Issue 021

January 2007

New Year’s Eve fireworks are guaranteed to begin one day early this year when Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz collide on December 30th in a light heavyweight title fight. In a rematch of their 2004 hate-fuelled encounter, the two 205lb fighters will meet and find out once and for all who deserves to wear the light heavyweight belt. 

Ortiz, the former champion and now challenger, wants his belt back desperately. Liddell, the champion, says no-one will take it from him. 

“The fans demanded it, the fighters demanded it, and I’m excited to finally announce the rematch between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz,” said UFC President Dana White. “A lot has changed since Liddell and Ortiz first fought in 2004. These are two fighters who went from being MMA standouts to becoming worldwide superstars in the space of two years, and I can’t think of any fight anywhere in the world that has more heat behind it than this one.”

In his tenure as UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell (19-3-0) has sent Randy Couture into retirement, avenged his defeat to Jeremy Horn and annihilated number one challenger Renato Sobral. Liddell is a devastating striker

with an incredible takedown defence. He has knocked out his last six opponents including Ortiz, Randy Couture (twice), Vernon White, Jeremy Horn and Renato “Babalu” Sobral. 

Ortiz (16-4-0), who fights out of Huntington Beach in California, is known for his strength and tenacity as a submission fighter. Holding the title for over three years and through five defences, Ortiz believes the belt belongs to him. 

He returned to the UFC last April to take on rising star Forrest Griffin, winning by split decision even though he was suffering a knee injury. This year he also scored first-round knockouts over Ken Shamrock on both occasions they fought. 

Why Tito Will Win

By Andrew Garvey

“I see Liddell putting up a good fight, but at the end of the night, it will be my hand raised in the Octagon. I can’t wait to get my belt back.”

Immediately after their previous meeting in April 2004 I would have willingly and emphatically picked Liddell to win any and all rematches between the dominant champion and his former training partner. Now, almost two years on, things are a little less clear cut. True, he smashed Ortiz the first time, after stuffing his takedown attempts and forcing him into a standing battle only Liddell was ever likely to win but I’m leaning towards the challenger this time. And the main reason is a simple one – preparation.

Routinely punishing himself with a long and brutal training regime at Big Bear in California, Ortiz has never forgotten the lesson Frank Shamrock taught him in 1999. Ortiz was dominating their fight until he simply ran out of steam and was finished off with punches some 20 minutes into their epic encounter. Surrounding himself with talented training partners and removing himself from the temptation to do anything other than train and cut weight for a good two months, Ortiz is never less than prepared. Compare that to Liddell. Hardly a clean living character, Liddell likes a drink or twelve on the Las Vegas party scene and just six weeks before this fight was partying hard for a solid week all over town. That fun-loving lifestyle means that when he gets down to it he doesn’t train exceptionally hard. But it may come still back to haunt him one of these days.

There are other factors too, one of which is age. Liddell turns 37 two weeks before the fight, while Ortiz is 31 until January. Liddell is just a few years younger than the sport’s elder statesmen like Mark Coleman, Ken Shamrock and Randy Couture and like his partying, age may be ready to creep up on him and spring a nasty surprise. 37 isn’t exactly old, but the training, the nagging injuries and the weight-cutting won’t exactly be getting any easier. Speaking of injuries, Ortiz is now claiming to be injury free for the first time in several years. He’s been bothered by knee and back injuries for some time and at times his performances have suffered. A fully fit Ortiz will be a real handful for anybody, even the seemingly unstoppable champion.

Overconfidence could be a problem for Liddell too. When he and Ortiz trained regularly together a few years back, Liddell was firmly in charge. And when they finally met in the Octagon, he battered Ortiz. Liddell could be forgiven for expecting another crushing win in this one. He’s also coming off a string of very impressive wins with a pair of knockouts over Randy Couture, the effortless destruction of Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral and the humbling of Jeremy Horn. Overconfidence breeds complacency and complacent fighters very often receive a very rude awakening.

Ortiz will still have serious trouble taking Liddell down, and will struggle to keep him grounded even if he gets him on the mat. Standing with Liddell would be a foolish strategy for a man outboxed by Forrest Griffin during the second round of their April encounter too. In many ways it’s hard to really come up with a good reason for picking Ortiz, but this is one of those times where a lot of little things all add up and the end result could be a dramatic upset.

Why Chuck Will Win

By Hywel Teague

Who is going to beat Chuck Liddell? Not Tito Ortiz, that's for sure. Not last time, not this time, and maybe even not ever. Why? Because Liddell has Tito's number, that's why.

Chuck Liddell is a rare breed, a born fighter. He wrestled in high school and college, took up kickboxing in his early twenties and entered MMA in the mid nineties. A natural athlete and competitor, he has poured his energy into his role in life – that of a fighter.

Liddell loves fighting – he admits it's the only thing he's really good at, and he's really quite good at it. In fact, he's damn good at it, and his record of 19-3-0 backs it up. Those three losses, two of which he has avenged in style, have come to define everything about the 'Iceman's' career. His first loss, which came to Jeremy Horn, saw him really develop his ground game. His second was to Couture, who he has since retired with back-to-back knockouts, and his third (the only he hasn't avenged) to Rampage Jackson spurred him to work harder than ever and he hasn't come close to losing since.

The light heavyweight champion is just that for a reason. He has beaten the best out there in his division, and he has done so convincingly. He hasn't been to a decision since 2002 and every time you think someone has figured him out, he takes his game to the next level and makes them chase him even harder.

It is a well known fact that Liddell and Ortiz once trained together. Back in the late 90's they sparred together at John Lewis' gym in Las Vegas, and the stories of their encounters on the mat are by no means exaggerated. Liddell could hurt him at will, outwrestle him with ease and play with his head. All of this manifested itself during their first fight in 2004. Ortiz went into the Octagon with the knowledge he was going against someone who was just better than him all round.

Ortiz thinks he has Liddell figured out, and he thinks he knows what he has to do to beat him. Ortiz thinks his earlier failure lies in the fact he didn't implement his game plan properly, namely taking Liddell down and pounding his way to victory. What he hasn't figured is that not only is that exactly what Liddell is best at avoiding, but he has successfully managed to avoid that very strategy in four very recent fights (including the one where Tito ended up lying semi-conscious in a crumpled heap).

Ortiz is playing directly into Liddell's hands if he thinks that he can simply go out there and have his way with him. If he is planning on outlasting Liddell through superior conditioning, he has to survive until a point where the superior striker begins to fade. If Tito thinks he can hang with Liddell on the feet until the Iceman tires, he has another thing coming. As Liddell says, this time, he may well KO him in one round.

Tito Ortiz doesn't have the striking ability or chin to withstand an onslaught from Liddell. The last fight showed that when under pressure, Ortiz gets scared. If Ortiz goes in with bluster and thinks he can chase Liddell down he will get a shock, as Liddell can fight off his back foot just as well. Ask Couture; he went down while on the advance not once but twice.

Simply put for all Ortiz's attributes, he can't outstrike Liddell, he can't outgrapple him and he won't get the chance to outlast him. Liddell is an athlete riding high on a wave of victories that won't end when he steps in the Octagon on December 30th.