Defrost Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell?: The UFC May Have No Other Choice

The UFC took the emphatic position that Chuck Liddell would never fight in the UFC again.

That statement was made following Liddell’s knockout loss to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. However, in recent weeks, Dana White backed off his absolute stance.

White said that he doesn't want Liddell to fight anymore, but he is open to listening to Liddell “make his pitch” once he finished his stint on Dancing with the Stars .

Now that the UFC has undergone a destructive rash of fighter cancellations, Liddell’s pitch may only need to be a softball. Due to Brock Lesnar, Quinton Jackson, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Anderson Silva all pulling out, the UFC lacks any sort of drawing card for its Jan. 2 year-end supershow.

Can the UFC afford not to bring back Liddell? Presently, Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva headlines the January card. For a company that has prided itself on having a huge show to end each year, the UFC will not gain any momentum into 2010 with that main event.

Sure, all of the hardcore fans will still purchase the show because it has the those three important letters—UFC—on the marquee, but the card will definitely serve as UFC’s baseline for the entire year.

In the past, the UFC has shown a willingness to “hotshot” a returning fighter when the need arose. The best example was Randy Couture’s return to claim the UFC heavyweight title in March 2007.

Not only did the UFC get the preferred outcome of Couture winning the belt, the fight also became one of the most revered in company history.

Of course, if Liddell does indeed return to fill the gaping hole on Jan. 2, he’ll need an opponent.

Should Tito Ortiz come out of his fight with Forrest Griffin unscathed, could he be considered for the spot? Never one to shy away from promoting a fight, Ortiz happily fielded the question.

“If there’s a chance of me fighting Chuck Liddell again, I would love it,” Ortiz said during the pre-fight UFC 106 press conference.

But Ortiz has a huge task in front of him against Griffin before even be considered.

With Liddell’s recent performances in the cage combined with his pay-per-view drawing power, there will be no shortage of fighters running to get in line for the fight.

Possibilities for an opponent could include Rich Franklin, Mark Coleman, or Brandon Vera. However, if the UFC really wants a slam-dunk buy rate of over a million, they should make a quick call to their prior savior, Randy Couture.

The UFC has clearly been ravaged through what has traditionally been their biggest time of year. Looking down the current roster, Liddell appears to be one available person capable of spiking interest again.

Whether or not he should be fighting again is a different question, but it is a question with an easy answer. Seeing how easily Liddell went down against Rua, the answer is clearly no.

But the UFC is not Liddell’s mother or father. They have made their position clear, and I don’t think anyone doubts White’s sincerity on the issue. Liddell is a grown man. If he wants to fight (and can get licensed), he will fight again.

The UFC can’t let their most popular fighter fight for another organization. Liddell has too much appeal and garners too much publicity to let him promote a different company.

At 40 years old (turning 41 on December 17), Liddell will have to fight soon. He has made it clear that he wants to fight again, and the UFC clearly needs a main event fighter. Lightning may not strike again - as it did with Couture, but from a business standpoint, the storm clouds are clearly overhead.

A returning Chuck Liddell may be the only option for Jan. 2.