 Your daily dose of news and rumors from around the MMA world. |
 Exclusive interviews with the sport's best. |
 A look at the lighter side of MMA. |
White: Liddell Is "Going To Be With The UFC Till I'm Dead"
By Ariel Helwani
April 17, 2009
Combat sports fans are accustomed to seeing their favorite fighters fall from grace in excruciating fashion.
Perhaps that's why so many fans are quick to write off the career of Chuck Liddell after his knockout loss to Rashad Evans at UFC 88 last September. Whatever, says the always cool "Iceman."
"I don't really listen to people," Liddell said. "I'm going to go out there and perform the way I know I can and they'll see that so it won't be my last fight. It's that simple."
UFC president Dana White recently mentioned that unless Liddell looks great on Saturday night against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, his days in the UFC may be numbered. However, at Thursday's UFC 97 press conference in Montreal, the UFC president put to rest any rumors that Liddell may have to look for a new employer sometime soon.
"I think early on, when I first made this statement publicly, it got blown out of proportion like most of my public statements," White said. "He and I sat down before this fight was made and had a long talk. Everybody knows my relationship with him, and it was basically I was saying it, you know, out of friendship. People were like, ' Oh, so you're going to kick Chuck Liddell to the curb?' Far from it. Whether he's fighting or retired, he's going to be with the UFC till I'm dead."
Based on Liddell's demeanor going into this fight, one can assume that the last thing on his mind is the future. At this point, it's all about taking one fight at a time.
"What more does this guy have to prove?" White asked rhetorically on Thursday. "He's the most famous mixed martial artist in the sport; he's helped us build this business; he's made a ton of money; he's held the world championship. I mean, he's done everything you could possibly do and he's almost forty years old now."
Everything but defeat another legend like "Shogun" Rua.
