Joe Rogan, like most UFC fans, bothered by Liddell-Ortiz trilogy

The announcement of Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz 3 was met with a collective groan from the mixed martial arts (MMA) community when it was announced, because the idea of watching to ex-champions compete past their primes felt like a cash grab, as Liddell already beat — and finished — Ortiz the first two times they fought.

Fast-forward eight years and the UFC 115 bout that never materialized is being staged under the Golden Boy MMA banner, something that bothers longtime UFC color commentator and podcast extraordinaire Joe Rogan.

“If they want to compete, if it’s because they want to compete, I wonder where it makes sense to tell them they can’t or they shouldn’t?” Rogan said (via MMA Fighting). “Because if they want to do it and they had money - what is it about it? Is it the motivation that bothers me? What is it about a fight like that? I think it’s the motivation that bothers me, a little bit.”


Liddell has been forced to defend claims that he’s broke and Ortiz recently apologized for fanning those financial flames. I’m sure it doesn’t help that “The Iceman” evaporated when UFC was sold back in summer 2016.

“[Chuck] has been saying that he misses it,” Rogan said. It was his favorite thing and he misses it. If we were gonna live forever, I’d say definitely don’t do it because you’re just gonna keep damaging yourself. But if you’re not gonna live forever...”