to say about Liddell insisting Ortiz is just ducking him (thanks to MMA Fighting for the quote).

“I think we should still fight, just because of the s— he’s been saying. Saying that I’m afraid of him and I’m a p—-, this and that. Go f— yourself man. Are you kidding me? Has he ever defended his world title longer than me? No. Has any light-heavyweight ever defended the world title longer than me? No. I’m only 35 years old. I’ll be back in the cage again, and I’ll be dominating.”

Ortiz reportedly went on to say that he’s even cheering for Liddell against Rich Franklin this weekend, just so the door remains open to a third fight. Wow. Hoping your foe doesn’t get hurt in a fight just so you can personally hurt him later…now that’s some hatred. To bet on UFC 115 head here.

Tito Ortiz Talks Neck Surgery, Comeback and Still Wanting to Fight Chuck Liddell

Filed under: UFC, NewsBreaking his silence about his neck injury, withdrawing from his fight with Chuck Liddell and being replaced on The Ultimate Fighter, Tito Ortiz said he plans to be back in the cage around October or November, and hopes to return …

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Breaking his silence about his neck injury, withdrawing from his fight with Chuck Liddell and being replaced on The Ultimate Fighter, Tito Ortiz said he plans to be back in the cage around October or November, and hopes to return against Liddell.

Speaking on Spike’s Inside the Ultimate Fighter podcast, Ortiz said he will actually be rooting for Liddell in his UFC 115 bout this weekend against Rich Franklin, but said win or lose, Liddell should have to face him later this year.