It’s official, Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz will duke it out one more time.
About a month ago, Chuck Liddell announced he was coming out of retirement. The former UFC light heavyweight king hung up his gloves eight years previously off the back of three consecutive knockout losses.
The 48-year-old made it clear that he was eyeing up another fight against Tito Ortiz. Their rivalry is credited with helping the sport move into the mainstream with their second fight at UFC 66 drawing over a million PPV buys. Although he admitted his return wasn’t dependant on Ortiz signing on the dotted line, it was clear this was the one ‘The Iceman’ wanted.
He also said he’d like a shot at Jon Jones, arguably the greatest fighter to ever grace an Octagon.
Even his longtime coach John Hackleman nearly spat out his drink over that suggestion.
Signed, sealed, delivered
According to a report from ESPN, Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya’s boxing promotion, has signed promotional agreements with Liddell and Ortiz. The PPV event will mark the promotion’s first foray into MMA. No date has been set, nor has there been any indication about what the undercard might look like. The only certainty is that it’s actually happened, as De La Hoya confirmed in a statement.
“I’m proud to announce we’ve signed a deal for the fight between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. This will be huge for sports fans around the world. Ortiz and Liddell are two of the most recognized fighters in MMA history. They are legends in the sport.”
“Everyone remembers their rivalry helped put the sport on the map, and we’re excited to host the next and final chapter of this historic rivalry.”
Under orders from Dana White, Liddell retired in 2010. After retiring, he was given an executive role within the UFC. He was released from the position in 2016 after the landmark sale of the promotion to WME-IMG.
Liddell is currently 2-0 against Ortiz. He won via second-round TKO the first time they clashed in 2004. Two years later, he knocked out the ‘Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ in the third.
