Chuck Liddell wouldn't even rank today

[faustian]

Didn't Chuck actually knock down people while he was backing?
I think to recall a fight where Chuck was "back peddling" and going backwards he knocked down the opponent.

The mans stand up was sweet for mma.
Never saw much of his ground game because he never had to go there.
Dammit I miss his fights now.

 

[lsa]

I'm 32, and watched Chuck fight live.

Love all the excuses "yeah he'd train with new guys to be a new guy too" or "he would drop weight and beat bisping!" lol fantasy land :icon_lol::icon_lol:

Face it, nostalgia is one hell of a drug. Chuck was tank abbot with TDD, that's it.

wow... you are stupid for real.
For a second I thought you were trolling.

 

[BirdySOHC]

Hard to admit because I loved watching Chuck fight, but really he was just a tough bro who banged. Striking has evolved now to the point where every ranked fighter would watch tape on him, pick and angle to step away from the overhand right and then take out Chuck's chin, even in Chuck's prime.

Watching Firas's video of how Rory picked apart Woodley demonstrated how far striking in this sport has come. It's almost on par with boxing now.

So how do you explain Rumble? Why don't people pick him apart at LHW?

Prime Chuck vs. Rumble @ rumbleweight would be the best fight ever.

 

[lsa]

Thank you kind sir.
Thats a thing of beauty but according to TS its nothing more than Tank Abbott with TDD...

 

[Azure]

I want to believe you are trolling, but I fear you honestly believe what you posted...

This ^^^^

 

[BirdySOHC]

Thank you kind sir.
Thats a thing of beauty but according to TS its nothing more than Tank Abbott with TDD...

Chuck KO'd Sobral backing up too with a head-kick

 

[Truebeliever]

I watched him in his prime, genius.

You are repeating myths. Urban legends. Like Chuck had some magic chin. Bullshit. That Franklin shot would have put him down at any point of his career.

lol at great technique. He could not handle a modern fighter at all. Overhand right vs a a modern fighter. No. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.

Machida would put a prime Chuck down too. He would knock him out. Weidman would beat him as well. We really should be asking if he would even be ranked at MW today.

The first statement is just wrong. We saw chuck eat countless shots that landed garder then the franklin shot. Chuck was what 40 coming off 3 ko losses before Franklin? Your high if you think his chin was still as good as it was in his early 30s.

 

[lsa]

Chuck KO'd Sobral backing up too with a head-kick

thanks.
I cant remember that one. and I saw that fight.
I am getting old.

 

[Halge]

Current LHW rankings UFC:

Jon Jones
Alexander Gustafsson
Daniel Cormier
Rashad Evans
Glover Teixeira
Anthony Johnson
Phil Davis
Ryan Bader
Dan Henderson
Mauricio Rua
Ovince St Preux

Current LHW rankings Fight Matrix:

Jon Jones
Daniel Cormier
Rashad Evans
Anthony Johnson
Alexander Gustafsson
Dan Henderson
Glover Teixeira
Phil Davis
Ryan Bader
Lil Nog

There are guys there prime Liddell could/would beat.

 

[sohocanaan22]

I don't feel like Chuck was past his prime when he lost to...JARDINE....I feel like he just wasn't on [his] level.

We've gone from his struggles against today's crop to the above. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

The dude was mean and absolutely fearless. Never looked anything but angry when the shit was flying. The will to win is huge. Combine it with fantastic TDD and a granite chin? And he wouldn't even rank?

Cain is the only guy now who never goes wide-eyed and drop-jawed under heavy fire. (Can't stand him, but Nick Diaz deserves a mention.)

 

[BillDance2293]

I'm a huge chuck fan, yeah he faded fast, but that doesn't take away the aura he had around him during his prime.

It speaks volumes that even now this thread has over 10 pages and the man has been retired a while now

Everyone loves chuck either as a fan or hater

 

[MCS]

Chuck & Hack taught Glover how to strike...Chuck was way ahead of Glover.

that's a tough style Chuck had, tire yourself while trying to get/keep him down, chase him and get countered, go blow for blow, you likely lose. Plus, Chuck had a long reach and was a big, tall LHW for current standards.

he'd lose to Jones, DC and Gus, probably beats the rest in his prime.

 

[Phillyz]

If Chuck wouldn't rank today I guess Vitor and Wanderli wouldn't either

 

[Herbie Verstank]

There is something very important that hasn't been stated yet ... Chuck would have much better training if he were a 20 year old up and comer in today's MMA world.

Was just about to say this. Imagine his gifts with today's training camps? Think if all the all time greats were just starting out today.

 

[savemgs]

Yeah there's no way Chuck could compete with super well-rounded and highly skilled killers like Phil Davis, Glover Teixeira and Ryan Bader.

PS: You do know that Hendo and Shogun are still in the lhw top 10, right? And Feijao and L'il Nog in the top 15?

And Cro cop just got a win over a top 15 HW.

 

[wilKO]

Love how this turned into a Chuck tribute thread.

 

[iowamma2012]

None of those guys mean much today. And if you think Chuck would stand a chance with modern Vitor or Overeem, it further proves your delusion.

Chuck destroyed 25 year old Vitor.

LOL

Modern Overeem is a 250 lbs HW.

your argument is poor

Prime Chuck would do just fine in todays LHW division.

He would probably be #5 in the division. The guys I think that would give him fits would be Jones, Gus, Cormier, and Rumble. I just don't think he could deal with the reach and size advantages of these guys. Cormier is really a HW and Rumble is a huge LHW. Jones/Gus have the reach and the game plan to pick him apart.

 

[Catsmasher 5000]

Lol

 

[Deleted member 110072]

HW has certainly become a larger division in recent years although I don't think that would be as big an issue with Chuck who was harder to smother and had a long reach. The big issue today would be the same issue everyone mentioned back in the day, Chuck always had problems with quality strikers.

 

[faustian]

HW has certainly become a larger division in recent years although I don't think that would be as big an issue with Chuck who was harder to smother and had a long reach. The big issue today would be the same issue everyone mentioned back in the day, Chuck always had problems with quality strikers.

Chuck besmirched Mezger, Vitor, Wand and Reem on the feet