Chuck Liddell Talks Jon Jones, Tito Ortiz, Conor McGregor, EA Sports UFC, More

Mixed martial arts in the United States is old enough to have certified legends. Some fighters might consider themselves to be on that level. Others are without question part of the sport's virtual Mount Rushmore.

During the PlayStation Experience in Las Vegas on Dec. 6, I caught up with one of those guys. "The Iceman" Chuck Liddell was at the EA Sports booth discussing his involvement with EA Sports UFC and more. Check out our conversation.

Brian Mazique: What do you think of the legends added to EA Sports UFC?

Chuck Liddell: It’s fun to have new characters in there. They got [Matt] Hughes, [Mark] Coleman, [Brock] Lesnar…who’s the other one?

BM: Rampage

CL: Oh yeah, they needed to have him in there (chuckles).

BM: Have you had a chance to see or play with your character in the game?

CL: Oh yeah. I’ve been playing the UFC games since back when Crave was making them. You know back when everybody was left handed and had the same moves. Now it’s much more realistic. 

BM: I remember some months back there was talk about you and Jon Jones in some sort of superfight. Is that something you’d seriously think about doing?

CL: It’s one of those things. I think we talked about. Someone asked me how I feel about it. You know, I think if I fought him in my prime, I’d knock him out. But it’s one of those things.

That’s what I should think. I’m a fighter. That’s how I’ve always thought. Even in the fights I’ve lost, I wanted to redo it right then. I felt I can beat them. I can win the fight.

BM: Have you ever seriously thought about fighting one more fight?

CL: Not seriously. I mean I love fighting, and sometimes you get a thought in your head. But then I think, for the same reason I retired, I better stick with it.

BM: Of all of the big wins, obviously you had tons of them, is there one that sticks out to you as the biggest?

CL: I think the second fight I had with Randy [Couture] when I knocked him out. I got the title finally. I’d been after it for so long. He had beaten me before; so to finally get back out there and get the title, it was nice.

BM: OK, so I want to play a game with you if I can. I’m gonna give you a name, and you tell me the first word that pops into your mind.

CL: I’ll see what I can do. I don’t like these very often. But yeah, you go right ahead.

Aaron Sweet/Getty Images

BM: Jon Jones.

CL: Umm…one word? Conservative. We’re talking about his fighting style. I don’t know if you saw his video, you like that? (loud laughter)

BM: Conor McGregor

CL: Exciting. I like watching him fight. We’ll see. Each time he performs against better guys. He looks pretty good.

BM: He reminds me a lot of you. He reminds me of a miniature version of you.

CL: I like watching him fight. He brings it.

BM: Georges St-Pierre

CL: I don’t know the word to say exactly, but I’d like to see him fight like I know he can. He likes to do just enough to win, and he makes some really good people look really bad. I have all the respect in the world for him, and I think he’s a great fighter. I’d like to see him take more risks and try to finish fights.

Richard Shotwell/Associated Press

BM: OK, one more. Tito Ortiz.

CL: Umm: done. 

BM: Last question: a prediction. Who do you have in Jones vs. Daniel Cormier?

CL: I’m friends with Cormier. I think he’s a great guy. I’d like to see him do it. We’ll see how it goes. Jon has been really good at keeping guys from taking him down. But Cormier has been taking guys down who have been good at stopping takedowns. So it’ll be interesting to see how well Jones handles him.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.