If Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz do battle once more, at least one person believes “The Iceman” will score another knockout.
Liddell turned a lot of heads when he announced his comeback. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight title holder met with Oscar De La Hoya for a potential bout with Ortiz in November. If an agreement can be reached, then Liddell will be featured on the inaugural event held by Golden Boy MMA.
Liddell vs. Ortiz was once the hottest feud in MMA. At the time, both men were considered the best light heavyweights in the sport. Liddell would win both bouts via TKO. The two were going to fight a third time at UFC 115 back in June 2010, but Ortiz went down with a neck injury. Instead, Liddell was knocked out in the first round by Rich Franklin.
Liddell’s trainer and business associate, Dave Terrel, recently appeared on MMA Junkie Radio. He made it clear that he believes Ortiz is no match for Liddell:
“I just know that when Chuck fights Tito again, he’s going to knock Tito out. Chuck’s just one of those guys that just has Tito’s number. Tito’s not going to take him down, and Tito’s not going to outstrike him.”
Liddell was knocked out in three of his last outings. He was stopped by Rashad Evans, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, and Franklin. “The Iceman” hasn’t emerged victorious since a unanimous decision over Wanderlei Silva back in Dec. 2007.
Ortiz also announced that he’s returning to MMA competition. He earned a first round submission over Chael Sonnen back in Jan. 2017. He was on a bit of a roll under the Bellator banner, going 3-1. Prior to making his Bellator debut, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” had a rough stretch in the UFC. He had gone 1-7-1 in his last nine outings.
Can Chuck Liddell have a successful comeback?
