One of the greatest rivalries in the history of mixed martial arts (MMA) will receive an ESPN ’30 For 30.’ Former UFC light heavyweight champions Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell have had some memorable battles inside the cage. They first met at UFC 47 back in 2004. “The Iceman” emerged victorious with a second-round knockout. Two-years later, they rematched with Liddell’s then-205-pound title on the line.
Liddell once again bested Ortiz with a third-round TKO victory at UFC 66. Over a decade later, headlining the first-ever Golden Boy Promotions MMA show, they fought for a third time. Although Liddell already owned two victories over “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” Ortiz and Liddell’s rivalry was a perfect opportunity for Oscar De La Hoya to introduce his first MMA show.
The fight ended in ugly fashion, with Ortiz defeating Liddell via first-round knockout. Liddell looked like he never should’ve been in the cage to begin with. Despite the disturbing end the trilogy saw, Liddell and Ortiz’s rivalry remains one of the greatest of all time. That’s why ESPN is making a ’30 For 30′ special on the feud. ESPN teased the special in the following video on Twitter:
Vick, Lance, Rodman, Flo-Jo, Chuck and Tito…
What if I told you our best is yet to come? pic.twitter.com/mNpm0gJtsg
— 30 for 30 (@30for30) January 8, 2019
What do you think about Ortiz and Liddell’s rivalry receiving a ’30 For 30′?
