Liddell trainer: Tito Ortiz is ‘outgunned’ and‘outskilled’

It's about time we heard some news out of the Chuck Liddell camp.

The UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has been busy training in Arroyo Grande, California, with long-time trainer John Hackleman for his upcoming rematch with Tito Ortiz at UFC 66 on December 30.

Here's an inside peak from an article today on Canada.com:

Outside there are wheelbarrows crammed with 210-pound weights. Worn dumbbells. Seventy-pound medicine balls. Weightlifting machines and workout benches in a garage that will never grace Good Housekeeping. And down in a gully, a giant gazebo covering a cage for fighting. This is where UFC light-heavyweight champion Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell hones his skills leading up to a mixed martial arts fight. Like Liddell, it's nothing fancy. But it gets the job done.

Strangely, that's not surprising at all.

Hackleman was later quoted in the article saying:

"Tito's tough as nails. I just think Chuck has a harder punch and a harder chin, and more skills and more tools. Tito's every bit as every fighter in the world, I think he's just outgunned and outskilled."

On Thursday, December 28 at 11 p.m., "UFC All Access Chuck Liddell" will premiere on SpikeTV -- definitely must see TV.

Other interesting nuggets from the article:

--Akon, Motorhead, 50 Cent, George Thorogood and hardcore country are just a few of the artists/genres currently playing on Chuck Liddell's iPod.

--English fighter Ross Pointon from season three of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) has been one of Liddell's punching bags, er, sparring partners during training.

--Chuck paints his toenails black – like other Pit-trained fighters – following a trend set by Hackleman after his girlfriend one night did his nails and the next day it was too hard to get off.

This is great article and well worth the five minutes it takes to read.