Liddell Calls Out Control-Heavy Wrestling Style

Chuck Liddell has taken aim at a fighting style that frustrates him more than any single opponent on the current UFC roster.

The Hall of Fame heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight told N3on's livestream that he cannot stand fighters who use wrestling primarily to control opponents without attempting to finish, Sherdog reports. Liddell clarified that his issue is not with grappling itself but with competitors who lean on positional stalling rather than ground strikes or submission attempts.

Liddell Defends Wrestling But Condemns Stalling

"I don't like the guys who try to wrestle and hold," Liddell said during the stream. "They're not trying to finish. I've got nothing against wrestling. I like wrestling. Good ground and pound? Great!"

The former champion also placed partial blame on fighters who fail to develop their ability to escape bottom position. "But the guys that are just sitting there trying to win by just holding a guy [I don't like it]," he continued. "It's the guy on the bottom's fault for not getting better at getting up, too, right? He's kind of causing some of the problems."

Liddell's criticism reflects a long-running debate in MMA over whether control time should carry the same weight as damage when judges score rounds. The style he described has become increasingly common at the highest levels of the sport, particularly among wrestlers transitioning from collegiate programs.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Chuck Liddell calls out the UFC fighting style he can't stand