Chuck Liddell made a monumental error in his first encounter with Randy Couture, which gave ‘The Natural’ a massive boost in confidence.
On June 6, 2003, ‘The Ice Man’ went head-to-head with a bona fide MMA icon in a blockbuster clash at UFC 43, inside the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
In the third round, Couture proved too much for his rival, stopping him with brutal ground and pound.
However, he may not have been able to get that stoppage, had his opponent not given him the hope that it was possible.
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Randy Couture’s corner knew Chuck Liddell was tired
In his astonishing career, Chuck Liddell cemented his status as one of the most ferocious competitors in UFC history.
With dynamite power, the American was capable of rendering anybody he touched, unconscious, with just a single shot. In addition, he had the confidence to go with it. After all, Liddell is a man, who quite openly says he’d beat Mike Tyson in a street fight.
However, against Randy Couture, he didn’t ooze his usual bravado, and it proved to be his undoing.
On an episode of Jake Shields’ Fight Back podcast, he explained: “I talked to Randy’s corner after the first fight when I lost to Randy. Leading up to that fight, I hurt my knee while I was training.
“So, I was healthy when I got to the fight. But I hadn’t wrestled that whole time, so my wrestling condition was off.
“When I went in there, I was dying. So, I was in the corner [looking exhausted]. His corner told me that going into the third round, Randy was done. and then they looked at me and were like, ‘Hey, look at Chuck, he’s done, keep pushing, he’s tired’.
“That stuck with me, I always said that night. I tell people, ‘Don’t show them you’re tired’. If you show me you’re tired, I’ll never get tired’.”
The pair would have two more fights, with Liddell winning both via KO.
Was Chuck Liddell the biggest puncher Randy Couture ever faced?
In his remarkable time competing in MMA, Couture solidified his place among the greatest to ever do it.
With sublime wrestling skills and an unrelenting will to win, the grappler captured championship gold in two weight divisions.
Therefore, it goes without saying that the UFC Hall of Famer had to deal with the firepower of a plethora of legends.
Now, Couture has confirmed whether Liddell was the hardest hitter of them all.