UFC Hall of Famer and former World Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell has officially retired at today’s UFC 125 press conference, taking up a new position as an UFC executive. Liddell’s decision brings to a close a two year saga that has seen his friend and promoter Dana White publicly campaign for him to stop fighting.
Since 2008 White has repeatedly expressed concern at the toll successive knockout defeats were taking on the Iceman. White even went as far as to bench Liddell in 2009 after he was defeated by Shogun Rua, something that create a heated argument between White and Liddell’s trainer John Hackleman. Liddell successfully persuaded White to allow him to return to competition against Rich Franklin at UFC 115, where despite Liddell showing significant improvement in his conditioning he was again knocked out. Even after UFC 115 Liddell continued to refuse to rule out the possibility of further fights despite White making clear that he was willing to see Liddell leave the UFC rather than have him step inside the Octagon.
Today’s announcement sees Liddell become Executive Vice President for Business Development. Liddell has a degree in business and accounting and in recent years has played an active role in efforts to legalise the sport in new markets, experience that along with his celebrity should stand him in good stead for his new role. UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta explained that “Chuck will be involved in many different things as vice president of business development. He’ll be working on not only the obvious regulatory issues, fighter relations, but mainly new business development”. White stressed how important Liddell would be within the UFC, saying that
“He’s on level and on par with all the top executives…There’s about five or six of us, and Chuck Liddell is now one of them”..
White also took the opportunity to praise the contribution made by Liddell saying that “”For the last 10 years, more than 10 years, Chuck Liddell has been more than I can say. All the guys sitting up here, myself, my partners owe a lot to Chuck Liddell. He’s been, like I said, more than a friend, more than a fighter, more than a champion”. Liddell responded by thanking White and talking about his love of the sport, saying that “I love this sport and I’m excited going into a new stage in my life and keep promoting the best sport in the world and the sport I love”.
