Chuck Liddell, the UFC Hall of Fame light heavyweight champion, announced Wednesday that he is officially retiring from the sport, according to a statement published on UFC’s website.
Known as “The Iceman,” Liddell was the face of the UFC for a number of years and was one of the most dominant fighters at the time.
Liddell made a brief announcement of his decision in Las Vegas.
“I’ve been fighting for a long time,” he said, according to ESPN. “I talked to my family and friends about it. In this last fight, it seemed I wasn’t able to take a shot like I used to. And I just haven’t been able to put together wins.”
The 41-year-old fighter’s last match was on June 12 against Rich Franklin, who knocked him out. It marked the third knockout in a row that the superstar had.
“If I can’t compete with the best or if I’m not fighting for a title, then I have nothing to prove,” he told the sports news agency.
According to the UFC, Liddell will remain with the organization as the Executive Vice President of Business Development.
Liddell first started competing in mixed martial arts in 1998. For his career, he has a 21-8 record and 13 of his wins came via knockout.
“This is a hard thing for me, making this decision to retire,” Liddell told ESPN. “It’s all I’ve ever done. I’ve been competing in martial arts since I was a kid. But this position [in business development] gives me a new goal, something to work toward. Maybe it will keep the itch away.”
Known as “The Iceman,” Liddell was the face of the UFC for a number of years and was one of the most dominant fighters at the time.
Liddell made a brief announcement of his decision in Las Vegas.
“I’ve been fighting for a long time,” he said, according to ESPN. “I talked to my family and friends about it. In this last fight, it seemed I wasn’t able to take a shot like I used to. And I just haven’t been able to put together wins.”
The 41-year-old fighter’s last match was on June 12 against Rich Franklin, who knocked him out. It marked the third knockout in a row that the superstar had.
“If I can’t compete with the best or if I’m not fighting for a title, then I have nothing to prove,” he told the sports news agency.
According to the UFC, Liddell will remain with the organization as the Executive Vice President of Business Development.
Liddell first started competing in mixed martial arts in 1998. For his career, he has a 21-8 record and 13 of his wins came via knockout.
“This is a hard thing for me, making this decision to retire,” Liddell told ESPN. “It’s all I’ve ever done. I’ve been competing in martial arts since I was a kid. But this position [in business development] gives me a new goal, something to work toward. Maybe it will keep the itch away.”
