OVER a decade after a knockout loss to Chuck Liddell in the UFC, Tito Ortiz got his payback.
Ortiz, 43, ended the grudge match in the first round just as he predicted, decking 'The Iceman' with a pair of right hands 4:24 minutes into the fight, the first put up by Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions.
Liddell, 48, had not fought in eight years before he was lured back into the cage by a man he stopped in the second round 12 years ago. But the MMA legend only looked like a shadow of his former self.
'The Iceman' struggled to keep his balance inside the cage and never landed a significant punch before he was sent crashing to the canvas by Ortiz.
“I stopped him [Chuck]! I wanted this test! It just shows you don’t take eight years off and walk into my cage,” said Ortiz (20-12-1), who fought as recently as last year under the Bellator MMA banner.
“Chuck, thank you for taking this fight. You pushed me so hard for all of these years and you made me work hard. I appreciate you. You are a real champ.”
Liddell, who hasn't won since his decision win over Wanderlei Silva in 2007, said: “I wouldn’t have made this comeback if I didn’t feel like I was in great shape. I made a mistake. I got caught. I came to give my best show. There are no excuses."
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