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Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz share a deep-seated animosity. The former UFC superstars have fought each other three times, with all of them being as electrifying as their first meeting.
No other rivalry sparked as much interest as when they were originally scheduled to fight for the third time at UFC 115. Both men repeatedly exchanged harsh words, and one of them even vowed to "kill" the other.
It's been more than 17 years since they first shared the UFC octagon, and yet, there is no love lost between the two.
In this article, we take a look at three reasons why Liddell vs. Ortiz is one of the greatest rivalries in MMA history.
#1 All three fights between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz ended in devastating fashion
Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz collided for the first time at UFC 47 in April 2004. 'The Iceman' was rehired by the promotion following his brief stint with Pride FC and was pitted against Ortiz, who lost his title to Randy Couture in his previous fight.
After a much-anticipated build-up, it was Liddell who emerged victorious when he dropped Ortiz with a flurry of vicious strikes.
Following UFC 47, Ortiz was on the road to redemption. He registered five consecutive victories and earned his rematch opposite Liddell at UFC 66. In the third round of the fight, Liddell unleashed heavy ground and pound on Ortiz to defend his light heavyweight strap for the fourth time.
The trilogy bout between Liddell and Ortiz transpired with Golden Boy Promotions in 2018. This time around, 'The Huntington Beach Bad Boy' successfully exacted his revenge on Liddell, knocking him out in the first round. At the time, Liddell and Ortiz were 48 and 43-years-old, respectively.
#2 Chuck Liddell said he would try to "kill" Tito Ortiz ahead of UFC 115
Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz 3 was originally meant to take place at UFC 115 in 2010. However, the bout was canceled after Ortiz sustained a neck injury.
In the lead up to the fight, Ortiz claimed that his arch nemesis was suffering with an alcohol addiction, which infuriated Liddell. During an interview with Ariel Helwani, 'The Iceman' refuted Ortiz's claims and noted that he will be trying "kill" him during their trilogy fight.
After Ortiz withdrew, Liddell ended up facing Rich Franklin. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.
#3 The Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz storyline had a movie-like script
Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz were friends before their relationship turned sour. Both men were managed by Dana White, who was yet to become UFC president at the time.
At first, Ortiz suggested he would never agree to fight Liddell owing to their relationship. However, when 'The Iceman' went on a string of conquests in the UFC, their matchup was inevitable. In a surprising turn of events, they later stopped talking to each other, which hyped up their maiden fight.
Speaking on his current relationship with Ortiz, Liddell said although he doesn't hate his longtime adversary, he wouldn't want to be friends with him.
"People always talk to me like I hate him or something. I don’t hate the guy. I don’t care enough about him to hate him actually. But I hope he has a great life. I don’t particularly like the guy, that hasn’t changed. I don’t deal with him. He’s running for office down in Huntington Beach. He’s still down there… Personally, I don’t really want to be friends or anything. In general, I hope he does great,” Chuck Liddell told Bro Bible.
