Chuck Liddell Speaks On Franklin, Oritz, And The New And Improved ‘Ice Man’

Mike Chiappetta has a great interview with the Iceman delving into topics such as his long layoff from fighting, his new opponent at UFC 115 on June 12, and of course, Tito Ortiz.

Coming off a very strange and somewhat anti-climatic season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ Chuck Liddell is back after a fourteen month break from fighting. He’ll make his return to the Octagon next Saturday facing a game Rich Franklin, someone also trying to climb the steep ladder at 205.

Something interesting that caught my eye was the way Chuck has seemingly revamped his lifestyle. Not just simple dietary changes, but a reevaluation about improving his game.

I feel great. One of things is that I realize I didn’t spend as much of my training camp just trying to get in shape; I spent it trying to get better at things and working on new things and getting my game to flow better. Working on my timing and concentrating on the things I need to be concentrating on instead of just getting in shape and getting through the workout.

Chuck also mentions that while both he and Rampage Jackson’s long layoffs were exactly fourteen months, it’s apples and oranges.

I’m not worried, and I’m not going to worry about it. My timing is on, my training is on, so I can’t see that affecting me in the fight. I don’t think it’s going to make a difference. Like I said, being in shape the whole time, it’s not like I’m cutting a bunch of weight. I didn’t take a year off and get fat. I’ve been in shape for a long time. I didn’t start my camp at 250. I started at 224.

On his long time rival, Ortiz, Chuck seemed to think Tito would back out from the get go. Maybe he’s just been spending too much time on the phone with Miss Cleo.

I knew he was going to back out. I knew it the first week we were there. I heard him say something like, ‘I have to be 100 percent if I fight Chuck.’ That just hit me wrong. I called Dana that day and said, ‘It sounds like he’s not going to fight me. What’s going on?’ Dana told me, ‘He signed the bout agreement, so don’t worry about it.’

Then a week-and-a-half later, I was told, ‘He may need to get neck surgery before he fights you.’ This was like 1 1/2 weeks in. I said, ‘What the hell is he doing here then? Why didn’t he get checked before he did this?’ I called Dana again, and again, he said, ‘He signed the bout agreement, so don’t worry.’ And then he did exactly what I thought he was going to do. He was just trying to get on TV, get his Punishment clothing line out there, and then walk away.

I got nothing to prove. I knocked him out twice, I’ll knock him out again, but I just don’t want him to screw me like that and do the show, get the advertising he wants and then walk away from it and then come back and still get a fight and get paid. If he’s coming back, he should have to fight me. I put up with him for six weeks.

Speaking of his new opponent, Liddell was asked if it was more difficult training to fight someone whom he has no animosity towards.

For a couple days it throws you, because it’s such a big change going from fighting someone I really want to hurt to someone I have a lot of respect for. I better be in shape and ready to go. You’re not going to get away with stuff with this guy. It’s not going to be good to show up out of shape. He’s always in shape. It motivates me in a different way, but just as much if not more so just because of his abilities.

Liddel also touched on switching up his striking a bit. Chuck has been working with American Top Team’s Howard Davis, as well as his old stand by, John Hackleman.

John brought him in for a reason. We’re known for power, heavy punches. That’s what we do. Howard is a stick-and-move kind of guy. Defense, don’t get hit, get in, tie him up, get out. So I’m trying to add some of that to game. Work on my defense, move a little more. It’s a good mix between what we do and what he does.