(This piece appeared in Bleacher Report on Feb 16, 2009)

by Mark Lorenzana

It is often said that in sports, especially those that require physical exertion, success usually depends on whether or not the participant is stronger, quicker, and can execute better than his opponent.

For instance, tennis players need to possess a combination of stamina, speed, and power to succeed. A player needs stamina to last the entire match, speed to be able to chase the ball around the court, and power to smash the ball during volleys and serves.

Of course, tennis is an individual sport, but the same holds true in team sports such as basketball and football. NBA teams are always scrambling to find younger, more athletic players to add to their rosters since an aging team is prone to injury.

In theory, the same should hold true for combat sports like boxing and Mixed Martial Arts. As a fighter ages, he or she begins to lose his or her reflexes and speed.

Still, older fighters may retain some abilities. The last thing to go is power, and if a fighter has taken good care of his or her body, stamina may never be an issue.

Pure boxers, who are also defensive specialists, are able to prolong their careers because they tend to absorb less punishment. Examples of technically sound fighters include Pernell Whitaker, James Toney, Ivan Calderon, Floyd Mayweather, and Gerry Penalosa.

Pure sluggers such as Arturo Gatti, Ricardo Mayorga, and Edwin Valero are more offensive-minded and tend to rely on their power and one-punch knockout. Due to this style, they absorb more punches and their careers are shortened.

One fighter that has been in the fight game for quite some time is Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell. At age 39, he is one of the elder statesmen in the MMA scene. In his storied career, he has compiled an impressive record of 21 wins and six losses. Since the start of his career, he has been known as a devastating striker—14 of his victories came by way of knockout.

Mostly a stand-up fighter, he relies primarily on his background in Kempo and Koei-Kan karate and his unorthodox striking. Many unsuspecting opponents have fallen victim to his lethal right hand, which he throws at odd angles. Due to his wrestling background, he also has a superb takedown defense.

His exciting style and brutal finishes have endeared him to countless fans, and he has helped bring MMA into the mainstream.

The road to success was not an easy one for Liddell. After coming to the UFC in 1998, he established himself as a fearsome fighter with victories over Kevin Randleman, Murilo Bustamante, Vitor Belfort, and Renato Sobral. These early wins solidified Liddell as one of the rising contenders in the UFC, and, by 2002, he was considered the No. 1 contender for Tito Ortiz’s light heavyweight title.

However, Ortiz did not want to fight Liddell. To force Ortiz’s hand, the UFC created an interim light heavyweight championship between Liddell and Randy Couture. Liddell lost by TKO in the final round.

Liddell then moved on to the now defunct Pride Championships and won his first match against Alistair Overeem by knockout, but lost in the next round to Quinton Jackson by TKO.

Tito Ortiz finally agreed to fight Liddell in UFC 47. Liddell knocked out Ortiz in the second round.

Then, after a first round knockout of Vernon White in his next fight, Liddell met Randy Couture in a rematch for Couture’s UFC light heavyweight title.

In UFC 52, Liddell finally won the seemingly elusive light heavyweight title after knocking out Couture in the opening round.

Liddell then successfully defended his title four times: first by TKO against Jeremy Horn in their rematch, then by knockout against Couture in their third fight, and by TKO against Sobral and Ortiz, both rematches.

Liddell’s fight with Ortiz would be the last time he would win by stoppage. In his rematch with Jackson at UFC 71, Liddell would lose his light heavyweight title via TKO in the first round.

A subsequent lost by decision to Keith Jardine started some rumors that Liddell might hang up his gloves.

However, a fight with dangerous veteran Wanderlei Silva was scheduled, and Liddell did not disappoint. In a grueling bout, Liddell prevailed via unanimous decision. Both Silva and Liddell received Fight of the Night honors.  Their contest was also named 2007’s Fight of the Year at the First Annual World Mixed Martial Arts Awards.

After the fight, many fans believed that Liddell would eventually reclaim his title.

After almost a year of inactivity, Liddell faced rising star Rashad Evans at UFC 88. Evans ended Liddell’s comeback with a second-round knockout.

Chuck Liddell has now lost three of his last four fights. In two of those losses, Liddell could not make it the full three rounds. He will also be turning 40 next year.

Liddell has a scheduled fight against Mauricio Rua in April, and it may be his last chance to prove that he is a contender.

Many people will point to Liddell’s age as one of the factors that has contributed to his slump of late. Based on his recent fights, there may be truth to that claim. His last two losses have been dealt by Evans and Jardine, fighters much younger and fresher than he.

However, age is not the only factor in Liddell’s recent decline. He reached the pinnacle of success, and he became complacent.  As a result, he lost his hunger and drive. He needs to regain that hunger if he wants to be champion again.

Recently, in boxing, the older guys have been taking the young guns to school. Bernard Hopkins just gave Kelly Pavlik a boxing lesson he will not soon forget, and Sugar Shane Mosley destroyed the seemingly invincible Antonio Margarito.

Age is not everything.

There are always a few good fights left in older fighters.

Does Chuck Liddell have a few good fights left in him? Let us just hope that for the sake of his countless fans, the answer is yes.