Chuck Liddell’s rivalry with Randy Couture is one of the greatest in UFC history and helped position Liddell as MMA’s biggest star in the 2000s.
“The Iceman’s” granite chin and wild fighting style ingratiated him with the UFC audience, bringing an everyman quality alongside his elite fighting skills.
Before his fight with Randy Couture at UFC 43, Chuck Liddell was 12-1 after a series of impressive knockout wins in the octagon.
However, Liddell was beaten by Couture by TKO in his first title shot in the UFC. He fought back to earn a rematch a year later, in one of the all-time great knockout wins in UFC history.
Chuck Liddell won the Knockout of the Year award for his title win over Randy Couture
Two years after their first fight, Liddell challenged Couture for the UFC Light Heavyweight belt at UFC 52, in one of the biggest fights in UFC history.
Looking to bounce back from his UFC 43 loss, Liddell studied tape of Couture and realized exactly what he needed to do to finish the champion.
As soon as the bell rang, it was clear that we were watching a different Liddell. He was much more tentative and cautious, taking his time to assess what Couture would do.
However, this slow start would lead to a rapid finish, as just two minutes into the first round, Liddell unleashed a wild combination of hits that all found their mark on the champion.
As soon as Couture went down, he was rushed by Liddell, who began to lay into him with hammer fists. He was too quick for the referee, who couldn’t get down to stop the fight before Liddell’s barrage of fists.
As soon as the bout finished, a cathartic Liddell exploded with joy in the ring, celebrating like nobody had ever seen before as he enjoyed becoming world champion for the first time in his career.
The bout won numerous “Knockout of the Year” awards, but it wasn’t Liddell’s favorite from their series of matches.
Chuck Liddell admitted he prefers the knockout in their third fight
Despite how spectacular the finish to that fight was, Liddell preferred his trilogy fight with Couture’s finish instead.
Liddell won the series with Couture 2-1 after knocking him out in the second round of their title fight at UFC 57.
Despite previously claiming the first fight was his favorite knockout, Liddell told ESNEWS in 2014 that the third fight proved his 2005 knockout wasn’t a fluke
“Favorite knockout? Looks-wise, I don’t know. You know, the second one with Randy [Couture] was one of my favorites.
Just because I got a lot of s— about the first one [the second fight between them] being a fluke. The comeback and doing it again proved it wasn’t a fluke; it happened.”
Liddell held the title for over two years and through four title defenses before Rampage Jackson broke his granite chin in impressive fashion.