Chuck Liddell (30-8, 20 KOs) discussed his cage return as he prepares to participate in the third installment of his historic rivalry against Tito Ortiz (19-12-1, 8 KOs) in a three-round main event on Saturday, Nov. 24 at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, California. The fight will be presented live on Pay-Per-View beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET.
Additional details for the event, including a full night of undercard action, will be announced shortly.
Below is what Liddell had to say about his return after eight years and his rivalry with Ortiz:
“When I left the sport, I had just changed my training. I was doing things differently. I was starting to improve everything. I made some mistakes and kind of got pushed out. So, I wasn’t finished. I can’t ever think of one thing about fighting that I don’t miss. I miss everything about it. I like training. I love going to the gym every day. I like cutting weight and getting ready for a fight. When I make weight, it means I get to fight the next day. I love walking to the ring, and I love fighting.”
“My lifestyle has changed complete this time [compared to when I was fighting]. I changed the people around me and the environment around me. Everybody is working toward the same goal. I’ve got my family. I’m with them all the time. For this camp, I’m stepping away and getting my attention on this fight. I’m going to be in Tito’s hometown, Huntington Beach, Calif. I’m doing this to prepare for this fight. I’ll be missing my kids, but I’m going to take that out on him in this fight on Nov. 24.”
“I don’t hate Tito. I don’t care enough about him to hate him. I don’t like him. I don’t like the person he is. I don’t like the way he treats people. I’ve heard stories since we’ve fought about all the things he’s done to people. Screwing over training partners. Screwing over business partners. It’s the way he treats people. He’s got no class. You saw him at the press conference. He’d talk when I was trying to talk. It’s classless. If he’s trying to sell a fight, that’s great. But that’s not it. That’s really the way he is. Tito is Tito. It’s not an act. He’s an ass.”
Liddell vs. Ortiz 3 is a three-round light heavyweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The fights will take place on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018 at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The fight will be presented live on Pay-Per-View beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET.
Tickets for Liddell vs. Ortiz 3 are on sale now. Tickets are priced at $30, $50, $100, $150, $300, $500 and Ringside VIP $1,000. (Limited Number Ringside VIP Available Access To The Forum Club Included) Prices do not include applicable facility fees and service charges, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com, and also at the Forum Box Office.
Mixed martial arts fans will be treated to a full night of action as several exciting fighters from around the nation and from Mexico will be featured in a total of 16 undercard bouts on the Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz 3 card. The fight event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018 at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, Calif. and will presented live on Pay-Per-View beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET.
“Like we do in all of our boxing events, we are dedicated to making undercards as exciting and competitive as possible,” said Oscar De La Hoya, CEO and Chairman of Golden Boy Promotions. “We have worked diligently to find the most exciting fighters around the country to make sure that fans at home and in person at the Forum enjoy a great night of MMA action.”
As previously announced, Chuck Liddell (30-8) will battle Tito Ortiz (19-12-1)in the third fight of their historic rivalry in the pay-per-view main event.
In the co-main event, Deron Winn(4-0) of Liberty City, Miss. will fight Tom Lawlor (10-6) of River Falls, Mass. in a light heavyweight bout.
Kenneth Bergh (4-1) of Norway will take on Jorge Gonzalez (14-4) of Mexico City, Mexico in a light heavyweight clash.
Gleison Tubau (29-14) of Coconut Creek, Florida and Efrain Escudero (28-13) of Tempe, Arizona will meet in a bout contracted at 160 pounds.
Walel Watson (13-11) of San Diego, Calif. will face Ricardo Palacios (10-1) of Mission, Texas in a bantamweight battle.
Jay Silva (10-9) of Huntington Beach, Calif. will face Oscar Cota (8-1) of Mexicali, Mexico in a heavyweight fight that will open the pay-per-view telecast.
The card will also feature several non-televised fights for fans at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif. to enjoy.
Tom Gallicchio (19-10) of Toms River, N.J. will participate in a 165-pound fight against
Jason Manly (5-0) of Orange County, Calif.
Alberto Morales (7-4-1) and James Barnes (10-3) will meet in a clash between two Los Angeles natives in the bantamweight division.
Jose Huerta (2-2) of Bell Gardens, Calif. will take on Francisco Estrada of Fillmore, Calif. in what will be Estrada’s professional debut.
Fernie Garcia (5-0) of Dallas, Texas will return in a middleweight fight against an opponent that will be announced shortly.
Dave Terrell (7-8) of Las Vegas, Nevada will battle Johnny Cisneros (11-6) of Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Craig Wilkerson (7-4) of Newport Beach, Calif. will square off in a welterweight fight against Joshua Jones (7-3) of Long Beach, Calif.
Westin Wilson (6-3) of Irvine, Calif. will battle Leandro Gomes (3-2) of Huntington Beach, Calif. in a 140-pound battle.
The event will initiate with four amateur bouts as Golden Boy Promotions looks for more up and coming talent. The amateur fights will feature some of California’s best and brightest stars of mixed martial arts.
Joshua Kim (7-1) of San Diego, Calif. will face Johnny Robles (6-2) of Downey, Calif. in a lightweight fight.
Jonathan Kim (8-0) of San Diego, Calif. will participate in a bantamweight clash against
Mauro Gutierrez(6-2) of San Clemente, Calif.
Tyler Schafer (2-1) will fight Mariana Avila (6-1) in a flyweight battle between two natives of San Diego, Calif.
Juliana Miller (4-0) of Alpine, Calif. and Jasmine Pouncy (4-6) of Los Angeles, Calif. will meet in a strawweight fight.
Liddell vs. Ortiz 3 is a three-round light heavyweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event is sponsored by Fred Loya Insurance. The fights will take place on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018 at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The fight will be presented live on Pay-Per-View beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET.