Ready to feel old? It’s been 19 years since Chuck Liddell’s last knockout.
And by that, we mean one he’s DELIVERED, not one he’s been the recipient of. The latter were plentiful for him down the stretch in his career.
But on Dec. 30, 2006, 19 years ago, Liddell retained the light heavyweight title with a third-round knockout of arch rival Tito Ortiz. Their fight headlined UFC 66 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and at the time was the highest gate in MMA history.
Liddell’s win over Ortiz was his second. Ortiz also is a former UFC light heavyweight champion – as well as arguably the most made-fun-of fighter in UFC history thanks to his oft-quoted moments displaying the presumed utter dimness of the proverbial lights in the temporal cortex region.
Liddell’s wins over Ortiz bookended a seven-fight winning streak, all knockouts, that helped the UFC’s rise in popularity. But after the one at UFC 66, he closed his time in the UFC with a 1-5 run. Five months after he gave the world a belated holiday gift with his beatdown of Ortiz, Liddell lost his title to “Rampage” Jackson. He won only one more fight after that – a decision over Wanderlei Silva and stepped away after a 2010 knockout loss to Rich Franklin.
Liddell returned more than eight years later in a cash-grab trilogy fight with Ortiz and was knocked out in the first round. But the UFC 66 win over Ortiz was a big enough moment for him, as well as for UFC CEO Dana White and his famous dislike of Ortiz. White claims he has Liddell’s trunks and gloves from his first knockout of Ortiz framed and in his home to commemorate the joy of seeing Ortiz on the canvas.
Check out the UFC 66 fight from 19 years ago above, as well as some ancillary moments below.
