When the third fight between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz was announced for Golden Boy Promotions, many fans and critics were skeptical that the 50-year-old could perform at the level he did during his prime against the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy”.
Since the former light heavyweight champion owned two victories over Ortiz, Liddell believed that he could finish off the trilogy with another win against his long-time foe; however, the moment that bell rang on November 24, 2018, everyone could easily see the bad shape Chuck Liddell was in.
The UFC Hall of Famer would be dropped by Ortiz around the five-minute mark in the first round and now, Liddell himself confirms that he wasn’t 100% when he faced off against Ortiz two years ago:
“Right after the fight, I had my neck fused from C3-C4,” he said to Sherdog. “But I guess…I didn’t really know that I had a problem and I was that pigheaded. So I got the MRI, went in, and [the doctor] goes ‘so, you’re having some problems with balance and coordination, right?’ I go ‘no, I’m fine.’ [The doctor replies] ‘No, really? Do me a favor and go stand on the other side of the room and walk to me heel-to-toe.’ I couldn’t do it. I kept [losing balance]. Then I stood on one foot, [spread out my arms] and touched my nose with my eyes closed. And as soon as I closed my eyes I fell over.
Before the fight, [the commission] showed up at my house for a drug test. They also had me do all these neuro tests. One of the things they had me do is stand on one foot, close my eyes and touch my nose. Well, I fell over the first time I did it. So, [the next time] I just kept my eyes kinda open a little bit and did it. And I just figured I was tired. I didn’t know it meant anything.”