It is often said that in sports-- especially those that require physical exertion – success usually depends on whether the participant is stronger, quicker, and can execute better than his opponent. Take tennis for instance. Perhaps nothing is as physically taxing a sport, where matches could take as long as four hours or more. Tennis players need to possess a combination of stamina, speed, and power to succeed. Stamina is needed for the player to last the entire match, speed to be able to chase the ball around the court, and power to smash the ball during volleys and serves. Of course tennis is an individual sport, but the same holds true in team sports such as basketball and football. NBA teams are always scrambling to get younger, more athletic players to add to their rosters, because an aging team might not withstand an entire season especially since aging players are more prone to injuries.
In theory, the same should hold true to combat sports like boxing and Mixed Martial Arts. The first thing to go as a fighter ages are his reflexes and speed. The last thing to go is his power, and, if he has taken good care of his body, his stamina. In boxing most especially, those pure boxers who are also defensive specialists are able to prolong their careers because they tend to absorb less punishment. Examples of technically sound fighters include Pernell Whitaker, James Toney, Ivan Calderon, Floyd Mayweather, and Gerry Penalosa. Pure sluggers such as Arturo Gatti, Ricardo Mayorga, and Edwin Valero are more offensive-minded and tend to rely on their power and one-punch knockout. They also absorb more punches and more often than not, fighters like these don't last as long in the fight game.
One fighter that has been in the fight game for quite some time is Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell. At age 39, he is one of the elder statesmen in the MMA scene. In his storied career, he has compiled an impressive record of 21 wins and six losses. Since the start of his career, he has been known as a devastating striker: fourteen of his victories came by way of knockout. Mostly a stand-up fighter, he relies primarily on his background in Kempo and Koei-Kan karate and his unorthodox striking. Many unsuspecting opponents have fallen victim to his lethal right hand which he throws at odd angles. He also has superb takedown defense, owing to his wrestling background. His exciting style and brutal finishes has endeared him to countless fans and he is widely credited for bringing MMA into the mainstream.
The road to success wasn't an easy one for Liddell. After coming to the UFC in 1998, he established himself as a fearsome fighter with victories over Kevin Randleman, Murilo Bustamante, Vitor Belfort, and Renato Sobral. These early wins solidified Liddell as one of the rising contenders in the UFC, and by 2002 he was considered the number one contender for Tito Ortiz's light heavyweight title. However, Ortiz didn't want to fight Liddell and to force his hand, the UFC created an interim light heavyweight championship between Liddell and Randy Couture. Liddell lost by TKO in the final round.
Liddell then moved on to the now defunct Pride Championships and won his first match against Alistair Overeem by knockout but went on to lose in the next round to Quinton Jackson by TKO.
Tito Ortiz finally agreed to fight Liddell in UFC 47. Liddell knocked out Ortiz in the second round. Then after a first round knockout of Vernon White in his next fight, Liddell met Randy Couture in a rematch for Couture's UFC light heavyweight title.
Prior to the fight, both fighters served as coaches for the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter. Both winners of the Ultimate Fighter, Forrest Griffin and Diego Sanchez were members of Team Liddell.
In UFC 52, Liddell finally won the seemingly elusive light heavyweight title after knocking out Couture in the opening round. Liddell then successfully defended his title four times: first by TKO against Jeremy Horn in their rematch, then by knockout against Couture in their third fight, and by TKO against Sobral and Ortiz, both rematches.
Liddell's fight with Ortiz would be the last time he would win by stoppage. In his rematch with Rampage Jackson at UFC 71, Liddell would lose his light heavyweight title via TKO in the first round. A loss by decision to Keith Jardine after the fight with Jackson had started some rumors that Liddell might hang up his gloves. However, a fight with dangerous veteran Wanderlei Silva was scheduled and Liddell didn't disappoint. In a grueling bout that lasted the distance and saw both fighters hurt one time or another, Liddell prevailed via unanimous decision. The fight went on to win fight of the night honors, and also bagged 2007's fight of the year at the first annual World Mixed Martial Arts Awards.
Not a few fight fans, especially Liddell's fans, believed that the win against Silva was but a first on Liddell's road to reclaiming his title. After almost a year of inactivity, Liddell faced rising star Rashad Evans at UFC 88.
But Liddell’s road to redemption was cut short as he lost by knockout in two rounds to the much younger Evans.
Chuck Liddell has now lost three of his last four fights and two of those losses came by stoppage. He will also be turning 40 next year. Liddell has a scheduled fight against Mauricio Rua in April and it may be the last chance he will get if he wants to be on top again.
Many people will point to Liddell’s age as one of the factors that has contributed to his slump as of late. And based on the examples I have stated at the beginning of this article, perhaps there is more than a sliver of truth to it. His last two losses have been dealt by Evans and Jardine, fighters much younger and fresher than him. But I suspect that it is more than age that has resulted in Liddell’s recent losses. I see a fighter that has reached the pinnacle of success and has become complacent, a fighter that has lost his hunger and drive as a result. In order to be on top again, Liddell has to go back to the basics and find the hunger to do what he does best, and that is to fight.
Recently, in boxing, the older guys have been taking the young guns to school. Bernard Hopkins just gave Kelly Pavlik a boxing lesson he won’t soon forget and Sugar Shane Mosley destroyed the seemingly invincible Antonio Margarito. They are just a testament that sometimes age isn’t everything, that there are always a few good fights left in older fighters.
Does Chuck Liddell have a few good fights left in him? Does he still have something left in the tank? Let’s just hope that for the sake of his countless fans, the answer is yes.
