MrPerfect
MuscleChemistry Guru
During a hike up San Luis Mountain a couple of months ago, Chuck Liddell — the face of ultimate fighting — talked with his longtime trainer, John Hackleman, about calling it quits.
“We went back and forth on it,” Hackleman said. “(We thought) ‘What’s in his heart? Does he have it anymore?’ We never doubted he could get back on top if he wanted to.”
Former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell, one of the pioneers of modern mixed martial arts, has retired from professional fighting.
The "Iceman" said Wednesday that he will become an executive vice president for business development with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the promotion that rocketed him to stardom in the United States more than a decade ago.
What they decided a couple of months ago became official Wednesday, when Liddell, a San Luis Obispo resident, announced he was formally retiring from professional fighting.
“It’s time,” Liddell said.
Even though he had made the decision two months ago, Liddell still sounded somber the day it became official.
“It’s hard to make that decision and walk away,” he said, looking back on 20 years of fighting. “I loved entertaining the fans.”
His association with the UFC is not over, though. Liddell, who has an accounting degree from Cal Poly, will become executive vice president for business development with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Basically, he said, he’ll be promoting the UFC.
“We went back and forth on it,” Hackleman said. “(We thought) ‘What’s in his heart? Does he have it anymore?’ We never doubted he could get back on top if he wanted to.”
Former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell, one of the pioneers of modern mixed martial arts, has retired from professional fighting.
The "Iceman" said Wednesday that he will become an executive vice president for business development with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the promotion that rocketed him to stardom in the United States more than a decade ago.
What they decided a couple of months ago became official Wednesday, when Liddell, a San Luis Obispo resident, announced he was formally retiring from professional fighting.
“It’s time,” Liddell said.
Even though he had made the decision two months ago, Liddell still sounded somber the day it became official.
“It’s hard to make that decision and walk away,” he said, looking back on 20 years of fighting. “I loved entertaining the fans.”
His association with the UFC is not over, though. Liddell, who has an accounting degree from Cal Poly, will become executive vice president for business development with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Basically, he said, he’ll be promoting the UFC.
