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Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell is one of the biggest stars in UFC history. He rose to superstardom during the early years of the promotion and had an impressive legacy inside the octagon. Liddell was a massive draw for the UFC following the Zuffa purchase as his fights generated mainstream attention.
'The Iceman' is a former UFC light heavyweight champion and one of the best fighters of his era. His fighting style was entertaining, which made him a fan-favorite. He had many memorable knockouts during his illustrious career.
Even when Liddell fought high-level strikers with serious knockout power, he still came out victorious. He never shied away from getting into a slugfest inside the octagon, which is evident from his highlight reel in the sport.
This list will look at the top 5 Chuck Liddell finishes in the UFC.
#5. Liddell vs. Vernon White – UFC 49
Chuck Liddell's knockout over Vernon White at UFC 49 was one of the best finishes of his UFC career.
At the time, Liddell was firing on all cylinders and looked to earn a UFC light heavyweight title shot. He came into the fight following his knockout win over Tito Ortiz and looked to continue that momentum. That’s exactly what ‘The Iceman’ did when he met White in the octagon.
Even though White had a losing record, he did have some success in King of the Cage. He won and defended the KOTC light heavyweight championship, and had a 5-1 record in KOTC prior to joining the UFC.
‘The Iceman’ made quick work of The Lion’s Den member by dropping him with a straight right-hand. The referee immediately stopped the fight and awarded Liddell with the knockout win. With the win, 'The Iceman' earned a title shot against then-UFC light heavyweight champion Randy Couture.
Watch Chuck Liddell's KO of Vernon White here:
#4. Liddell vs. Kevin Randleman – UFC 31
Chuck Liddell’s knockout win over Kevin Randleman at UFC 31 was a significant moment in his UFC career. It was a tough test for him as Randleman was the former UFC heavyweight champion. ‘The Monster’ made his light heavyweight debut after losing his title to Randy Couture and had a size advantage.
All things considered, it only took Liddell 1:18 to finish 'The Monster'. After a failed takedown attempt, Randleman was controlling him against the fence, however, 'The Iceman' was active and managed to break free. Liddell then dropped Randleman with a powerful left-hook before rushing at him and connecting with a few more ground strikes.
‘The Monster’ was in disbelief and clearly upset about the stoppage, but the referee made the correct decision. The knockout over Randleman was Liddell’s most high-profile win at that point and would be a sign of things to come.
Watch Chuck Liddell's impressive win over Kevin Randleman below:
#3. Liddell vs. Randy Couture – UFC 52
Chuck Liddell reached the pinnacle of the sport when he defeated Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture at UFC 52. Couture had defeated Liddell by TKO to become the interim UFC light heavyweight champion in their first encounter at UFC 43. The two UFC Hall of Famers had coached the inaugural season of TUF leading into their highly anticipated rematch.
‘The Iceman' exacted his revenge over ‘The Natural’ as he knocked him out at 2:06 in the first round. The fight began with Liddell circling Couture and landing a combination of hooks and leg kicks. There was a slight break in the action due to an accidental eye-poke, however, the fight ended shortly after.
They were both swinging with wild punches, but ‘The Iceman’ landed the knockout blow. It was a right-hand followed up with ground strikes to earn the knockout win. Not only did Liddell avenge a loss, but he became the new UFC light heavyweight champion.
Watch Liddell's win over Couture below:
#2. Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz – UFC 47
Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz at UFC 47 was one of the biggest fights during that era. There was a moment where 'The Iceman' and 'The Huntington Beach Bad Boy' were both friends and training partners. However, as they became more successful in the UFC, it became increasingly clear that they’d eventually be fighting one another.
Ortiz came into the fight following his title loss to Randy Couture, while Liddell was looking to earn a title-shot. There was plenty of animosity between the two, with 'The Iceman' insinuating the former UFC light heavyweight champion was avoiding him.
Liddell proved he was the better fighter that night when he stopped ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ in the second-round. He had Ortiz against the fence and unloaded a flurry of strikes that dropped him.
#1. Liddell vs. Renato Sobral – UFC 40
Topping this list is Liddell’s knockout win over Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral at UFC 40. 'The Iceman' was on a roll at this point in his career. He was regarded as one of the top light heavyweights in the world and his knockouts were gaining him a loyal fanbase.
‘The Iceman’ knocked 'Babalu' out at 2:55 of the first round and added him to his highlight reel. It was a feel-out process to start, with Liddell landing an overhand-right as Sobral shot for a takedown.
The two exchanged combinations a few moments later, before 'The Iceman' ended the fight in spectacular fashion. Liddell landed a devastating head kick and connected with another two punches as his rival fell to the canvas. ‘The Iceman’ then added a few more ground strikes before the referee stopped the fight.
Watch Liddell's head kick on Sobral here:
