With five seconds remaining in the first round of their UFC 115 bout, Rich Franklin sent Chuck Liddell crashing unconscious to the canvas – and almost certainly into retirement. It was a sad punctuation mark on a hall-of-fame career that made Liddell the UFC’s most famous and beloved fighter.
The KO, courtesy of a crushing right hand, was Liddell’s third in a row and fifth loss in six fights. “I guarantee you he won’t fight for the UFC again,” said UFC president Dana White of his long-time friend. Déjà vu, because White said exactly the same after Liddell’s knockout loss to ‘Shogun’ Rua in April 2008. However, a u-turn is unlikely this time, no matter how much Liddell pleads.
And plead he might. Lidell was putting on a surprisingly good show before over-committing himself in search of a right-hand bomb. An aggressive, varied attack (including high-kicks and takedowns) probably had him ahead on points when the fight was stopped. He was also in fantastic shape, with visible traces of a six-pack that had lain dormant throughout years of notorious partying.
Liddell’s problem is his chin is gone – and that’s the one thing he can do nothing about. Rich Franklin is a natural middleweight with no reputation as a slugger, yet he turned out Liddell’s lights with a single punch. A vintage Liddell would have walked through that punch (and dozens like it) without blinking, but he’s 40-years-old now and has obviously been damaged by his many wars. He’s also one of the few MMA fighters whose speech has noticeably become slurred over the years.
As a competitor, he has nothing left to prove, and everything left to lose in terms of his health. Retirement is the only sensible option, but Liddell would not be the first fighter to delude himself that he isn’t shot.
Some of the best bits from Chuck’s impressive career:
For his part, Rich Franklin called the victory “bittersweet”, not wanting to be remembered as the man who retired a legend. Regardless, it was a badly needed win for a man who had lost three of his last six fights. Many had expected Liddell – even the 2010 model – to expose Franklin’s weak chin.
But is Franklin really weak-chinned? In thirty-four bouts only Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort have knocked him out – all champions, past or present. His only other career blemish is a controversial split decision loss to former Pride two-weight champion Dan Henderson in Dublin at UFC 93.
There is a growing body of opinion that Franklin simply does not get the respect he deserves (the ‘weak chin’ reputation being symptomatic). What nobody can dispute though, is his toughness.
Liddell broke Franklin’s left arm with a kick early in the first round on Saturday night. It’s not the first time ‘Ace’ has fought through injury to win. In 2006, he bested David Loiseau in a five-round, all-out war, despite having broken his hand in round two. Not all fighters can push through these pain barriers, and fewer again can emerge victorious on the other side.
Fighters will always rage against the dying of the light. UFC 115 might have finally dimmed Chuck Liddell’s light, but Rich Franklin proved that his still burns bright.
