“But I Miss…” – UFC Legend Chuck Liddell Opens Up on What He Misses the Most After Retirement to Paddy Pimblett

UFC legend Chuck Liddell‘s exploits inside the cage have been well scripted into the history books for future generation fans to look back in awe at. But very few are aware of what drove the ‘Iceman’ to achieve such remarkable feats during his successful MMA career. Lidell, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, revealed these well-kept secrets in a recent conversation with UFC star Paddy Pimblett in the latter’s podcast on YouTube.

While conversing with the Lightweight, the 53-year-old talked about what aspects of life as an active fighter he genuinely missed. Surprisingly, his passion for the sport would truly surprise even the most elite of fighters of any generation, as he disclosed he never really took a day off from training.

Chuck Liddell talks about missing the fight game following the retirement

Liddell‘s initial retirement came back in 2010 after losing a fight to Rich Franklin at UFC 115. Following that and after a layoff of  8 years, he made a shocking return against former nemesis Tito Ortiz, only to lose in the first round. Following the loss, the 53-year-old decided to step away once again for good. He was also last seen during Fedor Emelianenko‘s farewell, which was held at Bellator 290.

During his appearance on Pimblett‘s show, Liddell‘s love for the sport was clearly obvious in the manner in which he described his fighting heydays. Despite being unable to put a finger on his favorite part of his career, the former UFC champ ended up claiming that he missed everything about his active days as a fighter.

“I don’t know what I miss the most. I mean, I miss being out there and fighting for sure, but I miss everything. I liked training, I liked showing up at the gym with the guys you know, and just being there.” expressed Liddell.

It probably was this exact passion that pushed him into delivering performances that cemented him among the legends of the sport.

Lidell recollects never missing a single training day while speaking with Paddy Pimblett

‘Iceman’ recollected the itch that he always had when he had to take time away from training. He mentioned that he’d always be back in the gym on Monday to spar while also stating that he was never one to miss out on a teammate’s ongoing camp.

“And I just wanted to be back in camp usually by Monday, you know. When I wasn’t traveling, doing PR, I’d be back in the gym Monday sparring. But [when] somebody’s getting ready for a fight, either Glover …or one of my guys is getting ready, so I’d be back to help them.” recalled Liddell.

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Ultimately, the real motivation behind his success in the UFC is quite obvious from this interaction with Pimblett. And for upcoming fighters, giving this episode a listen would definitely serve as a great reminder that nothing can substitute hard work in the world of combat sports or, for that matter, any other field too.

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