The former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell will return to the octagon on June 12 to face former middleweight champ Rich ‘Ace’ Franklin. Although Liddell hasn’t fought for over 14 months, he believes that ring rust will not be a factor this upcoming Saturday night.
‘The Iceman’ feels very confident and in top shape coming into the UFC 115 main event. He expects a very difficult match against a the hard-hitting Franklin, but plans on knocking him out by any means necessary.
From Chuck Liddell:
“I’m not worried [about his 14-month layoff], and I’m not going to worry about it. My timing is on, my training is on, so I can’t see that affecting me in the fight. I don’t think it’s going to make a difference. Like I said, being in shape the whole time, it’s not like I’m cutting a bunch of weight. I didn’t take a year off and get fat. I’ve been in shape for a long time. I didn’t start my camp at 250. I started at 224. I’m not worried about it. I’m in shape and ready to go. If Rich wants to push, I’ll push him as far as he wants to go… I had plenty of time to adapt and prepare for Rich. It’s not a factor. This guy is a quality opponent and a tough guy, [but] I am planning to knock him out.”
