ESPN Radio 1100 squeezed UFC president Dana White for details on rumors
Chuck Liddell could be making his return on September 19’s UFC 103 card in Dallas against
Rich Franklin -- this comes after April’s bout with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and White being adamant Liddell was giving it up.
“Who knows? We’ll see what happens,” White said. “I can’t retire him, but he gave me his word he was going to retire.”
I’m not calling Liddell an untrustworthy guy, but considering how the majority of combat athletes have to be dragged kicking and screaming from competition, I’m not sure how much weight White expected his word to have. Fighting is what Liddell knows how to do. It’s a tough thing to walk away from; and equally tough for White is building a compelling main event to challenge boxing’s Floyd Mayweather/Juan Manuel Marquez being held the same night. Liddell has leverage, and he’s going to use it.
White also had some ominous words for the unknown “leak” on the set of September’s “Ultimate Fighter 10,” which recently disseminated a potentially disappointing fight result online. “If we find out who did it, it’s not worth it for the person who did, I can tell you that.”
Considering the profile of the contestants on the show this season -- Kimbo Slice among them -- a mole was probably inevitable. This might’ve been the time to consider a “Big Brother”-style near-live telecast of house melodrama.
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