Chuck Liddell delivered a monstrous punch to Guy Mezger's jaw, leaving him unconscious on the floor. This happened on May 2001 at Pride 14: Clash of the Titans.
What happened in the fight?
The two men shared a nip-and-tuck first round that almost ended with a massive knockout. Mezger dropped Liddell with an overhand right before swarming to finish the future UFC champion.
Liddell survived to see a second round. He turned the tables soon after, tagging Mezger with punches and backing him up against the ropes.
Chuck Liddell's favorite KO
Earlier this month, Chuck Liddell revealed the favorite knockout from his Hall of Fame career. At UFC 43, Liddell was badly beaten by Randy Couture.
He was determined to make sure his hand was raised when his opportunity for revenge finally came at UFC 52, almost two years later. That’s exactly what happened after he brutally KO’d ‘The Natural’ at UFC 52 in April 2005.
“I was lucky to have a lot of great moments in my career, but I think if you put a gun to my head, it would have to be knocking out Randy,” Liddell said.
Why it matters for Chuck Liddell
The punch was so brutal that Couture insists Liddell is the heaviest hitter he ever faced. Liddell had three scraps with Pride before fully committing to the UFC in 2004.
The first of them came against 28-10-2 (1NC) veteran Guy Mezger. Mezger famously told his opponents to give up mid-fight to avoid hurting them.
Liddell closed the show by detonating a monstrous punch on Mezger’s jaw. An unconscious Mezger’s legs collapsed under him, leaving ‘The Sandman’ a mangled mess on the floor.
Liddell will always be remembered for his legendary run in the UFC. He bounced around promotions during his first 16 MMA fights.
And he finally got to get his hands on the title he’d been after for so long. Liddell thought he could beat anybody and always tried to prove he was the best.
He felt like he was the best in the world. Liddell got to knock Couture out in the first round, clean punch, and he couldn’t have asked for a better end to the fight.