UFC President Dana White says Chuck Liddell has only turned down one opponent in his career: Matt Lindland.But that's not something Lindland should brag about. According to White, when Liddell was approached a few years ago about fighting Lindland, he said he didn't want to do it because he didn't see Lindland as a challenging opponent.
"Chuck never turns down fights," White said in our FanHouse live chat, when asked if Liddell declined to fight Lyoto Machida. "From the day we bought this company, and before, he doesn't turn down fights, ever."
But then White paused and spoke for a minute to Joe Silva, the UFC's matchmaker. White then added, "Although Joe Silva did say he turned down a fight against Matt Lindland because he thought it was too easy. Lindland was fighting at 185 at the time. Chuck was like, 'That guy is small and all he does is wrestle. No way. I want somebody harder.' As Joe Silva said, Chuck used to fight a murderer's row. He became a star because he fought nothing but stars all along."
Lindland, who fought in the UFC from 2000 to 2005, has been a ocal critic of the promotion since he left, so the UFC has plenty of incentive to spread stories that make him look bad. Like the story of how Chuck Liddell wouldn't fight him, because he wanted someone tougher.
