UFC 5 - LIDDELL VS ORTIZ 2

6 months ago
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UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz II
The highly-anticipated rematch between Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell and Tito "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Ortiz headlined UFC 66 on December 30, 2006 in Las Vegas. The bout was for Liddell's UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.

Their first meeting at UFC 47 in 2004 saw Liddell knock out Ortiz in the second round, becoming the first person to finish Ortiz by KO/TKO. Bad blood had steadily grown between the two rivals since then, making their rematch one of the most anticipated fights in UFC history at the time.

Liddell (19-3) entered as the defending champion and moderate betting favorite at -220 odds. The 37-year-old from San Luis Obispo, California was on an incredible 7-fight winning streak, with 6 of those wins coming by way of knockout.

Ortiz (15-4) was the challenger looking to reclaim the title he had previously held. At 31 years old and fighting out of Huntington Beach, Ortiz was a +180 underdog.

The intense rivalry added an extra layer of excitement to an already massive title fight between two of the biggest stars in the UFC at that time. With Liddell's punching power and Ortiz's wrestling pedigree, fans were eager to see who would emerge victorious in this grudge match.

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