Kempo Chris
04-02-2003, 08:49 AM
Liddell's Frustration Continues : :
By Joe Hall (March 30, 2003)
Waiting and waiting and waiting.
With prospects of a light heavyweight showdown against UFC champion Tito Ortiz looking as bleak as ever, a once tolerant Chuck Liddell is finally voicing his discontent. The No. 1 challenger's restrained silence while Ortiz shined in the spotlight against less deserving contenders was broken again Thursday night, as Liddell rebuked the titleholder in Lemoore, California at World Extreme Cagefighting.
Both Ortiz and Liddell were in attendance at the event, which featured Frank Shamrock's return to the cage. During a break in the action, each fighter was asked to individually speak to the audience. Liddell says the WEC promoters wanted to maintain a "mellow" atmosphere, and asked him to avoid too much Tito talk.
"So I got up," said Liddell, Saturday afternoon in a phone interview with MaxFighting, "and I said, 'I'm fighting somebody else in June. From what I understand, Tito's not going to fight me in June, so I'll be fighting someone else. I don't know who.'
"And they asked me who I wanted to fight. I said, 'I want to fight Tito, but if it's not Tito, I want to fight Vanderlei Silva or somebody else. There's a lot of tough guys out there I can fight, but those are the two guys I'd really like to fight.'"
Liddell said he then left the cage, but would soon return after listening to Ortiz address the crowd: "[Tito] jumped over the cage, got in the ring and then started talking about how he was going to 'give me a loss' again. You know, like he did when he got in the ring after I fought Vitor. So I just went back in the ring, and said, 'Hey, this was the second time you've gotten in the ring and talked about giving me a loss. Why don't you step in the ring, so I can knock you out.' And I just walked out of the ring."
Ortiz wasn't finished, though. "And then he got back in," recalled Liddell, "and used one of the lines -- he always uses the same lines over and over again -- and said something about, 'Oh, that's the most words I've heard Chuck say in one sentence,' or whatever. I go, 'I think that's the third time I've seen him use that same line. He can't come up with anything original.'"
The fighters were not near coming to blows, said Liddell, but his irritation for not getting a title shot was lucid.
"I don't talk a lot of **** about anybody," Liddell said. "I never talk like that about anybody before a fight. But he won't fight me. He's ducking me. He's trying not to fight me. He's doing everything he can not to fight me.
"I don't want to hurt the sport, either, by starting a fight with him in the middle of a ring and start a little riot going. If something had started in there, there would have been a riot. The sport doesn't need that. I think that's one of the things he's doing too: He's putting himself above the sport. He thinks he's more important than the sport. I mean, I love this sport. I love fighting. I think we need to have big fights. We can't have stuff like boxing, where guys are dodging people, just avoiding fighting them. If he doesn't want to risk getting hurt, he should go make movies and be a pretend badass, like he is."
Although the scene in Lemoore has only stirred the excitement surrounding a potential clash between the two pugilists, Liddell clearly states that he's not trying to hype a bout against Ortiz. "I'm just trying to get the fight, doing anything to get him to get in the ring with me," he said. "I'm not trying to pump up anything. I'm not a big talker. I don't do a lot of stuff like this. But, if that's what I have to do to get him in the ring ….
"I'd be more than happy just to walk in the ring and fight him. Just prove my point out there without having to talk about it. He likes doing his talking outside the ring; I like doing my talking in the ring. I fight the best guys. I go out there and I perform. He doesn't want to fight. I don't even think he likes fighting. Like I said, he wants to be a Hollywood Badass."
Whenever the subject of Liddell comes up, Ortiz invariably and understandably discusses his desire for a considerable payday. By this point, however, Liddell says it's not about the money to him.
"I'd fight him for free," he said. "I'll fight him just to beat him."
Liddell is dead serious, but he also realizes the probability of fighting for free isn't likely. Even though the offer may not urge Ortiz into the cage, it plainly demonstrates Liddell's yearning to tangle with the titleholder.
"Yeah, of course, I'd love a million dollar payday too," he said. "I'd love a boxing-type payday too. I don't see where he's done that much more in the sport, other than being the UFC's poster boy. I don't think he's done that much more in the sport than anybody else.
"I mean, when was the last time he fought a top-ranked guy? I've been the number one contender since … when Vitor fell out, I should have fought him back in September [2001] when he fought Vladimir. When he fought Ken, I should have fought. I was the number one contender. No disrespect to Ken. Ken's a tough guy, but he wasn't the number one contender at the time. Actually, I think it was his first fight at 205.
"I don't see [Tito], from what I understand, moving the numbers all that much either. And he's got all that push behind him. He's got all that push from the UFC behind him. He's got all press they've done on him. They've pushed him really hard for a long time."
A deluge of rumors and allegations have flooded the MMA community concerning why Ortiz hasn't signed to fight the No. 1 challenger. He says he's been hurt, isn't ready and wants adequate compensation. Some have supported him, others haven't. Those disagreeing with the champ's refusal to sign say he's ducking Liddell. In the past, even the UFC has been charged with protecting Ortiz by precluding a showdown against Liddell.
Out of all the possibilities, Liddell has his finger on what he thinks has been the single biggest reason he hasn't met Ortiz in the cage: "I think it's because he doesn't want it. Before, I think, they were protecting him a little bit. Now, he just doesn't want it. Now the UFC wants it real bad, and he doesn't want to do it. He doesn't want a fight that he considers a tough fight."
Asked if he thinks he will ever fight Ortiz, Liddell said, "Not if he has anything to do about it."
It's now apparent the two will not fight each other in the June UFC, but Liddell says he'll be on the card regardless. He's not sure whom he'll face, saying, "That's up to them; that's up to the UFC. They'll find somebody."
Ortiz's current declination to sign to fight Liddell has spurred cries to strip the champion of the title. Liddell says it's not time for that just yet, and sounds as though he's still holding onto the hope that the fight will somehow come together.
"Well, eventually, they'd have to strip him," said "The Iceman," if Ortiz never signs. "I don't think that's right now. It's only been six months since he fought.
"I want to take it from him. I want to fight him for it. I don't want it just being taken away; I want to take it from him."
By Joe Hall (March 30, 2003)
Waiting and waiting and waiting.
With prospects of a light heavyweight showdown against UFC champion Tito Ortiz looking as bleak as ever, a once tolerant Chuck Liddell is finally voicing his discontent. The No. 1 challenger's restrained silence while Ortiz shined in the spotlight against less deserving contenders was broken again Thursday night, as Liddell rebuked the titleholder in Lemoore, California at World Extreme Cagefighting.
Both Ortiz and Liddell were in attendance at the event, which featured Frank Shamrock's return to the cage. During a break in the action, each fighter was asked to individually speak to the audience. Liddell says the WEC promoters wanted to maintain a "mellow" atmosphere, and asked him to avoid too much Tito talk.
"So I got up," said Liddell, Saturday afternoon in a phone interview with MaxFighting, "and I said, 'I'm fighting somebody else in June. From what I understand, Tito's not going to fight me in June, so I'll be fighting someone else. I don't know who.'
"And they asked me who I wanted to fight. I said, 'I want to fight Tito, but if it's not Tito, I want to fight Vanderlei Silva or somebody else. There's a lot of tough guys out there I can fight, but those are the two guys I'd really like to fight.'"
Liddell said he then left the cage, but would soon return after listening to Ortiz address the crowd: "[Tito] jumped over the cage, got in the ring and then started talking about how he was going to 'give me a loss' again. You know, like he did when he got in the ring after I fought Vitor. So I just went back in the ring, and said, 'Hey, this was the second time you've gotten in the ring and talked about giving me a loss. Why don't you step in the ring, so I can knock you out.' And I just walked out of the ring."
Ortiz wasn't finished, though. "And then he got back in," recalled Liddell, "and used one of the lines -- he always uses the same lines over and over again -- and said something about, 'Oh, that's the most words I've heard Chuck say in one sentence,' or whatever. I go, 'I think that's the third time I've seen him use that same line. He can't come up with anything original.'"
The fighters were not near coming to blows, said Liddell, but his irritation for not getting a title shot was lucid.
"I don't talk a lot of **** about anybody," Liddell said. "I never talk like that about anybody before a fight. But he won't fight me. He's ducking me. He's trying not to fight me. He's doing everything he can not to fight me.
"I don't want to hurt the sport, either, by starting a fight with him in the middle of a ring and start a little riot going. If something had started in there, there would have been a riot. The sport doesn't need that. I think that's one of the things he's doing too: He's putting himself above the sport. He thinks he's more important than the sport. I mean, I love this sport. I love fighting. I think we need to have big fights. We can't have stuff like boxing, where guys are dodging people, just avoiding fighting them. If he doesn't want to risk getting hurt, he should go make movies and be a pretend badass, like he is."
Although the scene in Lemoore has only stirred the excitement surrounding a potential clash between the two pugilists, Liddell clearly states that he's not trying to hype a bout against Ortiz. "I'm just trying to get the fight, doing anything to get him to get in the ring with me," he said. "I'm not trying to pump up anything. I'm not a big talker. I don't do a lot of stuff like this. But, if that's what I have to do to get him in the ring ….
"I'd be more than happy just to walk in the ring and fight him. Just prove my point out there without having to talk about it. He likes doing his talking outside the ring; I like doing my talking in the ring. I fight the best guys. I go out there and I perform. He doesn't want to fight. I don't even think he likes fighting. Like I said, he wants to be a Hollywood Badass."
Whenever the subject of Liddell comes up, Ortiz invariably and understandably discusses his desire for a considerable payday. By this point, however, Liddell says it's not about the money to him.
"I'd fight him for free," he said. "I'll fight him just to beat him."
Liddell is dead serious, but he also realizes the probability of fighting for free isn't likely. Even though the offer may not urge Ortiz into the cage, it plainly demonstrates Liddell's yearning to tangle with the titleholder.
"Yeah, of course, I'd love a million dollar payday too," he said. "I'd love a boxing-type payday too. I don't see where he's done that much more in the sport, other than being the UFC's poster boy. I don't think he's done that much more in the sport than anybody else.
"I mean, when was the last time he fought a top-ranked guy? I've been the number one contender since … when Vitor fell out, I should have fought him back in September [2001] when he fought Vladimir. When he fought Ken, I should have fought. I was the number one contender. No disrespect to Ken. Ken's a tough guy, but he wasn't the number one contender at the time. Actually, I think it was his first fight at 205.
"I don't see [Tito], from what I understand, moving the numbers all that much either. And he's got all that push behind him. He's got all that push from the UFC behind him. He's got all press they've done on him. They've pushed him really hard for a long time."
A deluge of rumors and allegations have flooded the MMA community concerning why Ortiz hasn't signed to fight the No. 1 challenger. He says he's been hurt, isn't ready and wants adequate compensation. Some have supported him, others haven't. Those disagreeing with the champ's refusal to sign say he's ducking Liddell. In the past, even the UFC has been charged with protecting Ortiz by precluding a showdown against Liddell.
Out of all the possibilities, Liddell has his finger on what he thinks has been the single biggest reason he hasn't met Ortiz in the cage: "I think it's because he doesn't want it. Before, I think, they were protecting him a little bit. Now, he just doesn't want it. Now the UFC wants it real bad, and he doesn't want to do it. He doesn't want a fight that he considers a tough fight."
Asked if he thinks he will ever fight Ortiz, Liddell said, "Not if he has anything to do about it."
It's now apparent the two will not fight each other in the June UFC, but Liddell says he'll be on the card regardless. He's not sure whom he'll face, saying, "That's up to them; that's up to the UFC. They'll find somebody."
Ortiz's current declination to sign to fight Liddell has spurred cries to strip the champion of the title. Liddell says it's not time for that just yet, and sounds as though he's still holding onto the hope that the fight will somehow come together.
"Well, eventually, they'd have to strip him," said "The Iceman," if Ortiz never signs. "I don't think that's right now. It's only been six months since he fought.
"I want to take it from him. I want to fight him for it. I don't want it just being taken away; I want to take it from him."