Chuck Liddell was once the face of MMA. The Mohawk mixed with an ice cold persona complimented the ruthless streak he displayed in the octagon, it was almost the perfect blend of attributes MMA needed in a fighter at that time to be a breakthrough star.
Liddell racked up finish after finish, transcending MMA to become a part of pop culture. He was the first UFC fighter celebrities turned up to watch live, his run at Light Heavyweight was record-breaking. Here’s a countdown of Liddell’s top ten fights.
10. Chuck Liddell vs Kevin Randleman UFC 31.
Liddell defeated Randleman via KO at 1:18 of round one.
It all started with this knockout of Kevin Randleman. Randleman was the first high profile name on Chuck’s record, unbeknown to viewers at that time this was a sign of things to come. Randleman had only just lost his UFC heavyweight title to Randy Couture, no one could have confidently predicted an early finish like this.
9. Chuck Liddell vs Guy Mezger Pride 14: Clash of the Titans.
Liddell defeated Mezger via KO at 0:21 of round two.
Whilst still under contract with the UFC, Liddell was sent over to Pride as a UFC representative. He was matched up with Guy Mezger who had fought in the UFC previously as well as in Pancrase and of course Pride Fighting Championships. Liddell delivered a highlight reel knockout early in the second round, Liddell’s reputation was now gathering steam.
8. Chuck Liddell vs Renato Sobral UFC 40.
Liddell defeated Sobral via KO at 2:55 of round one.
Sobral had never been knocked out prior to this fight despite having fought Fedor Emelianenko & Dan Henderson. Liddell accomplished what others couldn’t by landing a well-timed head kick that was shown on his UFC promo reels for years to come.
7. Chuck Liddell vs Vitor Belfort UFC 37.5.
Liddell defeated Belfort by Unanimous Decision.
Liddell vs Belfort is one of the few fights on this list that went the full distance. Belfort was a promising young talent with a reputation of his own for knocking men unconscious. Between the two of them, you’d have never thought this one would make it out of round one forget going all three. Liddell showed great poise during this fight displaying his ability to manage a fight & not desperately hunt for a finish.
6. Chuck Liddell vs Alistair Overeem Pride Total Elimination 2003.
Liddell defeated Overeem via KO at 3:09 of round one.
One of Pride’s hot prospects Alistair Overeem fell victim to the Iceman’s patented overhand right, Liddell was fresh off a loss against Randy Couture for the UFC Interim Light Heavyweight championship. Chuck had been permitted by the UFC to participate in Pride’s 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix. Liddell breezed his quarter-final against Overeem before being eliminated in the next round.
5. Chuck Liddell vs Tito Ortiz 1 UFC 47.
Liddell defeated Ortiz via KO at 0:38 of round two.
Following Chuck’s elimination from the Pride Grand Prix, Liddell was immediately placed back into title contention taking on former champion Tito Ortiz. Liddell overwhelmed Ortiz at the beginning of the second round. These pair became bitter rivals over the coming years. The victory set up a path back to Randy Couture who had become UFC Light Heavyweight Champion after defeating Tito Ortiz 6 months earlier.
4. Chuck Liddell vs Randy Couture 2 UFC 52.
Liddell defeated Couture via KO at 2:06 of round one.
The second in a trilogy between Liddell & Couture. UFC’s own reality show The Ultimate Fighter was first introduced prior to this bout. The two fighters coached opposing teams in a Pride style knockout tournament, they would fight at the conclusion of the show. During the contest, Liddell found his money shot in a wild exchange after waiting nearly two years to avenge his previous loss. Liddell’s celebration after the fight was indicative of his desire to even up the score against Randy.
3. Chuck Liddell vs Tito Ortiz 2 UFC 66.
Liddell defeated Ortiz via TKO at 3:59 of round three.
Ortiz maintained that in the first fight he had been poked in the eye by Liddell’s thumb which blurred his vision leaving him unable to defend himself. Ortiz got the chance to prove his point in the rematch, he was able to secure a takedown but the end result was ultimately the same. Ortiz was never short of a word or two, he believed Chuck was a stepping stone on the route to getting his title back. This was the last time Tito ever fought for a UFC title, this was also Chuck’s final title defence.
2. Chuck Liddell vs Randy Couture 3 UFC 57.
Liddell defeated Couture via KO at 1:28 of round two.
Each man had a win apiece, this was the definitive rubber match between two legends of the sport. The first round was competitive without either man really stamping their authority on the contest. Chuck countered Randy in mid-attack not too dissimilar to the previous fight. Liddell put an exclamation mark on the trilogy ending it in style. This fight underlined the fact that Liddell was without question the best fighter at the Light Heavyweight limit.
1. Chuck Liddell vs Wanderlei Silva UFC 79.
Liddell defeated Silva by Unanimous Decision.
Fantasy match-ups don’t always come to fruition, this one was worth the wait. Chuck & Wanderlei are two fighters with huge fanbases, the demand for this fight even though both fighters were coming off back to back losses was still high. Out of the fantasy fights that do make it from wishlists to the octagon, a handful ends up living up to the hype. This was was an instant classic, for two instinctive finishers to hurt each other at different points of the fight and still manage to see it out to the scheduled distance is so rare.
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