BT:  We’ve got the UFC superstar Chuck Liddell here on BoxingTalk.  Chuck what’s the latest with you what’s going on? "Just waiting to figure out when I’m fighting again. They’re talking about the end of May, but I don’t know yet."

BT:  What did your fight with Tito Ortiz mean for your career?

CL:  It was the biggest fight in UFC history, so it meant a lot for  me.  Also, it was one of those guys you just cant lose to.  You lose to that guy, he’ll never stop running his mouth.  It’s bad enough when you win.  He actually showed me a lot of  respect this time, after the win.  I give that to him for growing up and acting like a a man after a fight.  But, he’s one of those guys.  You lose to that guy, he’ll never stop running his mouth, and it would have been non-stop.  I told myself before the fight I could not lose to him.

BT:  Ther’s no question that the UFC is becoming more popular than boxing.  What do you attribute that to?

CL:  We include all of the aspects of boxing.  I think we have more personalities right now.  The UFC, and the guys from Zufa, are doing a better job promoting the sport. I was a big boxing fan, but when you stop being able to watch the good guys fight on free tv, stop being able to watch guys fight on Friday night fights, Tuesday night fights, you stop caring about it. The biggest thing for me is to build kids up on the smaller shows, on free tv, and then when they have a PPV event you gotta buy it.  You gotta watch that kid.  I’m excited to see that kid, I’ve watched him fight ten times.  Now I get to see him fight for the real show, now he’s got a real shot.  I’m going to go watch that kid now.  I’ve been watching fighting my whole life, doing fighting my whole life.  It doesn’t excite me unless I can invest something  into the person I’m watching.  The guys I watch, and I know, there are a lot of guys I know now, if it’s not one of the guys I know, I don’t even watch every man.  If it’s a guy I know, I’m excited about it.

BT:  Growing up who was a fighter you looked up to?

CL:  A lot of people.  Maurice Smith was a guy I looked up to.  I looked up to Steve Cunningham, a lot of kickboxing guys.  Hagler was one of my favorites coming up, obviously.  I liked watching Tyson, I was never a huge fan, but I thought he was phenominal.  In the beginning, when he was a boxer, with tremendous power, he was the man.  Near the end, obviously, he seemed like he just started  punching.  I don’t know what happened to him.  He stopped being a great boxer, and just stated punching.  It’s hard being a big puncher, just a big puncher is not going to do it for you.  You gotta be setting it up.  He used to set it up, and then knock them out.  Now looking for that one big punch just doesn’t do it with a really good guy, at the top end of the sport, any sport.  That just doesn’t do it. 

BT:  Compared to boxing UFC is still a brand new sport, it’s a baby compared to boxing.  Do you consider yourself like the Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson to the sport?

CL:  I’m one of the guys that brought the sport out there.  I’m one of the guys that happened to be there at the right time.  I love this sport, I love fighting, I love doing what I’m doing, and who ever they want to liken me to.  We ain’t even  in the same category.  The fact that people even put me in these guys category, makes me proud,that makes me excited.  Those are bad men, those are guys that I look up to and I’ve always watched, and thought they were great people and great fighters, and to be mentoned in the same breath as those guys is great for me.

BT:  Last question, one of the biggest fights in boxing right now is Mayweather-De La Hoya on May 5th.  What do you think is the biggest fight that can be made right now for UFC?

CL:  That’s tough, I don’t know, I want to fight. It depends on what happens coming up.  We’ve got Kolkof in there. If he somehow gets the title, the biggest fight would be me going up to heavyweight to take that title from him.

BT:  You want it?

CL:  If he takes it. If he can somehow win that title, I’d love to come and take it from him.

BT:  Thanks, Chuck.