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Chuck Liddell’s trainer John Hackleman hopes and expects his long-time pupil will be hanging up his gloves for good following the stoppage loss to Rich Franklin in the headline bout of UFC 115. It was Liddell’s third consecutive stoppage loss and put him 1-5 in his last six outings.
"You can't make someone quit. But definitely when I looked down at him in the cage, my stomach ... it just didn't feel good,” Hackleman told Sports Illustrated. "Looking down at him cut like that, broke my heart."
Hackleman said a “warrior mentality” can be blamed for Liddell’s latest loss. "All the game planning went out the window and the warrior in him took over. He dropped his hands, took his chin up and started swinging for the fences. That's the way he went in and that's the way he went out. That's just him."
Liddell has not commented on the loss yet and has made no statements on his career or future direction. Hackleman told Sports Illustrated he has not spoken to his fighter about the aftermath of UFC 115 but expects to do so when they meet in Las Vegas this week for The Ultimate Fighter season 11 finale.
UFC president Dana White told Fighters Only prior to the fight that Liddell would almost certainly be done if he lost. While he stopped short of saying he would force him to retire - that didn’t work last time - he does consider Liddell a friend, is genuinely concerned for him and does not want to see him fight again.
Last time White tried forcing retirement upon Liddell he was met with stubborn resistance. Liddell accepted the he had suffered two bad back-to-back stoppages (Rashad Evans and Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua) but contended that “it wasn’t like I was getting my ass kicked”.
If Liddell is looking to continue fighting, expect him to use the same reasoning again. He looked good in the fight against Franklin and had the upper hand prior to the fight-finishing shot that dropped him. But there is no point winning 14 minutes and 55 seconds of a fight if your chin has become susceptible to punches that previously would not have hurt.
That is not to take away from Franklin’s finish - we have seen him punch with power before - but several years ago that shot would probably not have had the same effect. White and Hackleman are not alone in hoping Liddell calls it a day. He has a legion of fans around the world who would like to see him draw a line under his distinguished fighting career and move into another role with the UFC.
"You can't make someone quit. But definitely when I looked down at him in the cage, my stomach ... it just didn't feel good,” Hackleman told Sports Illustrated. "Looking down at him cut like that, broke my heart."
Hackleman said a “warrior mentality” can be blamed for Liddell’s latest loss. "All the game planning went out the window and the warrior in him took over. He dropped his hands, took his chin up and started swinging for the fences. That's the way he went in and that's the way he went out. That's just him."
Liddell has not commented on the loss yet and has made no statements on his career or future direction. Hackleman told Sports Illustrated he has not spoken to his fighter about the aftermath of UFC 115 but expects to do so when they meet in Las Vegas this week for The Ultimate Fighter season 11 finale.
UFC president Dana White told Fighters Only prior to the fight that Liddell would almost certainly be done if he lost. While he stopped short of saying he would force him to retire - that didn’t work last time - he does consider Liddell a friend, is genuinely concerned for him and does not want to see him fight again.
Last time White tried forcing retirement upon Liddell he was met with stubborn resistance. Liddell accepted the he had suffered two bad back-to-back stoppages (Rashad Evans and Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua) but contended that “it wasn’t like I was getting my ass kicked”.
If Liddell is looking to continue fighting, expect him to use the same reasoning again. He looked good in the fight against Franklin and had the upper hand prior to the fight-finishing shot that dropped him. But there is no point winning 14 minutes and 55 seconds of a fight if your chin has become susceptible to punches that previously would not have hurt.
That is not to take away from Franklin’s finish - we have seen him punch with power before - but several years ago that shot would probably not have had the same effect. White and Hackleman are not alone in hoping Liddell calls it a day. He has a legion of fans around the world who would like to see him draw a line under his distinguished fighting career and move into another role with the UFC.
I wouldn't doubt what Chuck doesn't beg Dana to at least fight Tito again before he is gone.
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