Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell recently announced he is coming out of retirement and seeking a third fight with longtime rival Tito Ortiz.
UFC President Dana White is a former friend of Liddell and he hopes that the former UFC star won’t fight again.
“I hope he’s coming out of retirement to be partners with (Golden Boy Promotions owner Oscar) De La Hoya and not to fight. I hope he doesn’t fight,” White said at the UFC Fight Night Liverpool post-fight press conference.
Liddell, if he does compete again, would be fighting for the first time since a first round knockout loss to former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin at UFC 115 in June of 2010.
White isn’t very fond of Golden Boy MMA owner Oscar De La Hoya and he would rather have Liddell as his business partner than as a fighter for the promotion.
“I don’t know if De La Hoya’s that smart,” White said. “He isn’t the brightest bulb on the porch. Oscar De La Arum is not that bright, but I don’t know what he’s thinking. Hopefully Chuck’s going to be his business partner and not fight. The last thing I want to do is sh*t on Chuck Liddell, because I love him, but I asked him to retire 10 years ago for a reason.”
There is no word yet on when a potential third Liddell/Ortiz bout could happen, but Ortiz recently said the promotion is looking to book the fight for October.
