The former UFC light heavyweight champion, Chuck Liddell, held a small workout session at a mall in the Philippines. The "small workout session" turned out to be pretty huge as 4,000 fans waiting patiently for his presence.
UFC President Dana White and owner Lorenzo Fertitta have always acknowledged the fact that the people of Philippines have thousands of fight fans across the country, especially with rising stars such as the current WBC lightweight champion and WBC Super Featherweight champion Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao.
When it comes to mixed martial arts, Brandon "The Truth" Vera is their national hero. However, the MMA fan base has been increasing at a tremendous rate and Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell was pretty surprised once he stepped into the Philippines.
Here’s a snip from the Iceman:
“I talked to bunch of people there, but it was really hard because if I got too close to the line, people started piling over security…It was an interesting thing, how fanatical the fans are. But it’s great having the fans behind you, and that they understand that this is a sport and not having that negative look at it. It’s always good to have people appreciate you for what you do and the things you’ve done…When we came to the hotel, we checked in about 6:30 in the morning and there were about 20 photographers waiting for us. Then we held a press conference at nine and there were multiple TV stations and reporters. It’s beyond the imagination. They have a full day of press for us tomorrow, and I’ve got to be honest, I knew that we were growing internationally, but I don’t think I really had an appreciation for the amount of momentum we truly have until I came over here and saw it for myself.”
Here’s a clip of Liddell at the mall in Manila, Philippines:
