Let's remember Chuck Liddell

[itheuser]

Started watching UFC in 1998, and Chuck was the first fighter I really started rooting for. Loved his style of KO or be KO'd.

See guys, we told you.

 

[beastman]

Liddell did much better than Rousey.

 

[sonofjay817]

I would rather not. Liddell was the moment when the UFC solidified its image as some kind of white trash, Ice Road Truckers type cultural event.

I'll give him some credit. He was one of the first guys who could actually get up consistently from the ground, but his striking was always vastly overrated, and he was destined to become a punching bag at some point.

He was just a more patient version of Mike Perry.

People liked guys like Silva and Liddell because they were suicide bombers, and they could get away with that in an era of horrible boxing. When they started facing guys with better boxing they were exposed. They had good enough ground games to survive the grappling, but that's it.

I consider Wanderlei another guy who doesn't look as good in retrospect. He was really not a great fighter at all. Wreckless, not very technical, and juiced to the gills.

Kerr is anther guy that should be reevaluated for praise considering he was juiced up, and fought smaller guys to build his record in an open weight era.

These guys deserve credit for being early adopters, but their legacies are going to change as the sport grows older. It happens in every sport.

I've always tended to think this about Chuck as well, but then I remember the time he somehow outboxed prime Vitor Belford and I'm just confused and frustrated.

 

[ImNotSurpisedDonks!]

Never forget the time Rampage raped him in Pride. That was hard to watch it was such a beatdown.

Chuck was great, but
I don't know how he ever got put on a pedestal of being "the greatest of all time". It really speaks to the power that Dana and the UFC hype machine have. Realistically, he was probably never even the best light heavyweight on the plant at anytime in his prime, but rather just Dana's BFF and the male Ronda.

 

[KrPlud]

Loved watching Chuck fight.

 

[ImNotSurpisedDonks!]

I would rather not. Liddell was the moment when the UFC solidified its image as some kind of white trash, Ice Road Truckers type cultural event.

I'll give him some credit. He was one of the first guys who could actually get up consistently from the ground, but his striking was always vastly overrated, and he was destined to become a punching bag at some point.

He was just a more patient version of Mike Perry.

People liked guys like Silva and Liddell because they were suicide bombers, and they could get away with that in an era of horrible boxing. When they started facing guys with better boxing they were exposed. They had good enough ground games to survive the grappling, but that's it.

I consider Wanderlei another guy who doesn't look as good in retrospect. He was really not a great fighter at all. Wreckless, not very technical, and juiced to the gills.

Kerr is anther guy that should be reevaluated for praise considering he was juiced up, and fought smaller guys to build his record in an open weight era.

These guys deserve credit for being early adopters, but their legacies are going to change as the sport grows older. It happens in every sport.

This is the hard truth that many MMA fans don't want to admit. Guys like Chuck hold these dear nostalgic places in people's hearts, and they bought so hook line and sinker into the hype that they can't take an honest look at their careers. Chuck's title run consisted of two wins over old man Couture, Tito, Jeremy fucking Horn and Babalu; if at anytime he faced Rampage, he would have been absolutely rekt again. He was never the best LHW on the planet, but to some people, they considered him the GOAT. As you rightly point out, he was the definition of a sloppy striker, but the skill level was so low that he could get away with it.

In regards to Kerr tho, I think his downfall and trajectory was more part and parcel head problems and pain pills - pain pills will ruin people and do,plenteous change your brain chemistry, never mind totally ruin athletic careers (see Karo too). Sure he was juiced, but everybody was at that time. You don't become a NCAA D1 champ if you aren't an absolute animal. Admittedly tho, owing to his big muscles and ripped body, closeted Sherqueers fell in love with him and hyped him thru the roof, just like Yoel, Brock and every other ripped muscle bound fighter that comes along.

 

[MMAProfessional]

Far as I’m concerned he was winning the Franklin fight comfortably until the ko

Yeah he was for sure. I remember getting excited thinking it wu

Doesn't mean he would have won. Franklin would have still fought with the broken arm which is the same arm he used to knock out Chuck. He didnt know his arm was broke until after the fight

I'm sure in between rounds the adrenaline would have dropped and affected him more. Chuck was winning even before that and was out strikinghim

 

[Y2Khaos]

7 consecutive knockouts is still the record!


Fuck you MMA hipsters

 

[SammyG420]

This is the hard truth that many MMA fans don't want to admit. Guys like Chuck hold these dear nostalgic places in people's hearts, and they bought so hook line and sinker into the hype that they can't take an honest look at their careers. Chuck's title run consisted of two wins over old man Couture, Tito, Jeremy fucking Horn and Babalu; if at anytime he faced Rampage, he would have been absolutely rekt again. He was never the best LHW on the planet, but to some people, they considered him the GOAT. As you rightly point out, he was the definition of a sloppy striker, but the skill level was so low that he could get away with it.

In regards to Kerr tho, I think his downfall and trajectory was more part and parcel head problems and pain pills - pain pills will ruin people and do,plenteous change your brain chemistry, never mind totally ruin athletic careers (see Karo too). Sure he was juiced, but everybody was at that time. You don't become a NCAA D1 champ if you aren't an absolute animal. Admittedly tho, owing to his big muscles and ripped body, closeted Sherqueers fell in love with him and hyped him thru the roof, just like Yoel, Brock and every other ripped muscle bound fighter that comes along.

"old man Couture" didn't he win the heavyweight title after losing to Chuck? Then he whooped on a huge Gonzaga who had just killed Cro Cop. The Jeremy Horn fight was to avenge a loss an like the guy in video said, so damn underrated cause his ground game was way better then Chucks, same as Babalu's ground game who had just won 10 straight that included beating Shogun an Sonnen. Chuck is loved because he was a true fighter, an to the guy you replying to saying his striking overrated where he was considered top level in his era, thats like you taking away from Jack Dempsey, Jake Lamotta, Micky Ward, Ricky Hatton, Naseem Hamed career accomplishments. Or how about Arturo Gatti, he had good technique but still was "punching bag" a lot of times, thats why he is loved by so many cause he had heart an determination to either take you out or be taken out, Same as Chuck an Wand.

Chuck was using counter straight rights on charging opponents, the best overhand right ever (along with JDS's), his uppercut, his left hook...all was picture perfect technique. His head movement an footwork was bad, but his boxing offense was underrated by people like you just as much as it's overrated by the "just bleed" fans imo.

 

[VulcanNervPinch]

Coming soon to a quality MMA organization near you

http://www.mmanews.com/liddell-bellator/

 

[DM1982]

Cos Chuck sure as hell can't anymore

#CTE #memoryloss #Imadeamistakeandgotcaught #whatareyoutalkingaboutIneverfoughtRashad.....didI?

 

[Dorkman]

Chuck is remembered fondly in history. But yeah this was a definite knock on chuck during his career. He was accused more than once for having his thumbs sticking out with closed fists and would end up thumbing guys in the eyes with feeler punches kind of like jones would do by outstreching his hands. BJ Penn also had a notorious casr of it. People like to side with bj with greasegate but seem to completely forget he thumbed the shit out of George's eye in round 1 fight 1 in a chuck like manner.

 

[JfPuffNStuff]

Chuck is a legend but all I can remember when I here his name is him getting brutally KO’d three times then retiring.

 

[The Bard]

I've always tended to think this about Chuck as well, but then I remember the time he somehow outboxed prime Vitor Belford and I'm just confused and frustrated.

He also beat Overeem and Landi-Jons. People who say Chuck couldn't beat strikers are literally the worst critical thinkers on Sherdog, and that's saying something.

 

[KONG-D'SNT-TAP]

Chuck has beaten a who’s who list of mma fighters

 

[Dirge]

Kind of funny though...

Before his decision win over Belfort, Chuck wasn't very popular.

His record in the UFC at that point after the win was 7-1 with 5 decision wins.

5 decisions of of 7 wins at LHW... Who would have known he would have become a feared striker at that point.

After the Belfort fight, win or lose, he only had a single decision win.