Liddell fights for relevance

Three more losses in four fights since then destroyed any remaining mystique around the former light heavyweight champion, who was viewed as an unstoppable force during the period when the Ultimate Fighting Championship was exploding into mainstream sports.

Despite the rash of setbacks in the cage, however, Liddell’s popularity has remained largely intact.

While winning seven straight fights by knockout — mostly because of his powerful right hand — from April 2004 to December 2006, Liddell became the face of an organization struggling to gain acceptance on a wide scale.

Even after the streak ended at the hands of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson on May 26, 2007, in part signaling the beginning of a new era in the UFC, Liddell’s distinctive image helped him stand out and remain one of the most popular and relevant fighters in the world.

Now, after 14 months away from the sport, during which Liddell broadened that fame with appearances on TV’s “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Ultimate Fighter,” he thinks he is ready to regain championship form in the octagon to match his long-held popularity.

Liddell’s tall task begins with a main-event bout at UFC 115 on Saturday in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he will face another champion from the past, Rich Franklin.

Liddell, a 40-year-old former wrestler at Cal Poly, said his strategy for defeating Franklin is the same as it was in his prime: He wants to knock him out quickly.

“That’s the approach I take in every fight. I’m always trying to end it early,” Liddell said on a conference call this week. “I’m always trying to end the fight, so, yeah, I’m coming after him. That’s the way I fight.”

That strategy was effective in carrying Liddell to the light heavyweight summit, but it’s also the one that has seemingly failed him in losses to Jackson, Keith Jardine, Rashad Evans and current champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in Liddell’s last fight in April 2009.

Liddell admits he has changed his approach to training camp. He said he used to show up to camp out of shape and then use the time to work into condition.

“I’m in great shape. I came in to camp in shape, (which) made it a lot easier,” said Liddell, who added he has incorporated his training camp diet more into his everyday life. “We’ve been going for a long time and I’m feeling great.”

The changes were evident to Liddell’s opponent. Franklin replaced Tito Ortiz for this fight and for the final week of filming on “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show after Ortiz was forced to drop out because of a neck injury.

Franklin, a former middleweight champion, said he noticed the shape Liddell was in almost immediately. He was unwilling to say he thought he would have an advantage in conditioning for the fight.

“I think if you had asked me that question without me seeing Chuck about 10 weeks ago, I would have said yes,” Franklin said. “But the shape I saw Chuck in when I was actually out on the show, I’m not really sure if that’s going to be an issue or not.”

There is good reason for Liddell to take the fight so seriously. UFC president Dana White expressed his desire for Liddell to retire after the loss to Rua.

White has repeated that stance this week, claiming to several media outlets Liddell will be finished in the organization if he loses again.

Liddell claims to have his focus squarely on regaining the belt, but admitted another defeat might force him to reconsider his future.

“I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it,” he said. “I said at the end of the fight I’m going to decide what I want to do next, so we’ll see what happens.”

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.