Lengthy earlier than there was Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier or Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, the UFC’s greatest rivalry concerned Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz.
The 2 former UFC mild heavyweight champions date again to the Nineteen Nineties, after they first met and started coaching collectively. Each have been managed by future UFC president Dana White. However whereas Ortiz rose to prominence because the face of the promotion whereas holding the title, Liddell turned a burgeoning star with visions of a gold belt as he rose by means of the ranks.
For some time, it regarded like a battle between them may by no means occur, and it was largely constructed round Ortiz claiming he was buddies with Liddell and did not wish to face him within the Octagon.
“Me and Chuck Liddell met in 1998,” Ortiz mentioned. UFC Rivals. “We began coaching with one another and rapidly turned buddies.
“I assure you that Chuck will sit on this chair and inform every considered one of you that we have been by no means buddies.”
It was at all times an argument between them, as Liddell disputed that he was so near Ortiz, however as an alternative decreased their relationship to little greater than occasional coaching companions and nothing extra.
“We have been by no means buddies,” Liddell mentioned through the episode.
White, who turned the brand new proprietor of the UFC together with Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, was conscious of the magnitude of a possible battle between Liddell and Ortiz, however wasn’t positive if it will really occur. To listen to White inform it, Ortiz did not wish to participate within the battle as a result of he knew what would occur if he confronted Liddell within the Octagon.
“Each time we have been within the fitness center collectively, Chuck Liddell was in full management,” White mentioned. “However that does not decide what occurs within the battle.
“However on this case, Tito was utterly, 100% afraid of Chuck Liddell.”
It appeared prefer it took endlessly, however the battle was lastly booked, with Liddell and Ortiz going through off in the primary occasion of UFC 47 in 2004. Though the title was not on the road, as Ortiz really dropped the belt to Randy Couture, the winner of the match was anticipated to right away change into the division’s No. 1 contender.
The long-awaited showdown in the end lasted lower than two rounds after Liddell reduce him off with a punch that caught Ortiz immediately within the eye, with the “Huntington Seashore Dangerous Boy” instantly wiping his face, clearly affected by his imaginative and prescient.
Instantly after, Liddell started throwing punches at Ortiz in fast succession till he trapped Ortiz within the cage and despatched him flying. Ortiz lastly withered below the stress and dropped the canvas, and the battle stopped.
“I landed 23 punches on him in seven seconds to finish that battle,” Liddell mentioned.
Ortiz was clearly upset in regards to the consequence, however now, greater than 20 years later, he’s blissful to put flowers for Liddell for a job nicely executed.
“He was the winner,” Ortiz mentioned. “Congratulations. He received his level throughout.”
Liddell and Ortiz fought once more three years later, and the end result was practically the identical, with “The Iceman” successful by knockout within the third spherical. The final time the 2 met was in 2018, and whereas Ortiz lastly received some measure of revenge with a KO victory in his first and solely MMA occasion, Golden Boy, it is secure to say that the once-fierce Liddell was removed from his prime when that bout happened.
