Age has never been a stumbling block for Bellator before.
According to reports, MMA legend Chuck Liddell is set to sign a multi-million dollar deal with Bellator a full eight years since his last fight.
BJPenn.com’s Chris Taylor first broke the news on Friday night amid reports that Liddell could complete his trilogy with fierce rival Tito Ortiz under the Bellator banner.
Breaking! According to sources close to the situation, former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell is closing in on a multi-million dollar fight deal with Bellator MMA.
— Chris Taylor (@CTaylor_96) March 2, 2018
Liddell has teased a comeback several times over the years and has kept in terrific shape since his 2010 retirement.
Should the 48-year-old sign with Bellator, accusations of the promotion putting on circus fights will begin doing the rounds again but there’s no denying the fact that fans’ intrigue would be piqued by the prospect of seeing ‘The Iceman’ take to the cage again.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion fought exclusively for the UFC for the last six years of his career and Bellator President Scott Coker recently admitted that he wasn’t sure if he would be legally allowed to pursue and promote Liddell.
“My understanding is that Chuck is still under contract with the UFC,” Coker told MMA Fighting. “I’m not sure. I just thought that to be true.
“I don’t know the details, but when he retired, I think the contract freezes and they maintain some rights. Listen, is it a fight that would be fun to watch [between Liddell and Tito Ortiz]? I think if they both pass a physical and Tito was healthy and his neck was healthy and he was able to perform at a high level, and they were fighting, to me is it interesting? I would definitely watch it.”
Liddell knocked Ortiz out on two occasions and their feud will go down as one of the most intense in the sport’s history.
The pair have gone back and forth in recent years, teasing a potential third clash.
Ortiz has gone 3-1 since signing for Bellator in 2014 but Liddell would likely be the betting favourite going into the contest considering the apparent psychological edge he possesses over ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy.’
