Is "The Iceman" Finally Done? Chuck Liddell Says "Maybe Not"

As hard as this is to fathom, it appears that UFC legend and Hall of Fame member Chuck Liddell still hasn’t made up his mind on whether or not he’s retiring. The man once known and feared around the world as “The Iceman” hasn’t won a fight since 2007, and he’s 1-5 in his last six fights, with four of those losses coming by way of (T)KO. Despite protests from his trainers and even UFC President Dana White, his close friend, Liddell recently told the Star Tribune that his future is still uncertain.

Here’s what Liddell had to say: “It’s about how I feel and if I want to go back and make a run at a title and how far away that would be. And whatever I think is left in the tank. I’ve been doing PR stuff for the last couple months, and I’ll finally be home for the month. I’ll probably decide sometime in September, when I have time to relax… I don’t feel like there’s anything left to prove. I still love fighting, but there’s a lot that goes into it. Maybe it might be time. I’m just not sure yet…You know, I’ve enjoyed the ride. No matter what, I’ve had a good time. I never expected it, but I’ve gotten paid a lot to do what I love. There are no complaints.”

Part of me can understand where Liddell is coming from. I mean, there was no lull period, no gentle decline, Liddell was the baddest man on the planet one second, and immediately after that he goes on to lose five of his last six. Before his loss to Quinton Jackson in 2007, he was one of the most dominant UFC Light Heavyweight Champions the UFC had ever seen, with four successful defenses of his title, all of which he finished, with his last three coming by way of big-time (T)KO’s. His losing streak really did a number on what was, up to that point at least, a nearly-unblemished record. I can certainly empathize with Liddell’s desire to rebuild his legacy after it’s taken such a beating, or at the very least, to go out on his sword and with a win. But that seems more and more unlikely.

Even at his best, Chuck Liddell can’t take a punch anymore. Liddell fought a fantastic fight against his last opponent, Rich Franklin, up until he got overzealous and walked right into a big punch. Liddell has thrown caution to the wind when he thinks he’s winning since his career started, it’s what made him so great and paradoxically it’s why he’s lost so many fights lately. This is one dog that can’t learn a new trick: I honestly believe that Chuck Liddell will never be able to remain calm when he thinks victory is imminent. Liddell just goes for it, every time, no matter what. He goes for it, and it served him well for such a long time. But time’s up.

Liddell’s body is simply too beaten and battered to ever take him back to the top of the division. He’s absorbed too many hard shots throughout his career; he’s had his lights turned off several times too many. His fight with Franklin was heartbreaking enough, I don’t even want to think of what a rematch with Rashad Evans would be like, or a match with Lyoto Machida, or a match with Jon Jones, or a match with…well, with pretty much anyone near the top of the division. I respect Chuck Liddell a lot, I don’t think anything will ever fully tarnish his reign of dominance, but he’s fooling himself if he thinks that his body can stand up to the elite in the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division, which was always a strong division but now boasts all the best talent in the world competing for arguably the UFC’s most coveted championship.

It’s just not worth it anymore, Chuck. Please, for the sake of all your fans…give it up already.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think about Liddell possibly coming back to the Octagon one last time?