Rich Franklin‘s devastating right hand at 4:55 in the first round of the main event at UFC 115 on Saturday night, proved to be too much for Chuck Liddell. The winning payout for Franklin was $85,000.
Liddell had Franklin backed up against the fence and missed with a punch, allowing his opponent to catch him with a right. Chuck went down and Rich got him again, despite nursing what he believed to be a broken left arm. The second blow kept Liddell motionless on the Vancouver canvas for several minutes, signaling a rough end to the contest.
GM Place held no charm for the former world light heavyweight champion, who has lost his last three fights by knockout. Any comeback hopes Liddell and Dana White have been harboring were dashed after last night’s dismal outcome.
Liddell was on his way to the hospital when White all but capped off his career at the post-fight news conference: “It’s time for The Iceman to retire. I hope he agrees and I don’t think he won’t.”
Liddell was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2009, and also ventured outside of his comfort zone to appear last year on Dancing with the Stars. He is also the first MMA fighter to be cast in wax at Madame Toussauds in Las Vegas. His most popular extracurricular activity has been the nude workout video that he made with girlfriend Heidi Northcott.
More photos, the knockout video and post fight press conference below.
Photos: PicApp