Chuck Liddell opened up about the one knockout that meant more to him than all the rest.
In his esteemed career, the American cemented his status as one of the hardest punchers on the planet.
From Tito Ortiz to Wanderlei Silva, the legend secured many a fantastic victory.
However, his night of redemption against one of the greatest to ever do it stands out from the pack.
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Chuck Liddell says Randy Couture was his favorite knockout
At UFC 43, Chuck Liddell lost to Randy Couture in brutal fashion. Therefore, when his opportunity for revenge finally came almost two years later, he was determined to make sure his hand was raised.
With the first clash playing heavily on his mind and the light heavyweight title on the line, the fight couldn’t have meant more to the power puncher.
Thus, it comes as no major surprise that Liddell remembers his knockout win very fondly.
In an interview with Give Me Sport, he said: “I was lucky to have a lot of great moments in my career, but I think if you put a gun to my head, it would have to be knocking out Randy.
“It was straight after the first season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’, obviously, he had beaten me before, so there was a lot of emotion going into that fight.
“I was always trying to prove I was the best, I always thought, you know, ‘I’m the best in the world’, I felt like I could beat anybody.
“I think you have to have that kind of mentality if you want to succeed in this sport. Otherwise, you won’t get anywhere at all.
“Anyway, I got to knock him out in the first round, clean punch, I mean, I couldn’t have asked for a better end to the fight, and I finally got to get my hands on the title I’d been after for so long.”
The punch was so brutal that Couture claims Liddell is the heaviest hitter he ever faced.
Chuck Liddell reveals the massive mistake he made that cost him the fight against Randy Couture
With the score tied at one-one, Liddell and Couture had to settle their differences once and for all.
In a huge spectacle at UFC 57, ‘The Ice Man’ secured the bragging rights with another stoppage win.
However, that first contest still haunts him to this day.
Opening up about the bout, Liddell explained the mistake that cost him the fight with Couture.