CSAC head explains why he’ll license Chuck Liddell to fight Tito Ortiz

UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell had a busy 2007. He lost the UFC light heavyweight championship to Rampage in May, dropped a Split Decision to Keith Jardine in September, and won the fight of the year vs. Wanderlei Silva in December. Then Liddell fought just once each in 2008, 2009, and 2010, losing each by KO.

His boss and close personal friend Dana White gave the fighter a no-show desk job in return for retiring. However, when WME-IMG bought the UFC, they cut costs, including White’s use of a corporate jet and a number of personnel including Liddell and fellow Hall of Famer Matt Hughes. Liddell had believed the position was for life.

Now Liddell and fellow Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz have been licensed by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) to fight on November 24. They are 48, and 43, respectively. CSAC requires the additional medicals for fighters recommended for fighters 40+ by the Association of Ringside Physicians, which include:
•Blood work, including a complete metabolic panel and blood count;
•Brain MRA;
•Cardiac testing that provides both myocardial perfusion and echocardiographic structural assessment”;
•EKG;
•Neuro-cognitive testing; and,
•Ophthalmological eye exam with pupil dilation and retinal examination.

In addition, CSAC executive director Andy Foster, a former professional fighter and coach, watched tape of Liddell training and spoke to him on the phone. Foster has received criticism from some quarters for allowing the fight. Oddly, the concern has centered on Liddell, not Ortiz. Chuck won the first two fights, has had a decade to rest his brain, and has not suffered an endless series of surgeries. 

He hasn’t fought in a long time, explained Foster to Marc Raimondi for MMA Fighting. But whether he’s medically fit to fight wasn’t my decision. He’s been medically cleared to fight. … I think that the Tito Ortiz matchup is reasonable. This isn’t the first time they’ve fought, this won’t be the second time they fought. This will be the third time.

It’s pretty much beyond dispute that there was a time in Chuck Liddell’s life that he was the best 205-pounder in the world. … You bring a fighter up the mountain and you bring a fighter down the mountain as a regulator. Chuck Liddell didn’t start his career fighting world championship-level competition. And I wouldn’t approve him to fight a world champion right now or a 205-pound champion at the high levels or a highly ranked fighter like that.

But Tito, on the same token, I think it’s fair to say he’s not in the prime of his career also, but he’s still a good athlete. He still wants to fight. And Chuck wants to fight. Chuck is still a good athlete. How is this not a competitive match? I think it is competitive. It was competitive the first two times. Chuck won. Just because people are coming down the mountain — to use the analogy — doesn’t mean that they should be disqualified from their chance to compete. Fighters like to fight. I think Chuck wants to compete, I think Tito wants to compete. As long as they’re medically cleared to fight, these people have clearly shown they’re good martial artists. I don’t see the problem of letting two older fighters fight each other.

You almost want to treat this as a debut, because of the long layoff. But of course, it’s not a debut. Mr. Liddell is very experienced. He’s not active, but he’s very experienced and he’s still a martial artist.

The bout will be on pay per view television, and will be promoted by Golden Boy. To date, the UFC is the sole group to successfully market MMA on PPV. Thus if the show does well, it could be a major step forward for the sport, and of course for the fighters, who are reportedly earning a far larger percentage of the gross than is usual.