For weeks, we've heard speculation about who is or isn't fighting Chuck Liddell at UFC 115. First it was Tito Ortiz, then Rich Franklin, then Randy Couture. UFC President Dana White, however, aimed to put the pesky rumors to rest with his recent statement to Joe Ferraro on Sportsnet's MMA Connected.
In his strongest proclamation yet that the Ultimate Fighter season 11 coaches would fight in Vancouver as planned, White definitively stated the planned match would go on as scheduled.
"Absolutely," he said (his answer comes around the 1-minute mark). "The definite main event is Tito vs. Chuck Liddell. That's definitely the main event."
The event takes place on June 12 at GM Place. Tickets have yet to go on sale, and when they do it will be the next piece of evidence in the puzzle as UFC wouldn't false advertise a main event after going through so much to open up what is considered to be a lucrative market. Such a move would open them up for backlash and possibly even legal action.
White contends that Ortiz-Liddell has been the plan all along, though several websites reported that Ortiz would be replaced by Franklin as a coach and take his place in the match. Those rumors took hold after several cryptic tweets from Ortiz in which he seemed to suggest personal disappointment in a recent business situation, though he never elaborated further. Later, another Web site suggested that Liddell and Couture would match up for a fourth time.
By Mike Chiappetta
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