Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2009
Known as "The Iceman," Chuck Liddell was an American mixed martial artist (MMA) who fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship and compiled a 21-8 record before retiring in late 2010. He returned for one more match in 2018, losing to Tito Ortiz in a first-round knockout.
A former UFC light heavyweight champion, Liddell has an extensive background in kickboxing and collegiate wrestling. Along with fellow UFC fighter, Randy Couture, Liddell is widely credited for bringing mixed martial arts into the mainstream of American sports and entertainment.
Liddell was a four-year starter on the football team at San Marcos High School, then wrestled at Cal Poly from 1988-93 and graduated with a bachelor's degree in business/accounting in 1995.
After compiling a 20-2 record as an amateur kickboxer with 16 knockouts, Liddell made his UFC debut in 1998 with a decision victory over Noe Hernandez. On April 16, 2005 at UFC 52, Liddell earned a first-round knockout against Couture, making him the new UFC light heavyweight champion, a title he would successfully defend five times over two years.
Six of his eight losses came against men who held a UFC title at one point in their careers. Liddell lost five of his final six bouts, including the last three by knockout. In his final bout, Liddell was stopped by Rich Franklin with five seconds left in the first round at UFC 115 in Vancouver, B.C. on June 12, 2010.
He ended his fighting career on December 29, 2010, and became Vice President of Business Development within the UFC. Liddell announced on April 14, 2018, that he was coming out of retirement to target a third fight with Tito Ortiz. The fight took place on November 24, 2018 under Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions. Liddell lost the fight via knockout in the first round, finishing his professional career with a 21-9 mark.
Liddell, 50, has written a book, "Iceman: My Fighting Life," which spent multiple weeks on the New York Times' best seller list, and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on July 10, 2009, in Las Vegas. In 2007, he became the first UFC fighter to be on the cover of ESPN The Magazine.
