The end of an era became official earlier today when iconic light-heavyweight Chuck Liddell announced he was hanging up his gloves for good at a press conference related to this weekend’s upcoming UFC event. However, while Liddell closed one chapter of his life with the news, he quickly followed it up by mentioning he’d opened a new one by accepting a position in the company as Executive Vice President of Business Development.

“I want to thank Frank, Lorenzo, and Dana for everything they’ve done for me over the years and for the sport. Most of all, I want to thank my fans, my family,” said an emotional Liddell. “I love this sport and I’m excited going into a new stage in my life and keep promoting the best sport in the world and the sport I love. They’re giving me the opportunity again to keep promoting and keep doing stuff now that I’m retired.”

Liddell’s run in the UFC was well-documented, as he rose to become not only one of the sport’s most dominating, but recognizable, competitors, as well as the company’s 205-pound champion with wins over Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, and Renato Sobral.

The 41-year old “Iceman” walks away from Mixed Martial Arts with a 21-8 record in more than a decade of activity. Five of his eight total losses occurred over his last six fights with the one exception being a highly memorable encounter with Wanderlei Silva ironically taking place three years to the day of his retirement. Appropriately, their scrap was named the event’s “Fight of the Night”.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFCSimilar Posts:

• The Ultimate Fighter 11 to debut March 31
• Dana White says Chuck Liddell has fought his last fight
• Wanderlei Silva and Keith Jardine most likely opponents for Chuck Liddell?
• Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva: Worth the wait?
• Chuck Liddell: To retire, or not to retire, that is the question

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is auctioning off a one-of-a-kind Chevrolet Camaro to benefit the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell will drive the car onto the stage of
the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event in Las Vegas for the Sept. 25
auction.

The car, which was created from a partnership between the UFC and Findlay Customs and Modern Muscle Las Vegas, features a supercharged 650-horsepower engine, custom exhaust, lowering suspension kit, 2,000-watt sound system, custom paint, and UFC-fight-glove seats with suede headliner.

46-6 professional boxer and undefeated lightweight boxing champion Shane Mosley is one of the few elite boxers that not only likes the UFC, he also has thought about entering the Octagon. Unlike recent dud James Toney, Mosley seems smart enough to realise world class striking skills aren’t enough to capture gold at the highest levels of mixed martial arts, and he expressed during a recent live chat with Fanhouse readers:

“I was thinking about trying it, but they have the advantage in the wrestling and takedowns. They’re totally different sports. I’ve definitely thought about it. If a boxer doesn’t have training in mixed martial arts, fighting on the ground, they’re not going to win. You have to do more than throw a punch. I think the UFC is great, there are great fights coming up there, I support it. I like Rampage Jackson a lot because I know him and I’ve admired Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture.”

There’s no chance of seeing an elite boxer in the UFC or any MMA promotion for that matter until the purses become close to what these guys are making. In the meantime it’s still fun to speculate on how a prime boxer would do, but it’s only that..speculation.

UFC president Dana White, fighters such as BJ Penn, Chuck Liddell, Jon Jones, Vitor Belfort, Octagon girl Arianny Celeste, plus many other famous UFC personalities will be out to help celebrate the official grand opening of the UFC Gym’s this coming weekend.

The two California gyms, located in Rosemead and Los Angeles, will play center role for fighter autograph sessions, Q&A’s, and fan giveaways which include UFC Gym prize packages and UFC tickets for UFC 121.

If your living close to either gym, take some time on Saturday to head over for the Grand Opening.

Here is the full Press Release.
_________________________

Continuing on its path to completely revolutionize the fitness industry, UFC® GYM™ is unveiling a second location in Rosemead, California, and is holding the official Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening Expo on Saturday, September 18 starting at 10:00am PT.

UFC superstars Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and BJ “The Prodigy” Penn as well as UFC President Dana White and New Evolution Ventures (NeV) founders / UFC Gym Partners Mark Mastrov and Jim Rowley will make special appearances to kick-off all of the day’s exciting events and activities.

“I was blown away by the first gym in Concord, and the Rosemead UFC Gym is just as incredible,” said White. “I’m excited to get there on September 18th and open yet another UFC Gym for fitness seekers in LA.”

“This UFC Gym facility is second to none. No one out there can replicate what we do. The Rosemead location will continue to provide innovative fitness training and create an atmosphere where members will see immediate results. UFC Gym is not what you expect and more than you could imagine,” said Rowley, NeV/UFC Gym CEO/co-founder.

White, Liddell, Penn, Mastrov and Rowley will take part in the official ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Rosemead City Officials scheduled to begin at 10:15am PT.

Attendees can look forward to an action packed day: White will deliver a public address, fighters will sign autographs inside the Octagon™, Bruce Buffer will host Q&A sessions and UFC stars BJ Penn, Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Jon Fitch, Gray Maynard, Jon Jones, Dominick Cruz and Best of PRIDE host Kenda Perez will make special appearances. Additionally, fitness demos will be taking place all day long, including UFC Gym Kids MMA, Muay Thai, Zumba, Kick Ass Kickboxing and Daily Ultimate Training (DUT) while partners such as the U.S. Marines and Powerade will be on site highlighting their brands.

To top it all off, UFC Octagon Girl™ Arianny Celeste will sign autographs and then take the stage for fan giveaways, which will include UFC Gym prize packages and UFC tickets for the upcoming mega-fight UFC 121: LESNAR vs. VELASQUEZ taking place Saturday, Oct. 23 live from the Honda Center in Anaheim.

The full schedule for the Grand Opening is available below. For more information on UFC Gyms, please visit UFCgyms.com.

GRAND OPENING FULL SCHEDULE

(Times Subject to Change)

10:00AM GRAND OPENING EXPO Officially Begins

10:15-10:30AM OFFICIAL RIBBON CUTTING featuring Dana White, Chuck Liddell, BJ Penn,

Mark Mastrov, Jim Rowley and Rosemead City Officials

11:30AM White Address from Inside the UFC Gym Octagon
12:00Noon Chael Sonnen, Gray Maynard and Arianny Autograph Session
12:30PM White and Liddell Kick Off Question and Answer Session Hosted by Bruce Buffer
1:00 – 1:30PM Chael Sonnen and Gray Maynard Q&A
1:00 – 2:00PM Vitor Belfort and Kenda Perez Autograph Session
1:30 – 2:00PM Jon Jones & Jon Fitch Q&A
2:00 – 3:00PM Jon Jones & Jon Fitch Autograph Session
2:00 – 2:30PM Vitor Belfort & Kenda Perez Q&A
2:30 – 3:00PM BJ Penn & Dominick Cruz Q&A
3:00 – 3:30PM Prize Giveaways with Arianny and Bruce Buffer
3:00 – 4:00PM BJ Penn & Dominick Cruz Autograph Session
5:00 – 10:00PM Music – Food & Fun!

For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

Ultimate Fighting Championship® – www.ufc.com

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually and 30 live arena events around the world. UFC programming is distributed in the United States on Viacom, Inc.’s Spike TV and on Comcast, Inc.’s Versus network. UFC content is distributed commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in over 147 countries and territories, reaching 430 million homes worldwide, in 19 different languages. Ancillary businesses now include UFC.com with over 5 million unique visitors per month, the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC Gym™, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo™ festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, articulated action figures and other media including best-selling DVDs and a U.S. bimonthly magazine.

Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa®, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.

About New Evolution Ventures (NeV)

Based in Northern California, New Evolution Ventures (NeV), previously New Evolution Fitness Company (NEFC) is a private equity firm focused on acquisition, development, management and operation of fitness, media and sports entities both domestically and internationally. Co-Founded in 2008 by Mark Mastrov and Jim Rowley, the current team of NeV professionals are shaping the world of fitness, media, and sports one brand at a time. With a foundation representing over a century of experience in health, wellness, sports, entertainment and fitness, NeV currently has operations and investments in over 20 countries worldwide.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Rich Franklin raffles off the pink cast he wore after breaking his left forearm in his fight with Chuck Liddell at UFC 115 in Vancouver, Canada in May. “Ace” had Liddell sign the cast which went to “Eugene Lawrance” ticket # 2427. Franklin also gave away a few other items (three autographed pictures, two shirts and two mouthpieces) to fans who entered the contest.

Celebrity Networth is an interesting website, taking public information and coming up with an estimate of what your favorite stars, athletes or politicians are worth. They even have mixed martial artists and promotion heads on the list, including Dana White, Georges St. Pierre, Brock Lesnar and BJ Penn. Penn is the highest on our list as far as fighters go, bringing an estimated $40 million net worth, while Dana White is the highest overall, bringing in a cool $150 million. Here’s some of the fighters and their amounts:

Dana White $150 million
BJ Penn $40 million
Rashad Evans $2 million
Chuck Liddell $6 million
Kimbo Slice $2 million
Fedor $15 million
George St. Pierre $4 million
Brock Lesnar $15 million
Randy Couture $9 million
Tito Ortiz $15 million

Of course we’re not sure how accurate the information above is, but it’s still fun to wonder at how much these fighters are actually worth.

Amarillo, TX. – July 16, 2010 -Texas based mixed martial arts fight promotion company, Shark Fight Promotions, confirmed today that Keith “The Dean of Mean” Jardine and Trevor Prangley will headline Shark Fights 13. This will be Jardine’s first post-UFC challenge since his recent departure from the organization. Jardine will face fellow UFC veteran and current Shark Fights light-heavyweight champion, Trevor Prangley, in a non-title bout. Shark Fights 13 will take place on Saturday, September 11 at the Amarillo Civic Center in Amarillo, Texas.

According to Brent Medley, president of Shark Fight Promotions, “We are very excited that Keith Jardine and Trevor Prangley are fighting for our organization. Jardine had a lot of options, as several promoters were clamoring to sign him, but he chose to fight for us. Prangley is our light heavyweight champion and he always puts on an exciting fight. We feel that Jardine vs. Prangley is a very compelling match up for any organization.”

Keith Jardine (15-8-1) is looking to bounce back after a loss to Matt Hamill at the Ultimate Fighter 11 finale last month in Las Vegas. Jardine, who is best known for fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), plans to defeat Prangley and add another notable win to his record. Jardine has defeated some of the best fighters in the business, including Brandon Vera and former UFC champions Forrest Griffin and Chuck Liddell.

According to Keith Jardine, “To prove that I’m still a top contender I need to fight for credible organizations and face high caliber opponents. Shark Fights has become a leading promoter over the last two years. The promotion has a huge following.”

Jardine went on to say, “I’ve known Brent Medley for several years, and in my opinion, he is one of the top matchmakers in the industry. When Brent approached me about fighting for Shark Fights and facing Trevor Prangley, I jumped at the opportunity. Prangley has an impressive list of notable wins and has only lost twice over the past three years.”

Prangley (22-6-1) was on a six fight win streak (6 wins, 1 draw) prior to his recent loss to Tim Kennedy at Strikeforce “Live” in Los Angeles. The South African Olympic alternate has fought for some of the top fight organizations in the industry and currently holds the Shark Fight light- heavyweight title. Prangley holds impressive wins over top-notch fighters such as Chael Sonnen, and Travis Lutter.

Prangley is looking forward to stepping into the cage to face Jardine; “I’m looking forward to this fight. I’m ready to step into the cage and redeem myself. I’m not happy with my lackluster performance against Kennedy. I plan to come back strong. Keith is a tough opponent. It’s great to see that Shark Fights is attracting more high-level fighters. They are a top-notch fight organization. They treat the fighters well and put on great shows.”

Jardine vs. Prangley is just one of many compelling match ups on the upcoming Shark Fight Promotions fight card. Shark Fights 13 is stacked with high-caliber marquee fighters. According to Medlley, it is the fight organization’s most impressive card to date. Shark Fights will be announcing the full fight card and additional details about the event in the coming weeks. To learn more about Shark Fight Promotions, please visit www.sharkfights.com.

UFC light heavyweight Rich Franklin got some good news from doctors on Monday.

The former champ, who broke his arm in a UFC 115 main-event victory over Chuck Liddell, does not need surgery on the left limb, and a targeted December or January return date is still a possibility.

Franklin's business manager, J.T. Stewart, today told MMAjunkie.com that the fighter's full-arm cast was removed and replaced with a smaller, lighter forearm cast.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Tito Ortiz talked with MMABay recently about his surgery, his canceled bout against Chuck Liddell as well as the talk surrounding the “Iceman’s” future, his home situation, and when he’s hoping to return to the octagon.

Here’s a bit of that interview transcribed by MMABay.

“I was really shocked (by the loss to Rich Franklin fight), I saw all my money go out the window. It is what it is, everything in this world happens for a reason and I’ll be back at the end of November. I’d like to [fight] Forrest. If Forrest would like to do a trilogy it’d be awesome. We gave two great fights both times we fought and we’ll get a triple fight more exciting than the last two.”

Is the piracy of MMA content a serious crime? Should the UFC spend its resources tracking down offenders? Does the UFC have only itself to blame for all the illegal streams? And are the streams actually helping the UFC in the long run?

All aspects of that hot topic were discussed in this week's edition of The Sunday Junkie, our weekly reader-feedback feature.

However, when it came to picking a winner, we went with Canada's George Wells, who takes an unpopular stance and explains why UFC legend Chuck Liddell shouldn't retire from the sport.