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May 19, 2009
Chuck Liddell Breaks his Silence about Retirement
Over the last few weeks, speculation has run rampant about Chuck Liddell’s future. And The Iceman has remained quiet…until now, breaking his silence about his retirement in an exclusive interview with MMAMadness.
“I’m going to take some time off and figure out what I want to do, and see what else I think I can do,” Liddell told MMAMadness. “I’ll still be training guys and I’ll still be working out and training.”
Liddell says that he will make a definitive decision on whether or not to retire within the next year, but he is not ready to make it just yet.
“I’m too emotional to make a rational decision,” he admitted, “so I want wait and take my time. I’m not going to make that decision until I sit down and look at it after a little while. “I need some time off anyway, and when everyone stops worrying about it, I’ll make my decision on my own,” Liddell said.
“Right now, I couldn’t say that I’m not going to fight again.” Liddell admits that if he does call it quits, it will be a difficult decision. “All I’ve been doing my whole life is training to compete,” Liddell mused. “It’s a hard thing to give up for an athlete. It’s hard to stop competing after so many years.”
Over the next year, Liddell will continue to train fighters, and will continue to work on maintaining his strength and technique for when or if he decides to fight.
With one fight left on his contract, Liddell knows that he does not want to get in a legal battle with the UFC if he decides to fight again. “[The UFC has] been good to me for a lot of years, I’m not trying to get in a fight with them over fighting somewhere else,” Liddell said. “Going to lawyers and doing all that stuff, it’s just not me.”
If and when Liddell does retire, White has said that there will be a job waiting for him at the UFC. Liddell has not spoken with the UFC about what that job might be, but he says that he wants to stay close to the sport he loves.
In fact, Liddell would be open to any job that has to do with the UFC and MMA. “I don’t think you could get me away from it,” Liddell declared. “I love this sport.”
Fans will find out just how close Liddell will be to the sport in the next year. As for Liddell’s immediate plans, he is focusing on his family, and is focused right now on preparing to host his 11-year-old daughter’s graduation party at his house.
To read the entire article, click here.
Source: MMAMadness
