UFC President Dana White said recently that Chuck Liddell, who for years was his promotion's biggest star, will have to hang up the gloves if he doesn't look good in his upcoming fight against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 97. Liddell says he expects to impress.
"For me it's the road back to getting my title back," Liddell said in a video at UFC.com of the fight with Rua, which takes place April 18 in Montreal. "The road back to showing I can still do it. ... Expect me to come out swinging and not stop until the fight is over."
Liddell noted that he's working with coach Howard Davis, a 1976 Olympic gold medalist in boxing, at American Top Team. And Liddell says Howard is showing him how to improve the stand-up game that once was among the best in MMA but has recently looked less impressive in losses to Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine and Rampage Jackson.
"He tightens things up, adds a few things and also tightens up what I was doing," Liddell said of Davis.
Said Liddell of the loss to Evans, "I made a mistake and I got caught. It happens."
If Liddell gets caught against Rua, it could be his last fight.