Chuck Liddell
Template:MMAstatsbox Charles David 'Chuck' Liddell (born December 17, 1969 in Santa Barbara, California), also known as "The Iceman" is a mixed martial artist who fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A former UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Liddell has an extensive background in kickboxing and collegiate wrestling. He is associated with the Pit team and recently earned a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. However, he is generally regarded as a stand-up fighter, relying primarily on his background in Kempo Karate and Koei-Kan karate. Chuck holds notable wins over Jeff Monson, Guy Mezger, Kevin Randleman, Vitor Belfort, Tito Ortiz, Renato Sobral, Jeremy Horn, Murilo Bustamante and Randy Couture.
Liddell is noted within MMA circles for his exceptional takedown defense and knockout ability.[1]
Career
Liddell began studying Koei-Kan karate at the age of 12;[1] the tattoo seen on his scalp reads "Koei-Kan".[2] He was a four year starter on the football team at San Marcos High School, and became a Division I wrestler at California Polytechnic State University[1] and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business/Accounting in 1995. When Liddell started his MMA career, he began to train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under John Lewis in Las Vegas, Nevada.[1]
Liddell made his UFC debut in 1998 with a decision victory over Noe Hernandez. Despite a submission loss to Jeremy Horn shortly after, Liddell began establishing his reputation as a devastating knockout puncher and formidable opponent with victories over Kevin Randleman, Murilo Bustamante, Vitor Belfort, and Renato Sobral over the next few years. [3]
By 2002, Liddell was considered the number one contender for the UFC Light Heavyweight title with growing popularity and support from fans. The UFC tried to arrange a title bout with then-champion Tito Ortiz and Liddell, but Ortiz kept citing scheduling conflicts which frustrated the UFC brass. To force Ortiz' hand, they created an interim Light Heavyweight championship and matched Liddell with experienced former Heavyweight champion Randy Couture at UFC 43 for that title. Couture neutralized Liddell's hooks with straight punches and eventually began taking him down at will. Couture eventually gained full mount and forced a referee stoppage due to strikes.
After this defeat, Liddell went to Japan to compete in the PRIDE 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix tournament as the UFC's representative. After defeating Alistair Overeem in the first round of the tournament, Liddell was eliminated from the Grand Prix by Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in the semi-finals, losing by technical knockout after Liddell's corner signaled for an end to the bout in the final round.
First matchup with Ortiz
Returning to the UFC, Chuck once again put himself in contention for the Light Heavyweight title, preparing himself for a match against his controversial rival Tito Ortiz. The men had once trained together at the Pitfight Club and experienced a falling out that escalated as Ortiz taunted Liddell. The falling out stemmed from Ortiz's unwillingness to give Liddell a title fight, despite Liddell's status as a top contender in the UFC. Eventually, after Ortiz lost the title to Randy Couture, the two clashed in a highly anticipated fight at UFC 47 on April 2, 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada. After most of the first round was spent feeling each other out, Liddell threw a few punches and a kick which was blocked by Ortiz, with Ortiz slapping himself on the head, stating that he wanted more. When the round ended Ortiz pushed referee "Big" John McCarthy out of his way into Liddell and yelled while Liddell exchanged some words. Shortly after the second round started, Liddell threw a flurry of punches which knocked Ortiz down and led to a TKO victory. Tito has stated that Chuck's thumb made contact with one of Tito's eyes, causing him to momentarily see "nothing but black" before Liddell shortly got the TKO. Since UFC 47, the bad blood between both fighters remained, with Ortiz repeatedly stating that he wanted "his" belt back. Despite Ortiz' feelings, he and Liddell would not fight again for two and a half years.
The Ultimate Fighter
In early 2005, Liddell was seen on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter, Spike TV's reality show featuring fighters new to the UFC that were competing for a UFC contract. Liddell served as coach of Team Liddell, while fellow fighter and then UFC Light Heavyweight champion Randy Couture coached Team Couture. The series was a success for both Spike TV and the UFC. Both of the winners of The Ultimate Fighter, Diego Sanchez and Forrest Griffin, were members of Team Liddell, and have gone on to wide-spread notoriety.
Rematches with Couture and Horn
Liddell's rematch with Couture on April 16, 2005 at UFC 52, a championship bout, ended in victory for Liddell via a first round knockout. Before the rematch, Liddell was scheduled to defend his new title against fellow UFC veteran Jeremy Horn, at UFC 54, a matchup the UFC claimed was demanded by long-time fans of the sport since Horn gave Liddell his first loss.[citation needed] Throughout the bout, Liddell dominated Horn with aggressive punches, causing knockdowns in several rounds. Liddell's defensive wrestling ability, especially his sprawl, stifled the bulk of Horn's offense, which was centered on grappling and submission wrestling. Liddell eventually won the fight via TKO in 2:46 minutes of the fourth round after Horn informed the referee that he could not see, avenging his first career loss and defending his championship.
Rubber match with Couture / Rematch with Sobral
On February 4, 2006 at UFC 57, Liddell faced Randy Couture in a rubber match, defeating Couture via knockout in Las Vegas, Nevada to retain the Light Heavyweight championship belt. After the fight, Couture announced his retirement from mixed martial arts. In Liddell's next defense, at UFC 62 on August 26, 2006, Liddell defended his belt against Renato "Babalu" Sobral, who he had defeated nearly three years prior. Liddell scored a quick TKO victory at 1:35 of the first round.
It was announced during UFC 61 that if Liddell were to defeat Sobral that he would face off against PRIDE's Middleweight (205 lb) champion Wanderlei Silva. The fight, however, failed to materialize due to the competing promotions' inability to reach an agreement. UFC President Dana White attributed this to Silva's subsequent knockout losses to Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović and Dan Henderson, the latter claiming Silva's title.[citation needed]
Rematch with Ortiz
Liddell and Tito Ortiz were finally scheduled for what was perhaps the most anticipated match of the year at UFC 66, which took place on December 30, 2006. Liddell's takedown defense neutralized Ortiz' wrestling ability, forcing Ortiz to stand up with him. Although Ortiz did take Liddell down at one point in the fight, Liddell went on to defeat Ortiz via TKO in the third round to successfully defend his Light Heavyweight championship. It was later revealed that Liddell tore his MCL prior to the fight. In addition, during the fight he popped the tendon out on his middle finger on his left hand.[4]
Rematch with Jackson
Liddell lost his UFC Light Heavyweight title at UFC 71 on May 26, 2007 in a rematch against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson due to TKO after being dropped by a right hand and a few punches from Rampage. Chuck was actually knocked out but only regained consciousness after an elbow from Rampage. The match was actually ruled a KO, but the UFC web site states it as a TKO. After the loss Liddell was widely criticized after reports indicated he was seen in night clubs the week before the event. He responded that it was nothing he had not done prior to his other fights in Las Vegas.[5]
At the post-UFC 71 press conference, Liddell indicated he would continue to fight. Dana White also stated that his next opponent would likely be "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva.[6]
On July 11, 2007 Dana White confirmed in an interview with Yahoo! Sports that the bout between Silva and Liddell had been canceled indefinitely. Silva and Liddell were supposed to be the main event for UFC 76 in Anaheim, California. [1] Shortly thereafter Silva released a videotaped statement saying he did not back out of the fight as first reported by White and the UFC, and simply didn't want to take it in September as planned.
2nd Loss In A Row
Liddell faced Keith Jardine in the main event of UFC 76.[2] and lost a split decision. It was the first time in his career that Liddell lost two straight fights, and his performance, which seemed to lack enthusiasm, prodded fight fans and critics to question his future. Following the fight, UFC president Dana White, who is close friends with Liddell, said that "The Chuck Liddell that I saw fight didn't look like the Chuck Liddell that loves to fight." [3]
Future
On Tuesday October 23, UFC president Dana White announced that a matchup would take place between Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva at UFC 79.[7]
Theme music
Mixed martial arts record
As of September 2007, The Iceman has compiled a professional record of 20 wins and 5 losses, with 13 wins by knockout and one by submission.[8]
| 25 matches | 20 wins | 5 losses |
| By knockout | 13 | 3 |
| By submission | 1 | 1 |
| By decision | 6 | 1 |
| Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Wanderlei Silva
|
TBA | UFC 79: Nemesis | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | TBA | TBA |  Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
|
TBA | |
| Loss | Keith Jardine
|
Decision (Split) | UFC 76: Knockout | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 3 | 5:00 | Anaheim, California, United States
|
|
| Loss | Quinton Jackson
|
TKO (Strikes) | UFC 71: Liddell vs. Jackson | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 1 | 1:53 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
|
Lost UFC Light Heavyweight title |
| Win | Tito Ortiz
|
TKO (Referee Stoppage) | UFC 66 - Liddell vs. Ortiz | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 3 | 3:59 | Las Vegas, United States
|
Defended UFC Light Heavyweight title |
| Win | Renato Sobral
|
TKO (Punches) | UFC 62: Liddell vs. Sobral | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 1 | 1:35 | Las Vegas, United States
|
Defended UFC Light Heavyweight title |
| Win | Randy Couture
|
TKO (Punches) | UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture 3 | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 2 | 1:28 | Las Vegas, United States
|
Defended UFC Light Heavyweight title |
| Win | Jeremy Horn
|
TKO (Referee Stoppage) | UFC 54 - Boiling Point | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 4 | 2:46 | Las Vegas, United States
|
Defended UFC Light Heavyweight title |
| Win | Randy Couture
|
KO (Punch) | UFC 52: Couture vs Liddell 2 | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 1 | 2:06 | Las Vegas, United States
|
Won UFC Light Heavyweight title |
| Win | Vernon White
|
TKO (Strikes) | UFC 49: Unfinished Business | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 1 | 4:05 | Las Vegas, United States
| |
| Win | Tito Ortiz
|
TKO (Punches) | UFC 47: It's On! | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 2 | 0:38 | Las Vegas, United States
| |
| Loss | Quinton Jackson
|
TKO (Corner Stoppage) | PRIDE Final Conflict 2003 | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 2 | 3:10 |  Tokyo, Japan
|
PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix semifinal |
| Win |  Alistair Overeem
|
KO (Strikes) | PRIDE Total Elimination 2003 | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 1 | 3:09 | Saitama, Japan
|
PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix quarterfinal |
| Loss | Randy Couture
|
TKO (Punches) | UFC 43: Meltdown | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 3 | 2:39 | Las Vegas, United States
|
For the interim UFC Light Heavyweight title |
| Win | Renato Sobral
|
KO (Head Kick) | UFC 40: Vendetta | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 1 | 2:55 | Las Vegas, United States
| |
| Win | Vitor Belfort
|
Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 37.5: As Real As It Gets | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, United States
| |
| Win |  Amar Suloev
|
Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 35: Throwdown | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 3 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
| |
| Win | Murilo Bustamante
|
Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 33: Victory in Vegas | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, United States
| |
| Win | Guy Mezger
|
KO (Punch) | PRIDE 14 - Clash of the Titans | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 2 | 2:21 | Japan
| |
| Win | Kevin Randleman
|
TKO (Punches) | UFC 31: Locked and Loaded | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 1 | 1:18 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
| |
| Win | Jeff Monson
|
Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 29: Defense of the Belts | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan
| |
| Win | Steve Heath | KO (Head Kick) | IFC WC 9 - Warriors Challenge 9 | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 2 | 5:39 | Friant, California, United States
| |
| Win | Paul Jones | TKO (Strikes) | UFC 22: Only One Can be Champion | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 1 | 3:53 | Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States
| |
| Win | Kenneth Williams | Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | NG 11 - Neutral Grounds 11 | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | N/A | N/A | ||
| Loss | Jeremy Horn
|
Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) | UFC 19: Ultimate Young Guns | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 1 | 12:00 | Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, United States
| |
| Win | Jose Landi-Jons
|
Decision (Unanimous) | IVC 6 - The Challenge | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 1 | 30:00 | Brazil
| |
| Win | Noe Hernandez | Decision | UFC 17: Redemption | Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 | 1 | 12:00 | Mobile, Alabama United States
|
Mainstream celebrity
With his growing popularity, Liddell has become a mainstream celebrity who has his own line of merchandise, while also developing an acting career. [citation needed] He has also appeared in the video for Nickelback's song Rockstar.
Merchandise
In 2006 well-known artist Richard T. Slone released a series of paintings and posters officially licensed by the UFC. Liddell also has founded his own clothing based on his appeal.[citation needed]
Print media
On May 9, 2007, Liddell became the first UFC fighter to be on the cover of ESPN The Magazine.[9]
Acting career
Liddell has also made several film and television appearances. He appeared as "Graft" in the pilot episode of the TV series Blade: The Series, had a guest cameo in the first season of Inked on A&E, and made a brief appearance in the 1981 film The Postman Always Rings Twice with Jack Nicholson in which he plays a boy-scout that plays with a register, and is then scolded by Nicholson [4]. Liddell also had a very small part in the Jet Li movie Cradle 2 the Grave as one of the cage fighters, along side Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture. He also had a small appearance in the nickelback music video for their song rockstar. the song talks about the life of a rock star, and all of the famous people you know, as such, many celebrities are featured and chuck is seen in his mma shorts and holding his fighting gloves.
Liddell appeared as himself in an episode of Entourage entitled "Gotcha," which aired on April 29, 2007. In the episode, he participates in a scheme to a pull a prank on Johnny "Drama" Chase on a Punk'd-like show called Gotcha! hosted by Pauly Shore.
Good Morning Texas interview
In March, 2007, shortly before UFC 68, he appeared on Good Morning Texas for an interview, and to promote the film 300, but appeared to be very drowsy and fell asleep in mid-interview.[10] UFC President Dana White, along with Liddell's head coach Scott VanGilder, explained that Liddell had pneumonia and had taken a large dose of sedatives the night before the interview. White voiced disappointment that Liddell's managers allowed him to do the interview given his impaired state. Liddell was subsequently forced to take a drug test by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which he passed without complication.[citation needed]
Personal life
Liddell has a brother, Sean Liddell, who has fought in MMA with limited success, fighting last in the WEC.[11] Liddell was once romantically linked to one-time UFC host, pop artist, and Playboy model Willa Ford. He claims they currently are "just friends." He has two children, Trista, 9, and Cade, 8.[12][13] He and Cade appeared on the cover of ESPN The Magazine in May 2007.
He was named the "Most Dangerous Man" at the Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards on June 13, 2007.[14]
He is a part owner of two bars in Lincoln, Nebraska, Dillinger's and NZone.[15]
References
- ^ a b c d Montgomery, Cliff. "Learning From UFC Champion, Chuck Liddell". ExtremeProSports.com. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
- ^ "The Meaning of Koei-Kan". Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- ^ Gobetz, Mitch (May 23, 2007). "Iceman Looking for the Final Revenge". MMA Weekly. Retrieved 2007-09-09.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Meltzer, Dave (December 31, 2006). "UFC Post-show Notes". The Wrestling Observer. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "UFC Roundup: Liddell Responds to Partying Rumors, a UFC Lawsuit, and More". UFC Daily. June 3, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "UFC 71 News". UFC Daily. May 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Finally, Two Legends Meet". ufc.com. October 24, 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Chuck "the Iceman" Liddell: Professional fight record". Sherdog.com. 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help) - ^ "UFC Conquers the Worldwide Leader in Sports". UFC. May 9, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Gross, Josh (March 1, 2007). "Rough Morning for "The Iceman"". Sherdog. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Escovedo KO's Hamlett; Shonie Wins Hard Fought Battle, Liddell Saved By Referee For Win". Onzuka. October 23, 2003. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Arias, Carlos (August 10, 2006). "A Day in the Life of UFC champ Chuck Liddell". The Orange County Register. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Glock, Alison (May 14, 2007). "This guy scares you?". ESPN. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Casey, Jordan (June 11, 2007). "Spike TV Holds First Annual Guys Choice Awards Show". All News Headlines. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Interview with Matt Lindland that mentions this