Tito Ortiz Comments on Rival Chuck Liddell

Tito Ortiz proved himself victorious in his recent bout with Chuck Liddell. The bout represented the third encounter between the two fighters. Ortiz suffered two losses to Liddell years ago. The battle — produced by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions on PPV — saw Ortiz dominate and outright destroy Liddell. The Chuch Liddell who showed up at this fight was a far cry from the warrior who scored victory after victory in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s octagon. After the fight, Ortiz publicly stated Liddell should never, ever fight again. Few would disagree with Ortiz’s assessment.

Liddell’s listless performance in the bout saw him fight in a slow, sluggish, and weak manner. At times, his balance seemed compromised. Ortiz easily knocked Liddell out in the first round. At 48, Liddell should not fight anymore. If an athletic commission awards him a license and a promoter chooses to book him, however, Liddell may very well compete again.

UFC president Dana White did not have kind words for Oscar De La Hoya. White didn’t feel it was ethical for the promotion to book Liddell for a fight. White, in his usual controversial manner, made an ad hominem attack on De La Hoya. White didn’t seem to say anything negative about Liddell. White appears to maintain a level of respect for his former top fighter.

Although the pre-fight interviews contained a great deal of “smack talk,” Ortiz treated Liddell with the utmost respect during the post-fight commentary. Ortiz noted Liddell was once a great fighter and wasn’t going to criticize his performance directly.

The media hasn’t shied away from suggesting Liddell shouldn’t fight again. The MMA game brings with it a tremendous risk for injury. If Liddell cannot compete at an acceptable level of skill, he opens himself up for a potentially severe injury.