Chuck Liddell has lead the way for the contingent of strikers entering NHB and disproving the myth that was going around in the '90s that strikers wasted all that time learning how to strike, when grappling was where it was at. Liddell came out and proved it by dethroning the seemingly unbeatable Jose Pele Landi in his own backyard and under the leanest of rules [in the IVC in Brazil]. He then returned to the UFC, losing to Jeremy Horn in the last seconds of the match, but came back and destroyed the USWF's Paul Jones. Liddell was scheduled to fight the Snowman, Jeff Monson in UFC XXVIII, but due to medical reasons that fight was postponed until UFC XXVIX. Now the match pitting a champion striker versus a champion grappler is on.

FCF: How has your training been going? You were originally scheduled to fight in the last UFC, but that match was postponed.
Chuck Liddell: It's going good. After that match at the last UFC, I originally planned to stay out in New Jersey for another ten days or so. So I stayed out there with some of my relatives and basically just ran and lifted weights during that time. And then when I got back, I started my wrestling and regular training.

FCF: Did that postponement of the fight affect your training at all? Especially after you set your training schedule to fight on a specific date, then it changed.
CL: I had to back off. It does affect it. I try to peak for my fights, when I have enough notice. But I feel like I backed off enough and started back up at the right time, so I feel good.

FCF: You were scheduled to fight Jeff Monson at UFC XXVIII. What happened to that fight?
CL: I'm not too sure how it works. He had an abnormal CAT Scan. The way I understand it is, he had an abnormal CAT Scan, so they had to have another doctor review it. The doctor that I talked to said that 20% of people have abnormal CAT Scans, and that doesn't mean that anything is wrong with their head. It's just that the computer spits it out at that time like that. They have to check it over.

FCF: Did the doctors say that it could have been due to a mild concussion or something like that?
CL: No, I think it was a calcium deposit. The doctor that I talked to said that he could have had that from birth. It could have been just an abnormality, nothing big or nothing to worry about. From talking to Monson, he says that he hasn't been knocked out or had a concussion.

FCF: Everyone knows about Monson's accomplishments at Abu Dhabi, but what else do you know about him.
CL: That's about it. I saw him fight Tim Lajcik, but that's about all that I've seen of him. I haven't seen any of his other fights, if he has any. I have seen his Abu Dhabi stuff.

FCF: This looks to be a classic match up of the striker versus the grappler. Tell us why the striker will win this time?
CL: Well, because the striker can grapple. [both laugh]

FCF: What weaknesses are you planning on capitalizing on?
CL: Well, basically his lack of striking. He doesn't look comfortable striking, so I will try to make him feel uncomfortable by keeping him in that area and get him tired. When people are uncomfortable, they get tired faster. If we wrestle a lot, he won't get tired, but if we stand up, he will get tired.

FCF: How has your grappling been going?
CL: Great, it's been going good. I have been working out with all the guys at the gym. I got in a little bit of work with Tito [Ortiz] before the last fight, but I haven't been able to get down there since I got back from New Jersey. Hopefully I will get a chance to train with him at Cal-Poly [California Polytechnic State University] and the guys at SLO [Kickboxing].

FCF: I assume you are preparing to fight from the guard position. What do you plan to do if Monson takes you down?
CL: I'm prepared, and ready, to fight from the guard if he takes me down. I will strike from the guard and I have trained to get back to my feet. He's going to have a hard time taking me down. I'm not going to make it easy on him. I am going to make him work for it.

FCF: What other fights do you have coming up?
CL: I don't have anything scheduled as of yet. I was possibly going to do an IFC show. I don't know. I have to talk with my manager to see what we got going on. That fight was really tentatively set up. So I'm not sure.

FCF: Where do you plan on heading? Tito [Ortiz], who I assume is your good friend because you guys train together every so often, is the UFC Middleweight Champ, so what are your goals?
CL: I just want to keep fighting quality opponents and see what happens.

FCF: Are you looking for a championship of some kind or just for the competition?
CL: Well, the competition for right now, as far as the UFC goes. I mean, my friend has the title, the guy I train with. I have the IFC title, so I just want to fight. Titles are not real important to me.

FCF: This upcoming UFC is going to include some pretty seasoned middleweights. Are there any middleweights that you look forward to fighting?
CL: I'm looking forward to, hopefully, a rematch with Jeremy Horn. Other than that, there's quite a few guys out there that I wouldn't mind fighting, some fights I like and some I don't. There's nobody out there that I don't want to fight.

FCF: Is there anyone at the top of your list besides Horn?
CL: Sakuraba, Frank [Shamrock]. Against those guys I have nothing to lose and I think that I have a shot at both of them.

FCF: What's up next for Chuck Liddell?
CL: Just keep training and more fights, I guess. Whatever comes up. We'll see.

FCF: Good luck at the UFC and thank you.
CL: Cool, thank you.