UFC

Golpeado a los 48: Chuck Liddell y

la difícil situación de los ex
combatientes de UFC
A pesar de atraer enormes ingresos, el UFC brinda una atención mínima a
sus luchadores, lo que lleva a muchos a tener problemas financieros

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Chuck Liddell (derecha) y Tito Ortiz pelearon en California el mes

pasado, pero la pelea fue ampliamente criticada. Fotografía: Joe Scarnici /
Getty Images

ELmes pasado, Golden Boy Promotions de Oscar De La Hoya celebró su

primer espectáculo de artes marciales mixtas en California, encabezado
por los excampeones de UFC Chuck Liddell y Tito Ortiz. Su lucha se
convirtió en un espectáculo repugnante entre dos competidores que
habían pasado la edad de jubilación.

A los 43 años, Ortiz no está en su mejor momento de pelea, pero es joven

en comparación con Liddell, de 48 años. Liddell dominó la división de
peso semipesado de UFC hace más de una década, pero el hombre que
entró en la jaula contra Ortiz era una cáscara de su antiguo yo. Estaba
rígido, lento y no era apto para competir. El resultado fue un nocaut
(Liddell ahora ha sido KO'd en sus últimas cuatro peleas) y significó un
mayor riesgo de daño cerebral por traumas repetidos.
Despite pulling in huge revenues, the UFC provides minimal care for its fighters
leading many into financial trouble

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Chuck Liddell (right) and Tito Ortiz fought in California last month but the bout was
widely criticised. Photograph: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images

Last month, Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions held its inaugural mixed
martial arts show in California, headlined by former UFC champions Chuck Liddell
and Tito Ortiz. Their fight turned into a repugnant spectacle between two
competitors long past retirement age.

At 43, Ortiz is hardly in his fighting prime but he is youthful compared to the 48-
year-old Liddell. Liddell dominated the UFC’s light-heavyweight division more
than a decade ago but the man who stepped into the cage against Ortiz was a shell
of his former self. He was stiff, sluggish, and unfit to compete. The result was a
knockout – Liddell has now been KO’d in his last four fights – and meant further
risk of brain damage from repeated trauma.

So why was a man who will turn 50 next December still fighting? Yahoo Sports
reported that Liddell “needs the money” yet when he retired in 2010, he was
promised a lifetime position with UFC as an executive. The arrangement lasted
until WME-IMG purchased UFC in 2016, at which point he no longer had a steady
income. While Liddell does not explicitly admit that financial strife pushed him out
of retirement – he recently said it was about his “personal journey” – if money
troubles were in play it would mirror the plight of fighters struggling to make ends
meet following successful UFC careers.

The list is long. John Alessio had a stint as an Uber driver before becoming a police
officer in Las Vegas. Ultimate Fighter veteran Bubba McDaniel started a Go Fund
Me to cover funeral expenses for his infant son’s death. Canadian lightweight TJ
Grant went from UFC title contender to working in a potash mine in
Saskatchewan after suffering a concussion that put an end to his fighting career.