10 MMA Fights That Created Instant Legends
9. Chuck Liddell Vs. Randy Couture - UFC 57
At first glance, Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz at UFC 47 could be viewed as Liddell’s legend-making fight.
While that battle was hotly anticipated – Tito ducking The Iceman for the longest time – and gave Chuck one of the biggest wins of his MMA career, UFC 57 was the event that really solidified Liddell’s status as an icon of Mixed Martial Arts.
That UFC 57 KO win over Randy Couture not only gave Chuck the 2-1 advantage in his and The Natural's trilogy, and not only saw Liddell retain his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, but the hype and attention given to this February 2006 fight was a landmark moment in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
It was UFC 57 that set a new record for the company’s highest grossing gate, drawing an unheard of amount of $3.3 million. 400,000 PPV buys were also generated by Liddell vs. Couture 3, making this the moment that truly set Chuck Liddell up as an unquestionable legend of MMA.
Last year's Golden Boy loss to Tito Ortiz is not the way that fans should remember Liddell - with Chuck then 49 years old and having not fought for eight years - and instead we all need to remember just how phenomenal The Iceman was during a pivotal time for the UFC's push into the mainstream.