|
VOTE NOW: Liddell Takes on Earnhardt Jr. Today in ESPN’s “Who’s Now" |
|
Written by Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com
|
|
Friday, 06 July 2007 |
 He’s mixed martial arts’ reigning superstar, an athlete known by fight fans for his right hand to the jaw, and by your sister for scaring the wits out of Johnny Drama on HBO’s ‘Entourage’. Even your grandmother probably knows who Chuck Liddell is after he made an appearance to cheer on his friend Willa Ford during her stint on season one of ABC’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’.
Bottom line, the mohawked Liddell has become the face of the world’s fastest growing sport in recent years, and has rightfully earned himself one of 32 spots on ESPN’s “Who’s Now” list, alongside sports superstars such as Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, Lebron James, and Tom Brady.
“The Iceman” is the only combat sports athlete in the Muhammad Ali bracket, and the only one honored with a berth in the 32-person field, which contains athletes from baseball (4), football (7), basketball (6), hockey (1), tennis (3), swimming (2), snowboarding (1), soccer (2), auto racing (3), golf (1), and surfing (1).
The “Who’s Now” competition, which takes place throughout July, will, according to ESPN.com “determine the ultimate sports star by considering both on-field success and off-field buzz. Based on fan nominations, ESPN Research selected 32 finalists to square off in a single-elimination bracket. The winner of each matchup will advance based upon fan voting (70 percent) and ESPN's three-person panel (30 percent).”
Each day, ESPN’s SportsCenter will air a “Who’s Now” matchup, and fans will be able to vote for their favorite at ESPN.com.
Liddell, a former UFC light heavyweight champion who was on the cover of ESPN The Magazine in May, will battle NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. in an opening round matchup between the fifth and four seeds on Friday, July 6th. Other athletes in the Ali bracket are Peyton Manning, Amanda Beard, Alex Rodriguez, Terrell Owens, Kobe Bryant, and Ronaldinho.
To vote for Chuck Liddell (after 6pm ET), go to: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=whosnow
(just click on the “Launch Who’s Now” graphic to vote.)
|
