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On Carson Daly Tonight By Loretta Hunt
Appearances like this are becoming more commonplace for Liddell and other UFC fighters, especially in the days leading up to a big UFC event when the Zuffa team seems to be hustling for exposure. As one of the quieter, more reserved characters out there, it's no surprise when Liddell mumbles that is his least favorite part of the business, but his demeanor hardly betrays him. He knows his boisterous sidekick tonight, the brash former champion Tito Ortiz, will try to egg him on into a verbal fray of some sort. He says Ortiz is an emotional fighter, and unlike himself, needs this to prepare his mind for the fight. But in the end, Liddell says he's not buying what Ortiz is selling. With a confidence that could only come from years of knowing a person (the two were longtime friends), Liddell wholeheartedly believes Ortiz will not stand with him in their anticipated face-off that has been almost two years in the making, but if he does, one or two swipes from the Iceman will quickly change that. Liddell slyly comments that he's glad Ortiz is riled up. He knows he's gotten under his opponent's skin. Liddell arrived in New York City the day before, and says he had gotten little sleep with the time change. Working out at a local health club, he now stands in the minutes leading up to the interview, a ball full of energy as he shadowboxes through the air. Even with Ortiz to contend with in a few minutes, the soft-spoken Liddell says his greatest concern is speaking up so Daly and the audience can hear him. The Daly show seems more equipped to deal with the whole UFC subject judging from Ortiz's first visit to the set last September. Daly's interest in the sport has grown considerably in the last six months, and the host has now taken up kickboxing to go along with his boxing training. The premise of the show seems to revolve around the "ultimate fighting" theme. Liddell's fifteen minute segment will be the last to film today, and the show has gone to great technical lengths to have Ortiz waiting via satellite for a split screen shot Daly will utilize to catch both fighter's reactions to his questioning. Producer Jason, a close friend of Daly's and a growing MMA fan (he says he spends most of his time watching UFC tapes in his office), comes into Liddell's dressing room to rattle off the questions for tonight. Spare the first one that deals with the issued gloves used and the fighter's safety in them, all of the questions revolve around the two fighter's personal feud with one another. It seems Daly and crew have gotten past the initial hesitation of considering MMA a sport. They buy it and are ready to present it accordingly. After Daly's opening monologue, where he opens up by mentioning the UFC and the sport, off-kilter actress and budding musician Juliette Lewis is the first guest out on the stage. Daly immediately asks for her take on the whole ultimate fighting thing, and she gushes positively about the fighters and her deep respect for them. Inside his dressing room, Liddell watches the screen intently and smiles at Lewis' remarks. In three years, he says, the sport has come a long way. But, before he has time to contemplate any more, a stagehand is there to whisk him off for his time with Daly. Watching the screens, a Liddell enters the stage with a big smile on his face and gives Daly a hearty handshake. The Iceman is ready to do his job tonight. To catch the verbal prelude to the Ortiz-Liddell April 2nd clash at UFC 47, tune into Carson Daly's Last Call tonight on NBC. Check local listings for air times. |
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