“Best” is subjective. Influential? Not so much. All this week on ESPN.com and Sherdog.com, we’re examining the fights that made a difference in how fans and fighters view the UFC’s Octagon.
Still a year away from finding the attention of a cable-surfing audience, the UFC was brutally short on true superstars:
Tito Ortiz, mired in contract disputes, had just been spanked -- literally -- by
Randy Couture, and there was no telling when the 40-something champion’s next fight would be his last.
Georges St. Pierre had just debuted in the promotion;
Ken Shamrock was running on fumes of fumes.
Liddell had just returned from a bad run of performances, having lost to Couture the year prior and come up short in a Pride elimination tournament in Japan. This is not the definition of career momentum. What he had was a feud with Ortiz, whom he had accused of avoiding him.
If true, Ortiz was playing it smart: He had nothing for Liddell, couldn’t complete a successful shot and crumbled in a heap when the striker finally found his comfort zone. It was the beginning of a legendary tear that sent Liddell on a three-year run as the promotion’s most recognizable and marketable attraction just as the brand itself was ready for some mainstream apologies.
Liddell via TKO.
Opportunities mean nothing without stars: Liddell’s was the perfect style at the perfect time.
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