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Chuck Liddell — one of UFC’s early stars —says he always knew UFC would eventually emerge as a mainstream sport.(Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Chuck Liddell is one of the big reasons UFC went from an underground sport into the mainstream phenomenon that it is today. The former Light Heavyweight Champion was one of the faces of the company back in 2005 when the company seemingly went from a sport that was considered underground into one of the most popular sports companies in the United States. The presence of guys like Liddell, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz and the debut of the “Ultimate Fighter” TV show on Spike TV (now Paramount Network) showcasing the Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar fight launched UFC into the mainstream stratosphere in a matter of weeks during the early portion of 2005. It all happened at the same time that Liddell won the Light Heavyweight Championship for the first time over Couture in April of 2005 at UFC 52. “I always thought it would get big because it was a great sport,” says Liddell in a one-on-one interview. “I love the sport, and I was trying to get it there, I just thought it would take a lot longer to get there. The Ultimate Fighter show, that was really the big thing that launched us there. It was the fast track in getting us big.” The Season 1 finale of the Griffin vs. Bonnar fight is considered the most important fight in MMA history. It was the first live and free MMA ever and it’s what led to UFC becoming the dominant entity that it is today. UFC now broadcasts events basically every week on ESPN after landing a $1.5 billion deal with ESPN over five years. “I…

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Filed under: News - @ August 1, 2025 7:27 pm