Wednesday, December 29, 2010

From Fighting Legend to Business Executive






It's official...Liddell's fighting career is over. To many of us hardcore MMA fans, and even those who began their MMA journey with the original season of The Ultimate Fighter reality series, this news is bitter-sweet. Liddell was an amazing talent, one of the most recognizable stars in the sport, and perhaps the greatest Light Heavyweight champion of all-time. But, as good as he looked early on in his final fight against Rich Franklin, the end result was an increasingly common and down-right disturbing sight of the 'Ice Man' unconscious on the octagon floor. It was time.

But as one career ends, another begins. Dana White announced in a press conference (video after the jump) that Chuck Liddell has accepted a position as the new UFC executive vice president of business development. It's hard to say what this means in terms of job responsibility, but I would argue that these details really don't matter very much. I love this move for a number of reasons, none of which depend on Chuck's roles and responsibilities. 

First, this ensures that the Hall of Famer ends his career in the UFC. The same cannot be said for other legends of the Octagon like Ken Shamrock and Jens Pulver.  Instead, they waste away on lackluster cards of small-time promotions, fighting, one gets the feeling, because they have to. From a business perspective, keeping Liddell's name off of the main event of a competing promotion is also important. The UFC already suffers a bit from being the "Kleenex" of MMA and releasing The Iceman  - their most recognizable star - to go elsewhere would just add to the confusion.

Second, it sets a strong precedent that successful UFC fighters can have a future with the organization after their fighting days are over. This sport is unique in that it is so young that many of the original stars are still active as fighters; many of them because they simply did not make the kind of money in the early days of the sport that they can make fighting now. The UFC needs to step up where ever possible and find ways to reward these fighters who helped to make this sport what it is today.

Lastly, Chuck is a great guy and an excellent spokesman for the sport. He is college educated, has a background in traditional martial arts, and has successfully crossed over into mainstream popularity with his unique look and laid back personality. He will represent the UFC well.

Check out a short article by Ariel Helwani and a video of the press conference after the jump.