Getty Chuck Liddell appears before the 17th annual Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on June 27, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
UFC legend Chuck “The Ice Man” Liddell recently gave his thoughts on the proposed hybrid boxing and MMA fight between boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and UFC’s Khabib Nurmagomedov. The hybrid match would feature 11 rounds of boxing, and the 12th round, the final round, would turn the fight into an MMA bout.
Recently, The Ice Man was asked by TMZ for his thoughts on the match. He said, “I think that’s funny. But can we start with the mixed martial arts round? That round one, [Khabib] will be just fine.” Liddell said that Mayweather had “no chance” in the MMA portion of the fight.
The talk of Mayweather vs. Nurmagomedov is fun for fans and analysts, but in reality, it may never happen. Nurmagomedov is defending his UFC lightweight title against Tony Ferguson in April at UFC 249. He is also linked to a rematch with Conor McGregor as well. Both men haven’t competed professionally in each other’s combat sport either, and Mayweather is 43 years old.
There have been many talks about Mayweather fighting his rival McGregor in an MMA match, but that hasn’t come to fruition either. The two men fought in a boxing bout in 2017, and McGregor revealed that they had a verbal agreement to rematch in MMA.
As for a theoretical venue of the hybrid match, Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz has said that there is an offer from Saudi businessmen for Khabib to fight in Saudia Arabia.
Follow the Heavy on UFC Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Liddell Reveals His Retirement Status & His Interest in the WWE
In the same interview, The Ice Man confirmed his MMA retirement status. When it comes to fighting, Liddell said, “I am officially retired right now. For now.”
He was then asked if he’s interested in the WWE. “Of course. I’d still do WWE, still do pro wrestling, that would be a lot of fun, I’d like that.” In terms of an opponent he’d like to wrestle, The Ice Man said The Rock would be his dream matchup. He’s impressed with what “those guys do.”
Liddell Came out of Retirement and Fought His Longtime Rival Tito Ortiz
After more than eight years retired, Liddell decided to step into the cage once more. At 47 years old, The Ice Man fought his rival Tito Ortiz for the third time. Liddell dominated their first two fights, winning by KO in their first match in 2004 at UFC 47, and then TKO in 2006 at UFC 66.
But The Ice Man had a much different experience fighting Ortiz for the third time. The two met on November 24, 2018 in an MMA event put on by Golden Boy Promotions. Ortiz, who was 43 at the time of their rematch, knocked Liddell out in the first round.
The Ice Man hasn’t fought since. Ortiz has fought once since that win, and it was another victory for the man known as “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy.” He defeated Alberto El Patron at Combate Americas 51 by first-round rear-naked choke.
But Ortiz was caught up in some controversy after the bout. Click the link below to read about it.
READ NEXT: UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz Responds to Drug-Test Fiasco