Perhaps it would not be a mistake to say that the leading positions in the world in mixed fights in the past and now belong to American fighters. One of the real octagon titans, the man who went through the bloody "meat grinder" fights, is Chuck Liddell. His fate and sports career will be discussed in this article.
Birth
The future champion and member of the UFC Hall of Fame was born in California, the city of Santa Barbara. It happened on December 17, 1969. He was brought up by his mother and grandfather, who became the first mentor of the guy and his boxing sisters. From the age of 12, Chuck began to practice Koe-Kan (by the way, to this day there is a tattoo on his neck, which pays tribute to this martial art). While studying at school, the young man was the captain of two teams at once - in wrestling and American football. It should be said that he was also rather hooligan, as he often got involved in brawls.
Studying at the University
After graduating from school, Chuck Liddell entered the California Polytechnic University. The educational institution made him a tempting offer: he should lead the wrestling team in exchange for receiving a scholarship. As a result, the student went towards the leadership of the university and was safely captain of the wrestling team for four years.
Sport life
Having received a bachelor's degree in economics, Chuck Liddell continued to engage in martial arts, choosing kickboxing for this. His coach was John Hackleman. Under his leadership, an ambitious American became the twofold winner of the national championship. Chuck's professional record - 20 wins and 2 losses. Liddell also practiced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Mentor in this direction was John Lewis. By the way, it is noteworthy that subsequently both coaches became permanent seconds of a fighter in his corner during fights in the octagon.
It should be noted separately the technique of striking. Professional kickboxer Chuck often put his hand far enough when swinging, while the angles of drawing were non-standard. But what has always been stable is the stiffness and penetration of all his hits.
Going into mixed fights
The debut in MMA for the American was very successful. On May 15, 1998, he first spoke at the UFC, defeating judges Noah Hernandez. But in his second duel, Chuck is defeated at the hands of Jeremy Horn.
In December 2000, Liddell defeated Jeff Monson, and six months later he would knock out former promotion champion Kevin Rendelman.
Contender
In June 2002, Chuck Liddell had a fight with Brazilian Vitor Belfort. The winner of this fight was eligible for the championship match. There was a real fight in the cage. Each of the fighters had successful moments. But in the end, by the decision of the judges, the American got the victory.
Attempt to climb to the top
After winning the Phenomenon, Liddell got the right to meet with then-UFC champion Tito Ortiz. However, the owner of the belt refused to oppose the "Ice" (nickname Chuck). The promotion management found a way out: the head of the organization announced a fight for the interim champion title, in which Liddell and Randy Couture would meet.
The confrontation between these two fighters may well be called epic. In the first five-minute, Couture managed to beautifully translate Liddell into the ground. However, Chuck was able to stand on his feet, and the battle continued in the stance. Already in the second round, Randy becomes more active and often gets his hands on. But his wrestling experience did the trick, and Liddell is again on the floor. Couture carries out the finishing move from above, and the referee stops the match, thereby awarding the victory to “Natural”.
Championship PRIDE
Mma fighter, Liddell, in June 2003, had a duel with the Dutchman Alistair Overeem for the right to win the title of Japanese promotion. For the American athlete, the fight turned out to be more than successful - a bright victory by knockout.
After this triumph, Chuck met with his compatriot - Quinton Jackson. Unfortunately, for the “Ice” this meeting was fatal, because he lost by knockout.
UFC Belt Holder
Liddell, a member of the Pitfight team, again met Couture in April 2005. This time, Chuck turned out to be the best, defeating his long-time opponent ahead of schedule. Four months later, “Icy” held his first defense, in which he defeated his former offender Jeremy Horn. Moreover, the victory was bright: Horn refused to continue the fight in the fourth round.
Loss of title
After the merger of UFC and Pride, fate once again brings Liddell and Quinton Jackson to the cage. And this time, "Taran" was stronger. In this battle, the original “Frozen” stand let him down. After his unsuccessful attack, Liddell ran into a counter-attack and ended up on the octagon flooring. Jackson came flying with strikes from above, as a result of which Chuck was knocked out.
Life outside the cage
Having completed his sports career in 2010, Liddell took over as vice president of business development at the UFC. In addition, he acts in films, takes part in various television shows. He also owns a gift shop. Chuck is the father of two children.