Chuck Liddell
Everybody thought that Chuck Liddell’s career had ended in brutal fashion when he was KO’d by Rich Franklin five seconds before the of the first round at UFC 115 in 2010.
Liddell announced his retirement afterwards and kept his gloves on the shelf for eight years, but when a cushy job as a UFC executive fell through, he began talking up the possibility of making a comeback.
Boxing hall-of-famer turned promoter Oscar De La Hoya then lured the 48-year-old into a comeback fight against his biggest rival, the 42-year-old Tito Ortiz, who had only recently retired after a series of wins.
In his heyday it was a well established fact that Liddell had Ortiz’s number, culminating in two victories via strikes in the UFC, but many observers had serious doubts about the wisdom of the star accepting a trilogy fight at this stage in his life, especially given past concerns regarding his chin.
Troubling footage emerged of Liddell looking every bit of his 48 years in training emerged pre-fight and sure enough on fight night Liddell looked a shadow of his former self in the cage – slow, unsteady on his feet and vulnerable.
Late in the round Ortiz stepped up a gear, put together a series of punches and connected with a big right hand flush to Liddell’s face that left him in a heap on the canvas unconscious as his bitter rival dished out some final payback with a few unneccessary punches.
