Chuck Liddell

Charles David Liddell (born December 17, 1969) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1998 to 2018, Liddell is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and is widely credited, along with fellow UFC fighter Randy Couture, with helping bring MMA into the mainstream of American sports and entertainment. Known as "The Iceman", Liddell achieved a 16–7 UFC record, and an overall record of 21–9, with 13 of his wins coming by way of knockout. He retired in late 2010, then came out of retirement for one bout in 2018, in a loss to rival Tito Ortiz. On July 10, 2009, Liddell was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. Early life Born in Santa Barbara, California, Liddell was raised by his single mother and maternal grandfather, who taught Liddell and his siblings boxing techniques from a very young age. Liddell began studying Karate at the age of 12; the tattoo on his scalp reads "Koei-Kan" (幸栄館). While growing up in Santa Barbara, he often frequented the Del Playa Drive, a street popular for parties in the UCSB college town of Isla Vista. As Liddell wrote in his book Iceman: My Fighting Life, he often found himself in fights with drunk college students older than he. In high school, Liddell was a four-year starter on the football team at San Marcos High School, playing center and linebacker, and he also excelled at wrestling. In college, he wrestled at Cal Poly, where he attended from 1988 to 1993, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in business/accounting in 1995. Liddell was inducted into the Cal Poly Hall of Fame in 2009.