Fresh off a knockout defeat at the hands of Rich Franklin, UFC trailblazer Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell recently taught a seminar at Revolution MMA in Toronto, Canada.
The Fight Network chatted with Liddell about some key upcoming fights and the status of his career following his fourth straight loss.
The Fight Network: It is a pleasure to be joined by one of the biggest stars in the sport's history. Chuck, you were here today teaching a seminar at Rev MMA. What were the participants learning from you?
Liddell: I did some of the basic stuff. I taught an overhand right, a couple of different hooks and a spinning back kick, a few things I do differently than some other fighters.
The Fight Network: Talk about the evolution of mixed martial arts. Many casual fans with no experience in MMA are now attending seminars. Does that surprise you?
Liddell: No, it's been that way for a while for me. I mean, I've been doing a lot of seminars where some guys just come and want to learn something. It can be everyone from brand-new guys to guys who have been in it awhile. Scott Epstein was with me today doing the jiujitsu side of it. He's used to his guys being pretty technical when it comes to seminars. But sometimes you get some fresh guys here, so it's fun working with both.
The Fight Network: Coming off the loss to Franklin, everyone is wondering what the future has in store for you. UFC president Dana White has gone on the record stating you won't fight anymore. I want to hear it from you. What's next for The Iceman?
Liddell: I'm not talking about it yet. I'm still hanging out with my family and relaxing. I have a meeting with Dana ... and we'll see what happens.
The Fight Network: I wanted to get a few comments from you about some upcoming match-ups in the UFC. Rashad Evans takes on Mauricio "Shogun" Rua for the light heavyweight title. What does either man have to do to win the fight?
Liddell: There are a lot of things both can do to win. I am sure they will both have good gameplans and it will be an exciting fight.
The Fight Network: Many people are criticizing an upcoming bout that doesn't really make sense -- Randy Couture against James Toney. What's your take on the fight?
Liddell: Exactly. I don't think it's a fight that really makes sense. Randy should go in there, take him down and destroy him.
The Fight Network: At UFC 118, B.J. Penn battles Frankie Edgar in a rematch for the lightweight championship. Should Penn be favored to reclaim his title?
Liddell: To be honest, I thought Penn won the first fight. I thought he won at least four out of the five rounds. I was watching it after hearing about the results already. I watched the first few rounds and then called my buddy and said, "what are you talking about? How did he lose this fight?" I think the punch stats would indicate that, too.
The Fight Network: Officiating and judging still seems to be an issue. What needs to be done?
Liddell: It's just education. I don't think it's intentional. Guys see fights differently. If you watch fights cage-side, sometimes different punches look better than others. It's like camera angles. Sometimes some punches look a lot better than they were and sometimes a solid punch doesn't look good. So it just depends on your angle.
