Chuck Liddell Still Undecided on Retirement, Won’t Fight Until After April 2010
Rumors that Chuck Liddell could headline UFC 103 on September 19th in Dallas, possibly against former middleweight champ and current light heavyweight contender Rich Franklin, appear to have been nothing more than speculation, as the former light heavyweight title-holder tells SI.com that he’s yet to make a decision on retirement and will be sitting out until after April 2010 should he opt to return to the Octagon:
“[I'm planning on sitting out] for at least a year or so, just to let my head rest. I haven’t personally made a decision one way or the other. Hopefully my brain can heal over time. The shot last fight is something that normally wouldn’t hurt me. I think I need at least some time off from getting hit. I’m going to take time off sparring then. I’ll train still. Still gonna roll. I’ll probably do a little more jiu-jitsu than normal because I like it. It’s fun.”
While Liddell’s retirement decision can wait, the UFC must soon find a headliner for UFC 103, which currently boasts Mike Swick vs. Martin Kampmann and Josh Koscheck vs. Frank Trigg as its top bouts.
Tags: Chuck Liddell, Rich Franklin
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Well i guess its safe to say he wont be fighting Franklin.
Like it says above this Card needs a main event. Im thinking Franklin or Wandy will likely be headlining. I cant think of many opponents for Rich right now outside of Luis Cane. Ive still got my fingers crossed for Vitor and Wanderlei 2.
I’m really glad to see Chuck make this decision. Its in his best interests, and a fight with Rich Franklin was definitely not in his best interests.
I hope Chuck finally realizes that he has nothing left to prove, gave his all to the sport when it needed it the most, and was integral in pushing MMA into the mainstream. As much as I respect the man, I don’t ever really need to see him in the Octagon ever again.
He should spend his time enjoying his well-earned and -deserved retirement, and leave the cage fighting to younger fighters still seeking their fame and making their fortunes…
Well I’m a huge fan of Chuck Liddell, and I also think that was a very honest moment from him… He has been hit alot over the length of his career and I’m not too sure that “taking a rest” from getting hit is going to do anything for him… Taking a year off will make him focus and perhaps he can make a decision on fighting or not, helll he only has one fight left on his contract soo what is left for him to prove, but hey the thrill of competition might have alot to do with this…. We shall see come 2010 i guess…
If one of the Top belt fights for UFC 100 end early I could see them headlining.Like Brock vs Carwin or Mir vs Carwin or Velasquez. Maybe even Alves vs Fitch or GSP vs Fitch 2 or Mike Swick. IDK. I really cant think of any other fights. Liddell sitting out til April is not a good idea whatsoever. Hes getting a bit old. I know people will bring up the Couture argument. But Liddell is a kickboxer which means hes taken more punishment, and with their fighting styles Chuck is more likely to take punishment with his exciting stand up style. Randy while an inspiration has been known to have long “wrestlers grind” fights. I think Chuck will retire now. Before I didn’t think so. But hey minds were made to be changed.
Carwin and Velasquez are rumored to be facing one another in October, and Swick is to face Martin Kampann at this event (which is mentioned in the article). Maybe Wanderlei or Franklin could headline this card, or they might try to put Cote on there, who knows. It definitely needs a headliner, but not sure where it will come from.
if the idea of cote being ready by then is being thrown around then maybe cote-wandy? wandy should be able to win that one, maybe rich gets luiz cane, but is that really worthy of main event status? imo helll no. maybe vitor signs and then he gets wandy. that would generate alot of intrest and could and should be explosive. that event is only two months away and really needs a main event, espically one to make sells. i dont think gsp, alves, brock, mir, hendo, bisping will be ready in a little over 60 days nor will they be medically cleared by the athletic commission, so again who will headline. thats kind of the problem with the ufc putting on events less than a month apart, they are running out of legit main events. all thats going to be left is one big name [like franklin in this case] to take on someone who is in the top 10. thats not really main event material. my idea of a main event is two top 5 guys in the division fighting for a title shot, or a title defense. in this case of fight nights, then those main events are easier to do because you just put two up and comers together who are 2-3 wins away from being a top 5 guy.
I cant remeber who it was but someone on here warned us about something like this happening. Having these supercards with more than one title leaving following PPVs a little thin in selling power. Nonetheless the UFC will find something to makes us drop some cash(they always do)
@chris It could be one hell of a fight but I think Cote would take out Wandy at this point in their careers. Some are gonna go nuts to this statement but lket me explain. We all know that wandy likes to brawl and can put people to sleep. We all know that Cote likes to utilize his hand speed and boxing to score points and set up big shots. But what happens when both of these guys gets cracked. Hard. Cote doesnt even acknowledge the hit(see fights with leben silva and Mcfedries)while silva gets rocked or wakes up a minute later. That my friend will be the case if these two meet up.
Also dont be surprised if Franklin is the main event. He has been before on several occasions remember UFC 72 Victory.
I didn’t care to see this Franklin/Liddell bout anyway. I hope Cane gets his wish of calling out Rich. They are both southpaw’s, and I think Frankie’s left is better. Chuck should just give it up. He’s not getting any younger and waiting an extended period of time to fight is really, going to make it even worse I think. There’s is nothing to prove I’d hate to see him get dropped again, it would ruin his legacy to me at least.
Is Chuck one of those idiots that made millions and millions on endorsements, and UFC paychecks, and etc., but still has nothing to show for it, and now has to fight to pay the bills and continue in the lifestyle that he has created for himself? Does anyone know?
Well let me tell you that no he isn’t one of those idiots… He has his cars and fun stuff like that and His house, Chuck has no need to continue fighting due to money issues… His kids will never want for anything and well we aren’t talking about Tyson here…
Chuck can make a lot of money just working for the UFC! he doesn’t have to fight to make money, he hasn’t for a while now! Chuck is the f’n man
The good news for Rich Franklin is that he’s gotten out from under the shadow of afight that would have done next to nothing for his LHW career.
The bad news for Rich Franklin will be if he’s somehow swerved into signing a fight with Luiz Cane, who in spite of his calling out isn’t in Franklin’s league. IMO Frnaklin needs to use whatever pull he has within the UFC front office to work himself into some sort of title contention fight, and the sooner the better.
Maybe a fight with Keith Jardine would work for both men?
The last thing Franklin needs is to take a fight with someome else who won’t get him any closer to his stated goal of a UFC LHW title bout.
Are you saying that Cane isnt in Franklins league “skill wise” or just name sake. Cause although this isnt a great fight for Rich he would still have a tough fight with him.
carls – specifically I was referring to Luiz Cane not being in Rich Franklin’s league career-wise. As I’ve said on a few other threads, Franklin needs to sign fights that put him in position for a LHW title shot. Now while it’s debateable whether or not the Wand fight helped him towards that end, it’s pretty clear that a Liddell fight, nor a pointless fight with Luiz Cane, is going to get him into the title picture anytime soon, no offense meant to Cane or his supporters.
It could very well be a “good fight”, and style-wise Franklin could very well have a tough time with Cane, but the truth is Franklin is a MW and is going to have a tough time with most LHW’s he fights from this point forward.
If he’s going to go thru all the effort and sacrifice that a pro MMA fighter has to go thru to get ready for a bout, then from Franklin’s, and his supporters, points of view it had damned well best be a bout with contention implications, and not just straightening out some young gun running his mouth is an attempt to get some much-needed media attention…
I say lets do W. Silva vs. Cote/Okami and co-headline Franklin vs. Cane anyone down for that?
Wanderlei v Okami would be a better FIGHT than Wanderlei v Cote imo
i’m in
I’ve said this since rampage took lidell’s belt…the “iceman” needs to “cool down” and retire. Maybe it was premature of me to say that after he lost to rampage(2nd fight) but after all that’s happened since…maybe i wasn’t so wrong. It’s important for him to make this decision and not his boss, trainer or anyone else, BUT, the decision should be as clear as Gina Carano is hot, hang em up dude.
This card looks decent so far. IMO franklin is only headlining again because all the real “headliners” are already booked and if he is to headline 103, he should do so against cane. IMO both cane and franklin can benefit from this bout. Franklin AND Cane both need a big win against a top 10 lhw to break into the lhw “title mix”. Franklin did just beat wanderlei, but wanderlei was coming off of a ko loss and just did a test drop to 195. Franklin didn’t finish him, so imo he isn’t ready for “the big boys” @ 205. Cane on the other hand is “flying under the radar” and although he’s shown real potential, he too needs a solid win against someone like franklin to get “in the mix”. Any other match for either guy wouldn’t make much sense, since like i said ealier, everyone is booked, atleast @ 205.
Jardine vs thiago
rampage vs evans
machida vs shogun
vera vs hamill
forrest vs anderson
who’s left? schaefer? kriztov? (chuckles).
Franklin vs Cane…perfect dude!
On the Chuck Liddel trying to prove something issue.
I personally dont think he is trying to prove anything to anyone save himself.
It’s the competition that drives that man like all the greats. EX The Ali’s Bret Farve’s etc…. The sitting down watching some clown who in your mind you know you can beat either get the belt or dissrespect you or what you help build up. Gets those competitive juices flowing again and you just want to compete. Plan and Simple.
I know he realizes he aint the same but there is no cure for competition. And the excitement and the fans and that kind of attention when your Numero Uno!!! There aint no drug or medicine or money that cures that drive…
Yeah ridding off into the sunset sounds great but it’s a lonely ride!!