Of course, the droves of new fans flocking to the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the wake of the reality show phenomenon could not have imagined the bizarre twists and turns of fate that had led to the light heavyweight title fight they were about to watch. Just two years ago, fight fans had been pining for a matchup between Liddell and Tito Ortiz, the dominant light heavyweight champion who was nonetheless perceived to be avoiding “The Iceman.” Into the picture stepped Couture—a former heavyweight titleholder who was pushing 40 years old and dropping down in weight—to modest expectations. “The Natural” defied those expectations, first pounding out Liddell in a light heavyweight title eliminator at UFC 43 in June 2003 and then dethroning Ortiz by way of a clear-cut decision at UFC 44 in September. All of a sudden, Couture, the geriatric afterthought, was the top 205-pounder in the world and the UFC’s first two-division champion.
It got stranger and more complicated from there: Couture defended his title against Vitor Belfort at UFC 46 and lost in one of the weirdest UFC title fights ever, as a glancing punch from the Brazilian opened a terrible cut on Couture’s eyelid, leading to a TKO via doctor stoppage in less than a minute. The UFC booked an immediate rematch between them, rendering long-awaited Liddell-Ortiz clash at UFC 47 a mere wait-and-see fight rather than the title eliminator it otherwise would have been. Finally, after Liddell destroyed Ortiz and Couture won his belt back by pummeling Belfort at UFC 49, the stage was set for a rematch between Liddell and Couture—once they finished taping that reality show.
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The stunning success of “The Ultimate Fighter” only served to shine an even brighter light on an already huge fight, and the droves who bought the pay-per-view or flocked to their local wings ’n’ beer joint were treated to perhaps Liddell’s greatest performance. The subtle, clever tactical wrinkles Couture had introduced in their first fight, which allowed him to outstrike the UFC’s most feared striker, were no longer in evidence. Liddell played the matador throughout, using superior speed and footwork to keep the older man chasing him. For as long as the fight lasted, Liddell often seemed to be nailing Couture in the side of the head as he charged through the empty space where “The Iceman” had been. On the final such exchange, Liddell crushed Couture with a right hand while “The Natural” was so far off-balance that he was literally bracing himself with a hand on the fence when the punch landed. Couture was out cold instantly, dropping over his own folded legs, and Liddell was finally the light heavyweight champion of the world.
Liddell went on to defend his title four times, collecting another knockout victory each over Couture and Ortiz along the way to cementing himself as the greatest light heavyweight of the era. Couture, incredibly, launched yet another career resurgence. He moved back to heavyweight and won the championship from Tim Sylvia at age 43 to become the oldest title winner in UFC history. It is a record he still owns, along with the oldest fighter to hold a UFC belt, the oldest to successfully defend a UFC belt and the oldest to win a fight in the UFC. By the time “The Natural” finally retired in 2011, he had compiled one of the greatest—and most improbable—résumés in MMA history.
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