Chuck Liddell, the most popular athlete in the growing sport of mixed martial arts, has lost his Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 71. The referee stopped the fight less than two minutes into the first round, as Jackson knocked Liddell to the ground flat on his back and drilled him in the face. The fight had an uneventful first minute, and then Jackson landed one punch, knocked Liddell to the ground and knocked him out, as we described in our live blog. Liddell was classy in defeat, first telling his family that he's OK and then saying Jackson beat him fair and square.
UFC annoucned that Jackson's first title defense will be against Dan Henderson, whose contract UFC recently acquired from Pride. The Jackson-Henderson fight will be a big one, most likely some time in the next six months, but the face of UFC will change now that Liddell, its biggest star, has lost.
UPDATE: Chuck Liddell Loses; Where Does UFC Go From Here?
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