The Iceman Speaketh

[The Ensanity]

Originally posted by Piedra
Instead of watching an ass kicking for the third time to sakuraba. I would like to see quinton or chuck vs. wanderlei but it is obvious they dse is protecting yoshida and wanderlei if quinton doesnt ko quickly arona is going to be a long long fight.

I heard that Saku39 BEGGED for Silva...he is hell bent on avenging his loses...that what I heard

[Tanner Rhoden]

Originally posted by The Ensanity
I heard that Saku39 BEGGED for Silva...he is hell bent on avenging his loses...that what I heard

You are correct

[mmafanman]

All I know is that I would love to see Chuck and Rampage throw down. Either of those guys will beat Silva, IMO. That would be an epic final.

[Bluecifer]

Originally posted by mmafanman
All I know is that I would love to see Chuck and Rampage throw down. Either of those guys will beat Silva, IMO. That would be an epic final.

I agree with you. Silva gets stunned frequently, even by non-strikers, and would get KTFO by either of these guys.

[Bluecifer]

Interview w/ Chuck "the Iceman" Liddell (part 2)
Reported By: Chris Colderley - 07.11.2003 02:21 AM

Part II – An ice breaker with “the Iceman,” Chuck Liddell
By Chris Colderley ©

Boxing Insider talks with Chuck Liddell

*************.com: You have trained with both Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture, who has the better chance to win that fight?

Chuck Liddell: It just depends, I don’t know. Couture, I think I rolled with him for five minutes – one five minute go. That’s about it, other than fighting him. And, Tito, I haven’t trained with him in two years. I don’t know it could go either way.

*************.com: It just depends on the night?

Chuck Liddell: Yeah, it depends on the night and who is on.

*************.com: You have taken on everybody the UFC has put in front of you. You fought Sorbal – you stepped aside from a title shot and fought Sorbal. And, you also fought Randy Couture. Why are you so driven to stay busy and take such risks with your career?

Chuck Liddell: I actually enjoy fighting. I enjoy the competition and I also think it keeps me sharper if I am busier. I don’t like having six months between fights. When I fought Randy that was six months between fights, and I don’t like having that much time. It’s just too much time in between for me. I like to fight every three or four months, at the least. If I am healthy, I would like to fight every two months.



Photo: UFC.tv


*************.com: That would take its toll!

Chuck Liddell: Yeah, I need some time off here and there, but every three months is perfect for me as long as I don’t have any major injuries. I get a month off, two months training . . . I train during that time off, but it’s not like training for a fight.

*************.com: You have said in the past that training for the sake of training doesn’t work for you. You need a fight?

Chuck Liddell: I need a goal. I need something. Training for the sake of training? I like to do it, but it’s just not the same. It’s more difficult for me to push myself as hard. I like going in [the gym], working out, sparring, and rolling around. I like lifting weights, but doing high intensity stuff is what’s hard when you don’t have a fight coming up.

*************.com: Let me ask you about the fight with Couture? Almost everyone picked you to win, why was Couture so successful?

Chuck Liddell: He had a game plan and he stuck to it. I came out there, and I don’t think I had a very good night. I looked at the fight afterwards, and I just didn’t feel like it was me out there. For one reason or another, whether it was the way he fought me or him or the combination of me fighting badly and him or it was him making me fight badly maybe, it just really wasn’t [me]. I had a bad night I think.

*************.com: Some people have speculated that you focused too much on wrestling and went away from your striking. Do you think that played a part?

Chuck Liddell: I could have, but I try to stay balanced with my training all the time. Honestly, it’s hard for me to pick just one thing. I pick out quite a few things, when I win a fight that I thought I did badly. Not to mention when I lose a fight there is any number of things I thought I could have done better – I should have done.

*************.com: You know that every single fighter in the Pride Grand Prix has watched – or will watch – the Couture fight, what are you going to do to avoid those loopholes in your fight game?

Chuck Liddell: Hopefully, I will fight like I normally do, and they won’t be there. I will never fight the same way again! I prove that every time I fight, and I think I come back better after losing. I am better after each time I win, I think, but I will come back better this time. I won’t make the same mistakes. I will be ready, if they want to come at me with the same game plan!

*************.com: I spoke to Matt Lindland. We were talking about the match with Couture and his training sessions with you. He said, to paraphrase, people underestimate Chuck; he’s one of the first guys that is really a complete martial artist. He wrestled in college, and he developed his striking. Everybody views him as a striker, but Chuck is also a really good wrestler. How did you manage to integrate your cross training? How did that combination [of wrestling and striking] come about?

Chuck Liddell: I had done martial arts since I was a kid and I had done striking – it always interested me. I wrestled in high school and then college, and I got away from it [martial arts training] a little bit. I was still training in the martial arts, sparring with whatever groups were sparring. When I was done with college, I wanted to keep competing, but I wanted to get into something different. I ran into a guy that did kickboxing in John Hackleman, and we started training together. I did a couple of boxing matches and about twenty-two kickboxing matches, and then went to the UFC.

*************.com: How important has John Hackleman been to your development?

Chuck Liddell: He transformed me from a karate guy to more of a kickboxing style. He’s very important. I have been training with him for about eleven years now . . . I think he’s a great trainer. He and I are really close.

*************.com: What are your future plans? I know you have the Pride Grand Prix coming up, but where do you expect to be in two years?

Chuck Liddell: In two years, I still expect to be fighting. I would like to have won the Grand Prix, and have the UFC title. Get either a rematch with Randy [Couture] or a fight with Tito [Ortiz] depending on who wins. Then, after that, I’d like to get a fight with the other one.

Then? I don’t know. I’d just keep fighting whoever was up-and-coming at the time until I felt like I couldn’t compete anymore.

*************.com: I don’t know if it has been discussed, but what happens if you win the Pride Grand Prix? What is your status with the UFC and what will be your status with Pride?

Chuck Liddell: I am still contracted out as a UFC fighter. I am pretty sure that’s how it worked out. I am going over there as the UFC [representative] invading Pride. What the deal is I think: I am going over there and fighting a couple of times and they are going to send a couple of guys over to the UFC. That’s what they are trying to work out.

*************.com: You will be like Mark Coleman was with Pride. He went in and fought in the Grand Prix and then if he wanted another contract, they would sit down and negotiate.

Chuck Liddell: Right.

*************.com: Where do you think mixed martial arts will be in the next five years? Where would you like to see it?

Chuck Liddell: I would like to see it keep growing in popularity. The biggest thing I would like to see is more mainstream media coverage. That would be nice. We are starting to get more and more, but it would be nice to get, at least our really big fights, mentioned on Sports Center or something [like that] on TV. Or, actually, just have a show – somewhere people could watch it – on free TV in the next year or so. I think that’s what we need for the sport to grow and get a bigger base of fans is people being able to see and not have to pay for it before they have ever watched it. A lot of people have a hard time buying something they have never seen before. Once people see it, they will be hooked.

*************.com: Leading up to the last few shows, when you couldn’t get a shot at the light heavyweight title, were you happy with the job of marketing that you did and the UFC did to promote you?

Chuck Liddell: I can’t complain about it. I mean, I am not a marquee guy, but I do my best to promote. I am sure they do what is right also.

*************.com: Ironically, after the Couture fight you still might be the most popular fighter in the UFC, at least among the mixed martial arts community.

Chuck Liddell: I don’t know about that. I am still just a fighter.

*************.com: Before you go is there anything you would like to add – upcoming training, news about your gym, or how to contact you?

Chuck Liddell: They can check out my websites: www.iceman.tv or www.chuckliddell.com, and they can e-mail me for training and other stuff. I try to keep it updated on what I am doing.

*************.com: Chuck, best of luck with your training and preparation. I hope that all goes well. I am looking forward to seeing you go over to Japan and dominate.

Chuck Liddell: I am planning on it.

*************.com: Take care.

Chuck Liddell: Thank you.

For the latest news on Chuck Liddell and “Iceman” merchandise, visit:

http://www.chuckliddell.com
http://www.iceman.tv

Chris Colderley is a freelance writer and a *************.com contributor.

[The Ensanity]

Thanks!!!

[Zen]

Gotta love this guy. I wouldn't mind one bit if the won the GP.

[Bluecifer]

I would love it it he or Sak won! However I'll be happy if either of them makes it past the first round!