Watching Chuck Liddell fight in UFC, you’d think he was a permanently violent psychopath, ready to rip your head off and do something revolting down your neck at even the merest of indiscretions. But beneath the 38-year-old’s Mohawk-strapped skinhead and kung-fu goatee lies a gentle Californian giant, more likely to give you a hug than put you in a hold. As he prepares to fight Rashad Evans at the O centre in London, we caught up with him to try to work out just why he’s the coolest heavy hitter in UFC…
Did you used to fight all the time as a kid?
Yeah, I always used to say in high school that it sucked that the one thing I’m really good at, I can’t get paid doing – and I was talking about street fighting. Now I do get paid.
Tell us about your toughest street fight.
I don’t know, I’ve fought a lot of people. The thing with street fighting is you’ve got to know what’s coming from what direction. You’ve got to watch everything, not just the one guy you’re fighting. You get all sorts of crazy stuff in the streets. You get knives and guns pulled on you. It just all depends.
What’s the weirdest weapon that’s been pulled on you?
I think the weirdest time was when a guy pulled out a machete. So I pulled out a scythe and said: ‘OK, let’s do it!’ The guy looked at what I had, put his machete back in his truck, took his belt off and started swinging his belt at me. I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ How do you switch from a machete to a belt? But luckily nothing happened there. I was a young kid and might have done something stupid. He decided to leave. It wouldn’t have been pretty.
Who’s the toughest opponent you’ve had to face in UFC?
That’s hard to say, too. I’m waiting for another shot at Quin [Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson]. I’ve lost to him twice, so he’s one of the guys who’s been a problem for me. I can’t wait to get another shot at him. The fight I’ve got coming up leads to that, which makes it a huge one for me.
Do you rate British fighter Michael Bisping?
Yeah, he’s a good fighter, a tough kid and seems like he’s got talent. He was supposed to fight in my weight class, but he’s moving down one now. He’s not ready for me. There could be a time when he is, but right now, no. It would be ugly.
Do you reckon boxers like Ricky Hatton could hold their own in UFC?
For them, it’s not a very good crossover because they aren’t going to beat any of the good guys. They can’t stop the takedown. If you don’t have any ground game then it’s over. I like Hatton as a fighter, but our sport is a different sport. The striking is different and the stance is different. It took me a while to switch over and get used to the punching. You’ve got about one round to knock the guy out, then you’ll get your leg kicked off – and you’re not going to be able to walk for a week.
UFC is massive. Are there screaming women wherever you go?
There are a lot more women fans than you would think. Since the show [he was a trainer on The Ultimate Fighter] I have guys come up to me saying, ‘My wife watches your show every week!’ But I don’t see much of the mail. It goes to other people.
When you go out for a beer, what kind of drunk are you?
When I get drunk, people like to hang out with me because I’m a little crazy. I’m the least likely to get violent – I want to have fun! I might do something crazy with the girls but other than that, I’m pretty good.
You have a tough guy persona. Have you ever worn a dress?
Worn a dress? [Nervous pause and laugh.] Actually yeah, I’ve had a dress on before.
Did you pick up any guys?
No, I wasn’t planning on picking up any guys! It was a birthday party thing, with cross-dressing. Whatever. It was funny. Everyone was surprised because nobody thought I would do it.
Are there pictures of this about?
I’m sure there are somewhere. I actually wore one another time too, I exchanged at a wedding with one of the bridesmaids who said, ‘If you put my dress on, we’ll all change right here’. I was like, ‘All right, here you go, sure I’ll put it on.’
A big girl, was she?
No, I just ‘tried’ to put it on. There was no way I was going to get it on properly. But whatever gets the party going, you know!
Finally, you’re known as ‘The Iceman’. How did that come about?
After my third kickboxing fight, my trainer realised I don’t get nervous before fights. He had had two unannounced fights between boxing and kickboxing and 60 pro fights, and he got nervous before every single one. After seeing me, he started calling me ‘The Iceman’.
Can you give me a cool UFC-sounding name?
Hmm, let me think, it’ll have to be something based on your surname. How about Mark ‘The Ice-Pick’ Pickering?
Perfect, that’s not treading on your toes too much, is it?
No, that’s fine. See you in UFC.
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