UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 12, 2010 at General Motors Place (now Rogers Arena) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.^[3]

Background[link]

Rich Franklin against Chuck Liddell in the main event of UFC 115.

This was the fourth UFC event to be held in Canada, following UFC 83, UFC 97 and UFC 113 and the first UFC event held in British Columbia since they passed a bill to sanction MMA, on December 17, 2009.^[4] For a few days, this event location was in jeopardy because there were still no regulations in place to promote the sport professionally within Vancouver^[5] and Cincinnati was rumoured to be a possible location for moving this event.^[6] However, the problems were resolved and Dana White confirmed that the show will be going ahead in Vancouver on the scheduled date.^[7]

The main event was tentatively set to be a third bout featuring Ultimate Fighter coaches and former UFC Light Heayvweight Champions Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. In March, rumours began to circulate that Rich Franklin would replace Ortiz as Liddell's opponent, after Ortiz had supposedly withdrawn from the fight. However, Dana White denied this via his Twitter account on March 13, 2010, noting that Liddell vs. Ortiz was still set to be the main event. Then, after the announcement, Ortiz had to withdraw from the match due to neck surgery.

Despite confirming Liddell/Ortiz 3 would in fact be the main event for the card, the main event was confirmed on April 12 as Liddell vs. Franklin.^[8]

The on-again, off-again rematch between Thiago Alves and Jon Fitch, first scheduled for UFC 107 then UFC 111 and then UFC 115 was moved again, to UFC 117.^[9]

The Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel fight replaced Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham on the main card. Griffin vs. Dunham was shown on the preliminaries aired on Spike TV.

Just like UFC 111 in March, UFC 115 was shown in movie theatres around the United States by NCM Fathom.

Results[link]

Preliminary card[link]

• Welterweight bout: Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox

Pyle defeated Lennox via technical submission (triangle choke) at 4:44 of round 3. This bout aired last on the PPV broadcast following the Liddell vs. Franklin fight.

• Welterweight bout: Ricardo Funch vs. Claude Patrick

Patrick defeated Funch via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:48 of round 2. This bout aired on the Spike broadcast following the Danzig vs. Wiman fight.

• Welterweight bout: James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta

Wilks defeated Sobotta via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–28, 30–27).

• Middleweight bout: David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda

Miranda defeated Loiseau via TKO (punches) at 4:07 of round 2.

Preliminary card (televised)[link]

• Lightweight bout: Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman

Wiman defeated Danzig via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:45 of round 1. Referee Yves Lavigne controversially stopped the fight although Danzig did not tap out and was not left unconscious by the choke.^[10]

• Lightweight bout: Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham

Dunham defeated Griffin via split decision (30–27, 28–29, 29–28).

Main card[link]

• Welterweight bout: Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald

Condit defeated MacDonald via TKO (punches) at 4:53 of round 3.

• Heavyweight bout: Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel

Rothwell defeated Yvel via unanimous decision. (30–27, 29–28, 29–28)

• Welterweight bout: Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann

Kampmann defeated Thiago via unanimous decision. (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)

• Heavyweight bout: Mirko Filipović vs. Pat Barry

Filipović defeated Barry via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:30 of round 3.

• Light Heavyweight bout: Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin

Franklin defeated Liddell via KO (punch) 4:55 of round 1.

Bonus awards[link]

Fighters were awarded $85,000 bonuses.^[11]

• Fight of the Night: Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
• Knockout of the Night: Rich Franklin
• Submission of the Night: Mirko Filipović

Reported payout[link]

The following does not include sponsor money or "locker room" bonuses often given by the UFC and also do not include the UFC's traditional "fight night" bonuses.^[12]

• Rich Franklin $140,000 ($70,000 win bonus) def. Chuck Liddell ($500,000)
• Mirko Filipovic $150,000 ($75,000 win bonus) def. Pat Barry ($11,000)
• Martin Kampman $50,000 ($25,000 win bonus) def. Paulo Thiago ($18,000)
• Ben Rothwell $100,000 ($50,000 win bonus) def. Gilbert Yvel ($30,000)
• Carlos Condit $52,000 ($26,000 win bonus) def. Rory MacDonald ($8,000)
• Evan Dunham $26,000 ($13,000 win bonus) def. Tyson Griffin ($28,000)
• Matt Wiman $28,000 ($14,000 win bonus) def. Mac Danzig ($24,000)
• Mario Miranda $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus) def. David Loiseau ($12,000)
• James Wilks $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus) def. Peter Sobotta ($4,000)
• Claude Patrick $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus) def. Ricardo Funch ($5,000)
• Mike Pyle $38,000 ($19,000 win bonus) def. Jesse Lennox ($7,000)

Entrance music[link]

^[13]

References[link]

v t e Ultimate Fighting Championship events Upcoming events are in italics Major events 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 UU 8 9 10 11 UU 2 12 13 14 15 Japan 16 17 Brazil 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 37.5 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 Fight Nights UFN 1 UFN 2 UFN 3 UFN 4 UFN 5 UFN 6 Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3 Sanchez vs. Riggs Evans vs. Salmon Stevenson vs. Guillard Stout vs. Fisher Thomas vs. Florian Swick vs. Burkman Florian vs. Lauzon Silva vs. Irvin Diaz vs. Neer Fight for the Troops Lauzon vs. Stephens Condit vs. Kampmann Diaz vs. Guillard Maynard vs. Diaz Florian vs. Gomi Marquardt vs. Palhares Fight for the Troops 2 Nogueira vs. Davis Shields vs. Ellenberger UFC on Versus Vera vs. Jones Jones vs. Matyushenko Sanchez vs. Kampmann Kongo vs. Barry Hardy vs. Lytle Cruz vs. Johnson UFC on Fox Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Evans vs. Davis Diaz vs. Miller Stann vs. Lombard UFC on FX Guillard vs. Miller Alves vs. Kampmann Johnson vs. McCall Maynard vs. Guida UFC on Fuel TV Sanchez vs. Ellenberger Gustafsson vs. Silva Korean Zombie vs. Poirier Muñoz vs. Weidman The Ultimate Fighter Finales 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Category Commons WikiProject Mixed martial arts

Dana White
Born	(1969-07-28) July 28, 1969 (age 42) Manchester, CT, U.S.
Residence	Las Vegas, Nevada
Nationality	American
Occupation	President
Known for	Managing The Ultimate Fighting Championship
Style	Boxercise [1]
Net worth	US$150 million (2010)[2]
Height	5 ft 11 in
Spouse	Anne
Children	3

Dana White (born July 28, 1969) is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.

Biography[link]

Born in Manchester, Connecticut on July 28, 1969, White grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ware, Massachusetts and Levant, Maine. White is a passionate Boston Red Sox fan. During his youth, he bounced back and forth between Boston and Maine. He attended the University of Massachusetts Boston but did not finish; however, while there he did launch a boxing program for inner-city youth.^[3]

White has a background as an aerobics instructor. In 1992, White established Dana White Enterprises in Las Vegas. He conducted aerobics classes at three gyms^[4] in the Las Vegas area and began managing MMA fighters Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell.

While working as a manager, White learned that Semaphore Entertainment Group, the parent company of the UFC, was looking for a buyer for the UFC. White contacted childhood friend Lorenzo Fertitta, an executive at Station Casinos, and a former commissioner of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Within a month, Lorenzo and his older brother Frank bought the UFC, with White installed as its president.^[5] White currently owns about 9% of Zuffa, LLC, the entity the Fertitta brothers created to own and manage the UFC.^[3]

White failed to comment on a potential network broadcast deal at the UFC 136 press conference. The next day it was confirmed that the UFC and Fox broadcast networks had made a multiple year deal.^[6]

Controversy[link]

Loretta Hunt[link]

On April 1, 2009, White was videotaped in a verbal tirade against Loretta Hunt, a sportswriter for Sherdog, in response to an article she wrote. In the video posted on his YouTube account, White used derogatory language in an obscenity-laced rant. The video was pulled from his official UFC YouTube page but has been widely republished across the internet and come under fire, including by GLAAD for his use of anti-gay slurs.^[7][8][9] White would later apologize for his slurs. He specifically did not include Hunt in the apology.^[10] Hunt responded by saying "I stand by the story. It's accurate."^{[citation needed]}

Miguel Torres[link]

In December of 2011, White cut fighter Miguel Torres from the UFC after Torres tweeted "If a rape van was called a surprise van, more women wouldn’t mind going for rides in them. Everyone likes surprises." In an interview with Sports Illustrated confirming Torres' firing over the controversial remarks, White claimed "Now there's no explanation for that. There's absolutely nothing I could say to make any sense of that. And the fact that he even thinks that's funny or that's a joke, it disturbs me. It bothers me." The firing of Torres immediately sparked controversy after it was revealed that White did not similarly punish two fighters of greater marquee value – Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans, both of whom have fought in the main event of multiple Pay-Per-View cards and the latter slated to fight in the main event of a fight card scheduled to air on the FOX network on January 28, 2012 – for making similarly offensive remarks:^[11] Griffin commenting that "Rape is the new missionary"^[12] and Evans evoking the recent child abuse scandal involving Penn State University while promoting a fight.^[13] Torres has since re-signed with the UFC after having a talk with Dana.

Charity[link]

In December 2010 White donated $50,000 to the Fransisco Espinoza foundation. White donated approximately $8,000 to help pay for the brain tumor treatment of two-year-old British girl, Ruby Owen. The young girl's family had described themselves as being "shocked and over the moon". Ruby Owen's uncle, being a UFC fan had contacted White via email and asked if he could help by donating to the Ruby Owen fund raising website. White and Owen have never officially met.^[14] In an act of compassion towards a fan, he gave $300 to one man without hesitation who said that he "just received a speeding ticket while racing across town to meet him".^[15] Shortly after being named 2009 Nevada Sportsman of The Year, White added $100,000 from his pocket to the $250,000 total raised for the fund raising marathon sponsored by ESPN Radio 1100 for Las Vegas.^[16]

Feud with M-1 Global[link]

After signing negotiations with M-1 Global Russian Heavyweight MMA fighter Fedor Emelianenko fell through in 2009,^[17] White and the UFC became the subject of debate and criticism from fans and experts alike. On several occasions, White referred to Emelianenko as "a fake, a phony and a farce.^[18][19]

On June 26th, 2010 following Emelianenko's first legitimate defeat of his career to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace Fabricio Werdum, White shared a simple ":)" via Twitter.^[20] The same symbol was expressed by White following Emelianenko's 2nd round doctor stoppage loss to Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva in the opening round of the 2011 Strikeforce GP.^[21] White followed this with an insult to Fedor's manager and M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelstein.^[22] This began a war of words on the social networking site. M-1 Global’s director of operations, Evgeni Kogan, stood up for Finkelstein and invited White to repeat his words to Finkelstein in person. When fans attempted to reason with White, they were met with similar contempt and insults.^[23]

There is controversy over whether Fedor Emelianenko and White have actually met.^[24] White has claimed to have met Emelianenko on a "crazy island in the middle of nowhere".^[25] In 2011, Emelianenko denied that this encounter ever took place.^[26]

Personal life[link]

White and his wife have two sons and a daughter.^[27] He is an atheist, and has stated that he is "fascinated" by religion.^[28]

Accomplishments[link]

• Nevada Sportsman of the Year (2009)^[29]
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards
  • Promoter of the Year (2005–2011/present)^[30][31]
• World MMA Awards
  • Leading Man of the Year 2011
  • Leading Man of the Year 2010
• Armed Forces Foundation
  • Patriot Award^[32]

References[link]

External links[link]

• UFC homepage
• June/July Men's Fitness cover story
• Dana White at the Internet Movie Database
• Dana White on Twitter
• Dana White Signs Fox

Chuck Liddell
Born	Charles David Liddell (1969-12-17) December 17, 1969 (age 42) Santa Barbara, California, United States
Other names	The Iceman
Nationality	American
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Division	Light Heavyweight (205 lb)
Reach	76.5 in (194 cm)
Style	Kenpō Karate, Koei-Kan Karate, Kickboxing, Wrestling
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	San Luis Obispo, California, United States
Team	The Pit
Trainer	John Hackleman Ryan Langcake John Lewis
Rank	Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[1] 5th degree black belt in Kenpō Karate Black belt in Koei-Kan Karate
Wrestling	NCAA Division I Wrestling
Years active	1998–2010
Kickboxing record
Total	22
Wins	20
By knockout	16
Losses	2
Mixed martial arts record
Total	29
Wins	21
By knockout	13
By submission	1
By decision	7
Losses	8
By knockout	6
By submission	1
By decision	1
Other information
University	California Polytechnic State University
Notable relatives	Sean Liddell (brother)
Website	http://www.chuckliddell.com/
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
UFC Fighter Profile last updated on: November 22, 2009

Charles David "Chuck" Liddell (born December 17, 1969) is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.^[2] Liddell is known for his Knockout power, Iron chin, Excellent counter striking and for his sprawl-and-brawl technique, which made him one of the most difficult fighters to takedown. He is one of the most dominant champions that ever competed in the UFC. He still holds the record for the most knockouts in UFC history. As of his retirement, Liddell has had 23 fights in the UFC. Along with fellow UFC Hall of Fame fighter Randy Couture, Liddell is widely credited for bringing mixed martial arts into the mainstream of American sports and entertainment.^[3][4][5] On July 10, 2009, he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.^[6]

Early life[link]

Liddell began studying Koei-Kan karate at the age of 12;^[7] the tattoo seen on his scalp reads "Koei-Kan".^[8] Liddell 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.^[9] He became a Division I wrestler at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo^[7] and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business/Accounting in 1995. He holds an amateur kickboxing record of 20 wins and 2 losses,^[10] with 16 of his wins coming by way of knockout.^[11]

When Liddell started his MMA career, he began to train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under John Lewis in Las Vegas, Nevada.^[7]

Rise To Fame[link]

Liddell made his UFC debut in 1998 during UFC 17 in Mobile, Alabama, with a decision victory over Noe Hernandez. Despite a Technical submission loss to top contender Jeremy Horn shortly after, Liddell began establishing his reputation as a top contender with dominant victories over Kevin Randleman, Murilo Bustamante, Vitor Belfort, Amar Suloev, Jeff Monson, Renato Sobral and Tito Ortiz. Liddell was also the first UFC fighter currently on the roster to go fight in Pride where he represented the organization against fellow kickboxer Guy Mezger, knocking him out cold in one of the most exciting fights in the earlier days of MMA.^[12]

Liddell vs. Couture[link]

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.^[13] To force Ortiz's hand, they created an interim light heavyweight championship and matched Liddell with Greco-Roman wrestler and former heavyweight champion "The Natural" Randy Couture at UFC 43. Couture neutralized Liddell's hooks with straight punches and eventually began taking "The Iceman" down at will. Couture eventually gained full mount and forced a referee stoppage due to a barrage of punches.

Pride Grand Prix Tournament against Overeem/Jackson[link]

After his defeat to Couture, Liddell entered the Pride 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix tournament as the official UFC representative. After defeating Muay-Thai specialist Alistair Overeem in the first round of the tournament In an action packed bout Liddell was getting out landed by the taller, quicker and more technical striking of Overeem but later in the round Liddell landed an overhand punch to the head of Overeem staggering him into the ropes, Liddell rushed in with knees and straight rights and knocked him out at the latter stages of the first round. In the next round Liddell was eliminated by Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, The first round Liddell was landing shots as he found his distance but Jackson countered with powerful strikes rocking Liddell numerous times. In the second round, Jackson continued to out land Liddell with big punches but couldn't finish him. Later in the second round a visibly exhausted Liddell was taken down and while taking a barrage of punches from the ground his corner threw in the towel, giving Jackson the upset victory.

Liddell vs. Ortiz[link]

Returning to the UFC, Liddell was once again put in contention for the light heavyweight title, preparing for a match with former champion Ortiz. The pair had once trained together at the Pit fight Club and experienced a falling out that escalated as Ortiz taunted Liddell.^{[citation needed]} 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 bout 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 the pair exchanged words. Shortly after the second round started, Liddell landed a flurry of punches that dropped Ortiz and led to a TKO victory. Ortiz has since stated that Liddell's thumb made contact with his eye, causing him to momentarily see "nothing but black".^[14] Since UFC 47, the bad blood between both fighters remained, with Ortiz repeatedly stating that he wanted "his" title belt back. Despite the tension, Ortiz and Liddell would not fight again for two and a half years.

Becoming a Legend[link]

The Ultimate Fighter[link]

In early 2005, Liddell was a coach on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter, Spike TV's reality show which featured fighters competing for a UFC contract.^[15] Liddell was the coach of Team Liddell, while 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 show, Diego Sanchez and Forrest Griffin, were members of Team Liddell and have had very successful careers in the UFC since.^[16]

Liddell vs. Couture II[link]

On April 16, 2005, at UFC 52, Liddell fought Randy Couture, again for the light heavyweight title. Couture moved in for a punch, Liddell countered with a big right hand to the temple of Couture, knocking him out cold, making him the new UFC light heavyweight champion.

Liddell in 2007

Liddell vs. Horn II[link]

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.^[17] 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. He had been hit with a right punch to the eye causing him to bleed from his eye as well as his nose. Liddell had successfully defended his title and, in the process, avenged two of his three career losses.

Liddell vs. Couture III[link]

On February 4, 2006, at UFC 57, Liddell faced Randy Couture in a rubber match, After an action packed first round, Liddell landed a big punch to Couture's face causing him to bleed, Couture bounced back with a take down of Liddell, but he was able to get up right away. Later in the second round as Couture moved in Liddell countered similar to in the second fight at UFC 52 knocking Couture out. 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.

Liddell vs. Sobral II[link]

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. Seconds after the fight started Sobral came running forward throwing punches, Liddell was moving backwards landing big punches, a right upper cut was the final hit in the onslaught ending the fight 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 Filipović.^[18]

Liddell vs. Ortiz II[link]

In what would be the most financially successful UFC event to date, Liddell fought a rematch with 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 a known 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.^[19]

Losing Title and Decline[link]

Liddell vs. Jackson II[link]

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 right hook less than two minutes into the first round and was unable to defend himself against Jackson's strikes on the ground, resulting in a KO victory for Jackson. After the loss, Liddell was widely criticized after reports indicated he had been seen in night clubs the week before the event. He responded that it wasn't anything he hadn't done prior to his other fights in Las Vegas.^[20]

Liddell vs. Jardine[link]

Liddell trained with American Boxing Gold Medalist Howard Davis Jr. to prepare for an April 2009 bout against Mauricio Rua.

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 fight in the main event at UFC 76 in Anaheim, California.^[21] Instead, Liddell would face Keith Jardine.^[22]

In the main event of UFC 76, Liddell came out landing his signature right hand to the head of Jardine, rocking him backwards as well as multiple straight right hands but Jardine stayed in the fight. After the dominant first round for Liddell, Jardine started to land low leg kicks continuously throughout the fight while Liddell was unable to time the odd formed southpaw. Liddell lost a close split decision, the first consecutive losses of his career. Liddell stated he wanted a re-match and never took Jardine seriously at all.

Liddell vs. Silva[link]

On October 23, 2007, White announced that a matchup between Liddell and Silva would finally take place at UFC 79. The fight was all that it was billed up to be over the years, It was a back-and-forth battle between two of the best light heavy weights of all time. Liddell defeated Silva via unanimous decision, out-landing Silva with harder, more efficient punches and getting two takedowns later in the fight. Many fans and MMA critics called it the best fight of the year. Both fighters were awarded "Fight of the Night" honors. This fight was voted 2007's Fight of the Year at the first annual World Mixed Martial Arts Awards.

Liddell vs. Evans[link]

On February 1, 2008, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua revealed that he had recently signed a contract to fight Liddell,^[23] 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 Rua in a bout at UFC 85 in London, England. However, a hamstring injury forced Liddell to withdraw from the fight, as well.^[24]

On September 6, 2008, Liddell fought Rashad Evans at UFC 88. Despite Liddell pushing the pace and controlling the fight, At 1:51 of the second round, Liddell threw a right uppercut just as Evans connected with an overhand right, causing Liddell to fall unconscious to the mat. Liddell has been criticized for over-relying on the same coaches and training partners.^[25] Shortly following his knockout loss to 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.^[26]

Liddell vs. Shogun Rua[link]

On January 17, 2009, Dana White confirmed during the UFC 93 post fight press conference that Liddell's next fight would be against the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix Champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 97 on April 18 in Montréal, Canada.^[27]

On April 18 at UFC 97, Liddell was once again defeated by TKO due to strikes late in the first Round. After the fight, White declared that Liddell is retired from fighting.^[28][29] White said, "I care about him. I care about his health, and it's over, man. It's over."^[28] White went further, saying, "At the end of the day, I care about these guys. I don't want to see anybody stick around too long. You're never going to see Chuck Liddell on the canvas again."^[29] In May however, Liddell's trainer, John Hackleman, claimed 'with confidence' that Liddell isn't done yet and that he's "definitely on top of the food chain."^[30] Liddell has "more than one fight left in him." In an interview afterward, White went on to rhetorically ask "can I tell him not to fight? Absolutely not. If he still wants to fight, he can fight. I'm not saying, 'It will never happen. It will never happen.' But he made a deal with me [not to fight]."^[31]

Hall of Fame and talks of retirement[link]

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 in August, Dana White stated that "I don't want him to (fight). He wants to, so we'll see what happens."^[32] Two days afterward, 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."^[33] Liddell went on to say that he would be "making that decision in the gym, not in the ring" after sparring sessions.

Liddell vs. Franklin[link]

In his final fight Chuck Liddell suffered his third consecutive knockout defeat to Rich Franklin at UFC 115 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

It was later announced that Liddell would be coaching against fierce rival Tito Ortiz on the 11th season of The Ultimate Fighter, with the two of them fighting each other on June 12, 2010, at UFC 115. However, in March, it was rumored that Ortiz was pulling out for as yet unknown reasons and Ortiz would be replaced by former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin.^[34] This was then denied by UFC president Dana White.^[35]

On April 7, 2010, White confirmed that Liddell vs. Ortiz 3 would be the main event for the card;^[36] however, on April 12, 2010, the main event was changed to Liddell vs. Rich Franklin.

On June 12, 2010, Liddell faced Franklin at UFC 115 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Liddell came out and looked the best he had since his prime years, landing brutal high kicks and a takedown, until Rich Franklin connected with a counter right hook knocking Liddell out cold in the first round with five seconds remaining until the end of the round, ending his legendary Mixed martial arts career. Earlier in the fight Franklin had broken his arm blocking a body kick from Liddell. Only a few hours after the match, UFC President Dana White declared that he guarantees Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell will not fight in the UFC ever again.^[37]

UFC Retirement[link]

Chuck stated that he had made the decision to retire after losing 3 consecutive fights by knockout, despite his belief that he could continue to fight. With the opinions and considerations of his family and friends in mind, he decided to end his fighting career on December 29, 2010. At the UFC 125 press conference, Liddell announced his retirement and stated he would be taking the position of Vice President of Business Development within the UFC.^[38] Liddell was visibly emotional at the announcement, acknowledging his retirement and an end to his fighting with words of farewell: "Most of all I want to thank my fans and my family. I love this sport and I'm excited to go to this new stage in my life and keep promoting the best sport in the world, the sport I love... now that I'm retired."^[39]

Personal life[link]

Liddell is associated with John Hackleman and The Pit fight team and earned a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Liddell has a brother, Sean, who also competes in MMA, fighting last in the WEC.^[40] He also has a brother named Dan and a sister named Laura.^[41]

Liddell continues to train in San Luis Obispo, CA, where he attended college. He has two children, a daughter named Trista, with female MMA fighter Casey Noland and son named Cade.^[42][43][44]

Chuck once dated the female host of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, Willa Ford.^[45]

Liddell is no longer engaged to his longtime girlfriend Erin Wilson.^[46]

He is a former part owner of two bars in Lincoln, Nebraska, Dillinger's and NZone.^[47] He also owns a store called "Ultimate Iceman", a memorabilia store in San Luis Obispo.^[41]

Liddell endorsed John McCain in the 2008 United States presidential election.^[48][49]

Liddell proposed to his girlfriend Heidi Northcott on November 4, 2010.^[50] The couple are expecting their first child together, a daughter, in 2011.^[51]

Print media[link]

On May 9, 2007, Liddell became the first UFC fighter to be on the cover of ESPN The Magazine.^[52] Liddell also released his autobiography, Iceman: My Fighting Life, on January 29, 2008.^[53]

Acting career[link]

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.^[54] He also acted as a UFC fighter that got beat up in a famous 2011 movie Warrior. He was uncredited in this film. Chuck was brought on set to teach main characters how to fight in various MMA styles.

[edit] 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. The Interview ended when Liddell asked the host who he would like to fight.^[55] 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.^[56]

Sponsorships[link]

Liddell has served briefly as a spokesperson on behalf of Monitronics, a security system company.

He is currently sponsored by Iceman Fight Gear- a brand designed with his input.

Championships and awards[link]

Mixed martial arts[link]

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Hall of Fame
  • UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)^[57]
  • Four successful title defenses
  • Fight of the Night (One Time)
  • Most Knockouts in the Light Heavyweight division (10)
  • Most Knockouts in UFC history (10)
  • Most wins in the Light Heavyweight division (16)^[58]

• Pride Fighting Championships
  • Pride 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix Semifinalist

• Sherdog
  • 2006 Fighter of the Year^[59]

• Black Belt Magazine
  • 2001 NHB Co-Competitor of the Year along with Tito Ortiz^[60]

• World MMA Awards
  • Fight of the Year (2007) - vs. Wanderlei Silva on December 29, 2007

• Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards
  • 2007 Most Dangerous Man.^[56]

Kickboxing[link]

• International Kickboxing Federation
  • IKF Amateur International Rules U.S. Super Heavyweight Championship (One time)
  • Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell had an Amateur Kickboxing record of 20-2 with16 wins coming by KO/TKO. Liddell won the International Kickboxing Federation IKF Amateur International Rules United States Super Heavyweight Title on October 17, 1996 in Bakersfield, California, USA when he defeated Scott Harmon by unanimous decision 49-45, 48-46 & 49-46.
  • Liddell lost the title in a rematch to Scott Harmon on January, 25th, 1997 in Bakersfield, CA, USA at the end of the second round when Harmon split open Liddell's chin with a hatchet kick. Liddell's trainer decided to stop the bout when he discovered in addition that Liddell also injured his shin badly.

• World Kickboxing and Karate Association
  • WKA Amateur International Rules U.S. Heavyweight Championship (One time)
• United States Muay Thai Association
  • USMTA Amateur Muay Thai North American Heavyweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record[link]

Books[link]

• (2008) Iceman: My Fighting Life. Dutton Adult. ISBN 978-0-525-95056-1.^[61]

References[link]