Chuck Liddell

	Name	Chuck Liddell
	Nickname	The Iceman
	Association	The Pit
	Weight Class	Light Heavyweight (205 lbs.)
	Height	6' 2" (188 cm)
	Style	Wrestling, Kempo Karate, Kickboxing
	Birth Date	December 17, 1969
	Fighting Out Of	San Luis Obispo, California
	Country	USA
	Chuck Liddell Pictures	Liddell's Official Site

Charles David Liddell, a.k.a Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell is a former American mixed martial artist who fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a Light Heavyweight.

A former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Liddell has an extensive background in kickboxing and collegiate wrestling. He is noted within the MMA community for his exceptional takedown defense and knockout ability. He is generally regarded as a stand-up fighter, relying primarily on his background in Kempo Karate and Koei-Kan karate, while using his wrestling skills to defend against takedowns. He is also regarded as an unorthodox striker due to his relaxed hands-down stance and the angles at which he throws punches.

Along with fellow UFC fighter, Randy Couture, Liddell is widely credited for bringing mixed martial arts into the mainstream of American sports and entertainment.

Professional Record

Record	21 - 8 - 0 (Win – Loss – Draw)
Wins	13 (T)KOs 1 Submissions 7 Decisions
Losses	7 (T)KOs 0 Submissions 1 Decisions

Result	Opponent	Method	Event Title	Date	Round	Time	Notes
Loss	Rich Franklin	KO (Punch)	UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin	6/12/2010	1	4:55
Loss	Mauricio Rua	TKO (Punches)	UFC 97: Redemption	4/18/2009	1	4:28
Loss	Rashad Evans	KO (Punch)	UFC 88: Breakthrough	9/06/2008	2	1:51
Win	Wanderlei Silva	Decision (Unanimous)	UFC 79: Nemesis	12/29/2007	3	5:00	Won Fight of the Night Honors
Loss	Keith Jardine	Decision (Split)	UFC 76: Knockout	9/22/2007	3	5:00
Loss	Quinton Jackson	TKO (Punches)	UFC 71: Liddell vs. Jackson	5/26/2007	1	1:53	Lost UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Win	Tito Ortiz	TKO (Punches)	UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz 2	12/30/2006	3	3:59	Defended UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Win	Renato Sobral	TKO (Punches)	UFC 62: Liddell vs. Sobral	8/26/2006	1	1:35	Defended UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Win	Randy Couture	KO (Punch)	UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture 3	2/04/2006	2	1:28	Defended UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Win	Jeremy Horn	TKO (Punches)	UFC 54: Boiling Point	8/20/2005	4	2:46	Defended UFC Light Heavyweight Championship; Avenged first loss of his career
Win	Randy Couture	KO (Punches)	UFC 52: Couture vs. Liddell 2	4/16/2005	1	2:06	Won UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Win	Vernon White	KO (Punch)	UFC 49: Unfinished Business	8/21/2004	1	4:05
Win	Tito Ortiz	KO (Punches)	UFC 47: It's On	4/02/2004	2	0:38
Loss	Quinton Jackson	TKO (Corner Stoppage)	PRIDE: Final Conflict 2003	11/09/2003	2	3:10	Pride Middleweight Grand Prix semifinal
Win	Alistair Overeem	KO (Punches)	PRIDE: Total Elimination 2003	8/10/2003	1	3:09	Pride Middleweight Grand Prix quarterfinal
Loss	Randy Couture	TKO (Punches)	UFC 43: Meltdown	6/6/2003	3	2:39	For Interim UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Win	Renato Sobral	KO (Head Kick)	UFC 40: Vendetta	11/22/2002	1	2:55
Win	Vitor Belfort	Decision (Unanimous)	UFC 37.5: As Real As It Gets	6/22/2002	3	5:00
Win	Amar Suloev	Decision (Unanimous)	UFC 35: Throwdown	1/11/2002	3	5:00
Win	Murilo Bustamante	Decision (Unanimous)	UFC 33: Victory in Vegas	9/28/2001	3	5:00
Win	Guy Mezger	KO (Punch)	PRIDE 14: Clash of the Titans	5/27/2001	2	2:21
Win	Kevin Randleman	KO (Punches)	UFC 31: Locked & Loaded	5/04/2001	1	1:18
Win	Jeff Monson	Decision (Unanimous)	UFC 29: Defense of the Belts	12/16/2000	3	5:00
Win	Steve Heath	KO (Kick to the Head)	IFC WC 9: Warriors Challenge 9	7/18/2000	2	5:39
Win	Paul Jones	TKO (Strikes)	UFC 22: There Can Be Only One Champion	9/24/1999	1	3:53
Win	Kenneth Williams	Submission (Rear Naked Choke)	NG 11: Neutral Grounds 11	3/31/1999	1	3:35
Loss	Jeremy Horn	TKO (Arm Triangle Choke)	UFC 19: Ultimate Young Guns	3/05/1999	1	12:00
Win	Jose Landi-Jons	Decision (Unanimous)	IVC 6: The Challenge	8/23/1998	1	30:00
Win	Noe Hernandez	Decision	UFC 17: Redemption	5/15/1998	1	12:00	UFC debut

Biography

Chuck Liddell began studying Koei-Kan karate at the age of 12; the tattoo seen on his scalp reads "Koei-Kan". He was a four year starter on the football team at San Marcos High School. While growing up in Santa Barbara, he often frequented the infamous Del Playa Drive, the middle of the party scene of the college town of Isla Vista, where he often found himself in fights with drunk college students. He became a Division I wrestler at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo 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.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Liddell made his UFC debut in 1998 with a decision victory over Noe Hernandez. Despite a submission loss to top contender Jeremy Horn shortly after, Liddell began establishing his reputation as a devastating striker with victories over Kevin Randleman, Murilo Bustamante, Vitor Belfort, Renato Sobral, and Tito Ortiz over the next few years.,

By 2002, Liddell was considered the number one contender for the UFC light heavyweight title, with growing popularity and support from his fans. The UFC tried to arrange a title bout with then-champion Tito Ortiz, but Ortiz cited scheduling conflicts. To force Ortiz's hand, they created an interim light heavyweight championship and matched Liddell with experienced wrestler and former heavyweight champion "The Natural" Randy Couture at UFC 43. 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 punches.

After this defeat, Liddell entered the Pride 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix tournament as the official UFC representative. After defeating Alistair Overeem in the first round of the tournament, Liddell was eliminated in the next round by PRIDE veteran Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, losing by corner stoppage, when his corner threw in the towel.

Returning to the UFC, Chuck was, once again, put in contention for the light heavyweight title, preparing for a match with former champion 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 the top contender in the UFC. Eventually, after Ortiz lost the title to Randy Couture, the two would meet 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, taunting Liddell. 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". Since UFC 47, the bad blood between both fighters remained, with Ortiz repeatedly stating that he wanted "his" belt back. Despite the tension, Ortiz 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 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 successful careers in MMA.

UFC Championship

On April 16, 2005 at UFC 52, Chuck Liddell would rematch Randy Couture, again for the light heavyweight title. This time the fight ended in a first round knockout victory for Liddell, making him the new UFC light heavyweight champion. Liddell was scheduled to defend his new title against UFC veteran Jeremy Horn, at UFC 54, a matchup the UFC claimed was demanded by long-time fans of the sport since Horn had given Liddell his first loss. Throughout the bout, Liddell dominated 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. Liddell had successfully defended his title and, in the process, avenged two of his three career losses.

On February 4, 2006 at UFC 57, Liddell faced Randy Couture in a rubber match, defeating Couture for the 2nd time 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 would best 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 he were to defeat Sobral, Liddell would face off against Pride Middleweight (205 lb) champion Wanderlei Silva. The fight failed to materialize due to the competing promotions' inability to reach an agreement. UFC president Dana White attributed this to Silva's subsequent knockout loss to Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.

In what would be the most financially successful UFC event to date, Chuck Liddell would rematch Tito Ortiz at UFC 66, which took place on December 30, 2006. Liddell's takedown defense neutralized Ortiz's wrestling ability, forcing Ortiz to stand up with the more skilled striker. 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 for a fourth time. It was later revealed that Liddell tore his MCL prior to the fight. In addition, during the fight he popped the tendon out on the middle finger on his left hand.

Rematch with Rampage Jackson

In his fifth defense, Liddell would lose the title at UFC 71 on May 26, 2007 in a rematch with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Liddell was knocked down by a Left Hook less than two minutes into round 1 and was subsequently unable to defend himself against Jackson's strikes on the ground, resulting in a TKO victory for Rampage. After the loss Liddell was widely criticized after reports indicating he had been 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.

At the post-UFC 71 press conference, Liddell indicated he would continue to fight. Dana White also said that his next opponent would likely be "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva.

Post Championship

On July 11, 2007 Dana White confirmed in an interview with Yahoo! Sports that a rumoured bout between Wanderlei Silva and Liddell had been canceled indefinitely. Silva and Liddell were supposed to be the main event for UFC 76 in Anaheim, California. Instead, Liddell would face Keith Jardine.

In the main event of UFC 76, Liddell lost a split decision to Keith Jardine, the first consecutive losses of his career. Following the fight, UFC president Dana White, who is close friends with Liddell, stated, "The Chuck Liddell that I saw fight didn't look like the Chuck Liddell that loves to fight".

On October 23, 2007 UFC president Dana White announced that a matchup between Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva would finally take place at UFC 79. Liddell defeated Silva via unanimous decision to what many fans and MMA critics called the best fight of the year. Both fighters were awarded "fight of the night" honors. This fight was also voted 2007's Fight of the Year at the first annual World Mixed Martial Arts Awards.

On February 1, 2008, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua revealed that he had recently signed a contract to fight Liddell, however on March 4 it was announced on UFC.com that "Shogun" was receiving surgery on his knee and was forced to withdraw from the fight. It was later officially announced that undefeated wrestler "Sugar" Rashad Evans would replace Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in a bout at UFC 85 in London, England. However, a hamstring injury forced Liddell to withdraw from the fight, as well.

On September 6, 2008, Liddell fought "Sugar" Rashad Evans at UFC 88. At 1:51 of the second round, Evans connected with an overhand right, Liddell's trademark punch, resulting in the former champion unconscious on his stomach. Chuck had simultaneously thrown a right uppercut, missing Evans' face and instead making contact with the armpit. The knockout was dubbed "knockout of the year" by MMA-website Sherdog and given "knockout of the night" honors by the UFC.

Despite multiple rumors about possible return fights with Randy Couture and Anderson Silva, Liddell has stated in a recent interview that he has not been approached by management regarding either fight. He also said that he plans to return to action in March or April 2009. During a recent guest appearance on "The Tom Leykis Show," Liddell stated that there have been a "few names" being discussed for his next opponent. He would later add that he wants a rematch with Keith Jardine in March. However, Dana White stated in the UFC 92 post fight press conference that Liddell's next opponent will not be Jardine, but will be Mauricio "Shogun" Rua or Wanderlei Silva.

Liddell has long been criticized for over-relying on the same coaches and training partners. Shortly following his knockout loss to Rashad Evans, long time trainer John Hackleman confirmed that Liddell is participating in training sessions with American Top Team to "round out his skills", although he is still officially associated with Hackleman and The Pit.

On January 17, 2009, Dana White confirmed during the UFC 93 post fight press conference that Liddell's next fight will be against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 97: Redemption on April 18, 2009 in Montréal, Canada. Shogun handed Liddell his second consecutive loss with a TKO victory in the first round. At the post-fight conference, Dana White had this to say:

“You’re never going to see Chuck Liddell on the canvas again, I can tell you that,” pronounced White. “He’s done. Tonight was the end of an era. One of the best and greatest in this sport fought his last fight tonight.”

During the press conference, Liddell stopped short of announcing his retirement. He expressed his desire to wait until Monday before thinking about his next move but still conceded that UFC 97 perhaps was his last fight.

On July 10, 2009, at the UFC 100 Fan Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, Liddell was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

After UFC 101: Declaration in August, Dana White stated that "I don't want him to (fight). He wants to, so we'll see what happens." Two days afterwards, Liddell went on record to say that he was undecided on the matter and that "it's hard for an athlete to quit what he's done his whole life." Liddell went on to say that he would be "making that decision in the gym, not in the ring" after sparring sessions—a decision which could come in a couple of months.

It was announced at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale that Liddell would be a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 11 with the opposing coach being Tito Ortiz. Dana White said that after The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale, Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz would have their third match against each other. Rumors came out mid-March 2010, when it was announced that Ortiz was forced out of the fight due to the need for another back surgery, it was also rumored that he was to be replaced as a coach. So Ortiz was replaced by former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin. President of the UFC, Dana White said these rumors were untrue, as Franklin was set to face Randy Couture, but in the end, the rumors were true and Liddell would face off against Franklin on June 12, 2010 at UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin.

Liddell looked every bit his vintage self in the early going. Stalking Franklin around the cage, Liddell got the best of several early exchanges. Liddell showed a few new tricks with a rare takedown, but he didn't remain on the floor long. Instead, he returned to the feet where a pair of right hands left Franklin wobbly. The former middleweight champ returned fire with a few lefts, but Liddell's power advantage was adding up. With time ticking down, Liddell closed in again, and an elbow in tight left Franklin again a bit woozy. As Liddell rushed in to finish the job, Franklin uncorked a short right to the chin that left his opponent on his back. Referee Herb Dean gave Liddell every chance to recover, but the bout could have been waved off immediately. Franklin followed to the floor and forced the stoppage at the 4:55 mark, handing Liddell the loss by KO (Punch) in the first round.

Dana White announced shortly after the fight that Liddell would never fight in the UFC again.

Popularity

Throughout his UFC career, Chuck has been one of the most popular fighters in the organization and one of its biggest draws. He has been featured on the main event or co-main event of every UFC card he's competed on, dating back to UFC 37. Chuck was featured in the co-main event of UFC 40, UFC 49, and UFC 79, respectively. This makes a span of being in the main event or co-main event of 14 fights, a run that has lasted for just over 6 years as of September, 2008. The only UFC fighter who can match this total is Randy Couture, who has 13 main events and 1 co-main event to his credit.

Chuck Liddell has also competed on some of the organization's most lucrative cards, such as UFC 66 (1,050,000 buys; $5,397,300 gate), UFC 71 (675,000 buys; $4,304,000 gate), and UFC 79 (700,000 buys; $4,994,000 gate). These pay-per-view numbers rank, #1, #3, #4 and #5 respectively on the UFC's all-time totals. These events also generated three of the five highest grossing gate totals in UFC history.

Personal Life

Liddell is associated with The Pit team and recently earned a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Liddell has a brother, Sean Liddell, who also competes in MMA, fighting last in the WEC. Liddell continues to train in San Luis Obispo, CA, where he attended college. Liddell was once romantically linked to one-time UFC host, pop artist, and Playboy model Willa Ford. He has two children, Trista, 10, and Cade, 9. He and Cade appeared on the cover of ESPN The Magazine in May 2007.

Liddell is engaged to his longtime girlfriend.

He is a part owner of two bars in Lincoln, Nebraska, Dillinger's and NZone and the Mixed Martial Arts Social Networking Website, MMA Jacked.

Print Media

On May 9, 2007, Liddell became the first UFC fighter to be on the cover of ESPN The Magazine. Liddell also released his autobiography, Iceman: My Fighting Life, on January 29, 2008.

Acting Career

Liddell has also made several film and television appearances. He appeared as himself in the movie Bachelor Party Vegas. 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. 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. Liddell is seen in his MMA shorts and holding his fighting gloves. He also appears in another music video, "Cowards" by American Head Charge.

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. Chuck Liddell has also had cameos in the film The Death and Life of Bobby Z, 300, and Drillbit Taylor.

Good Morning Texas Interview

In March, 2007, shortly before UFC 68, he appeared on Good Morning Texas (Texan version of Good Morning America) for an interview, and to promote the film 300, but appeared to be very drowsy and fell asleep in mid-interview. 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. This is just one explanation offered by Dana White. In another interview when Dana White was asked about Liddell's behaviour on Good Morning Texas, he stated that Liddell had been out drinking the night before and had taken a sleeping pill when he got back to his accommodation so he would be ready for the interview the next morning.

He was named the "Most Dangerous Man" at the Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards on June 13, 2007.

Books

(2008) Iceman: My Fighting Life. Dutton Adult. ISBN 978-0525950561.

Ranks and Titles

• Former UFC World Light Heavyweight Champion
• Chuck has a kickboxing record of 20 and 2 and has held the USMTA North American Heavyweight title and the IKF National Heavyweight title
• IFC Light Heavyweight Champion
• Purple Belt in Jiu-Jitsu under John Lewis
• NCAA Division I Wrestling