America's most popular mixed martial arts fighter, Chuck Liddell, lost his second consecutive fight Saturday night at UFC 76. I suggested afterward that he might want to think about retirement. But The Fight Network reports that Liddell's trainer, John Hackleman, says Liddell isn't thinking about retiring at all. In fact, Liddell is apparently already looking ahead at a possible fight in December against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, who also lost a stunning upset Saturday night.
"He's already said he'll be back in the gym next Monday," said Hackleman, who has coached Liddell for 16 years. "He's going to fight again, hopefully as soon as possible, maybe in December. We're looking at 'Shogun.'"A Liddell-Rua fight would be an attractive matchup -- maybe even the main event of a pay-per-view card. But it would also put UFC in the awkward position of ensuring that either Liddell would have a three-fight losing streak, or Rua would lose his first two fights in the UFC. Prior to Saturday night, UFC considered Liddell and Rua to be two of its most marketable fighters, and the loser of a Liddell-Rua fight wouldn't be so marketable anymore.
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