For the last few months, a rumored trilogy between two legends Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell made lots of headlines, and now they finally got their wish fulfilled.
Back in May, Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya teased that he is restarting his MMA brand and eyes to promote Liddell vs Ortiz trilogy.
After months of speculation, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya told ESPN on Monday that he has signed two former UFC light heavyweight champions for Pay-Per-View event that is set to go down later this year.
The trilogy between will be promoted under the Golden Boy banner and mark the first meeting between UFC Hall of Famers since ‘The Iceman’ knocked Ortiz out in their 2006 rematch at UFC 66.
“I’m proud to announce we’ve signed a deal for the fight between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz,” De La Hoya told ESPN, via a statement. “This will be huge for sports fans around the world. Ortiz and Liddell are two of the most recognized fighters in MMA history. They are legends in the sport.
”Everyone remembers their rivalry helped put the sport on the map, and we’re excited to host the next and final chapter of this historic rivalry.”
Liddell and Ortiz have fought twice in the past, with “The Iceman” coming out victorious by knocking out Ortiz at UFC 47 in 2004 and UFC 66 in 2006.
Since that bout, Liddell has lost five of his six contest. He then announced retirement in 2010 and hadn’t competed in nearly eight years.
Meanwhile, the 43-year-old Ortiz last fought at Bellator 170, coming off a first-round submission victory over Chael Sonnen back in January 2017. Prior to that, he had won two of his three previous fights.
According to ESPN, the bout will take place in a cage, not a ring, and promotion will start the promotional tour later this year; however, the date and location of showdown has yet to be finalized.
