Tito Ortiz takes revenge on Chuck Liddell

Tito Ortiz finally took revenge on Chuck Liddell.

More than 14 years after their first fight and 12 years after their revenge, Ortiz finished Liddell with a brutal knockout in the first round during their trilogy matchup at the Inglewood, California, Forum on Saturday night.

The regression trilogy was created thanks to Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions, who embarked on the mixed martial arts game with the sole purpose of staging this match between two Hall of Fame members. # 39; UFC.

While Ortiz was defeated last January to defeat Chael Sonnen at Bellator, Liddell was out of action for eight years after his retirement from the UFC. Judging by what happened Saturday night, it's hard to imagine Liddell putting the gloves on again.

As the fight began, Ortiz was the aggressor as he took the center of the cage and began looking for boxing suits and not even looking for takedown.

Liddell looked slow on his feet and even slower in his reactions every time Ortiz jumped forward with punches or a few kicks to the leg that he had just come across. 39; land. Still, Liddell was standing with his powerful right hand army just waiting to unleash it but that moment never happened.

Instead, Ortiz continued to press forward and even lowered his hands, pointed his chin and caused Liddell to hit him at some point during the first round.

All struggled for a long time, Liddell was on his back foot and that eventually turned against Ortiz who started punching him, successively with the former 48-year-old champion trapped in the cage.

It was at that point that Ortiz whistled "The lceman" from one right hand to the chin and that Liddell's eyes rolled back as he collapsed on the Web. Ortiz followed with two more shots but Liddell was already lying on the carpet, unconscious.

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Referee Herb Dean rushed to stop the fight with an end at 4:24 in the first round.

Ortiz burst into the celebration after falling twice against Liddell, while both fighters were in the early stages of their career in the UFC. The win may seem a bit hollow as Liddell does not seem to be comparing himself to the same fighter who won those two knockouts more than a decade ago, but Ortiz has definitely gained a sense of redemption in what is probably the last fight of his legendary career.

"The game plan was never about taking a takedown," Ortiz said of his lack of struggle during the fight. "I wanted to box Chuck, I wanted to test his skills, you're not going to take eight years, go back to my cage and try to stop me." Damn, no. "

While Ortiz was visibly delighted with the victory that helped him exorcise Liddell's demons who haunted him almost his entire career, he paid tribute to his greatest rival once the fight was over.

"I must be respectful, Chuck Liddell, thank you for taking this fight," Ortiz said. "You've given me the opportunity to show off my skills.You gave us the opportunity to start something awesome with Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions.Thank you Chuck.You'm pushed hard, man, you made me work hard.

"By the end of the day, Chuck, I'm a respectful man, I appreciate what you've given me the opportunity to do.You are a true champion, brother."

For his part, Liddell, beaten and defeated, did not really want to address the future even though it's hard to imagine a scenario in which, at the age of 49, he will be competing again after this fight.

"I came back, I felt very good, I was ready for this fight," said Liddell after the loss. "I went out and got caught, I made a mistake and that's what it is, I do not think it was my best performance for sure." I got in shape, I was ready for this fight.I have no excuses.

"We'll have to sit down and think about it, I do not know what I'm going to do."

Before this card, Ortiz had declared that his trilogy with Liddell would be the last time he'd entered the cage. He did not look exactly at this issue after the fight, but if it really was the end, he seemed to put an end to his Hall of Fame career by winning a victory over Liddell.

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