Pulp Fiction is one of those movies that gets better each time you see it. Random bits of dialogue find new meaning and pertinence with our life experiences. Okay, so I don't OD on heroine thinking it is blow or run into a gimp and male rapists in downtown L.A. But a paticular line from Ving Rhames seems to apply to Chuck 'the Iceman' Liddell,

"Fighters who thought there ass would age like wine. If you mean it turns a vineager, it does. If you mean it gets better with age, it don't."

Chuck has reached the point of vinegar. Once unstoppable he looks more mortal every day. In his past four fights he is 1-3, while his lone victory over Wanderlei Silva looked good, Chuck was far from the destructive force of nature that reigned supreme in the UFC. 

Two of those losses ended with Liddell asleep on the mat, even Keith Jardin, who won by decision, knocked Liddell down. 

What happened? Where did it go so terribly wrong? When did Chuck go from The Iceman, to the old guy with a beer belly. 

I know where part of it happened, when the UFC's talent got better. Liddell was no longer facing grapplers and wrestlers with mediocre striking. When Liddell was at the top of his game he was stalker counter puncher. Sounds strange right? But Liddell would follow Tito Ortiz, Babalu, Jeremy Horn and others around, responding to their half hearted attempts of standing in the pocket with Liddell style haymakers. Chuck was never in danger of being knocked out by these fighters and as a result he never learned to alter his fighting style. Chuck Liddell is static not dynamic and in a sport as fluid and fast as MMA you need to be ever evolving. 

These past three losses are showing how the game is passing Liddell by. Rashad Evans frustrated Liddell by mirroring his style in round. In round two Evans, boxing was sharper, with combinations flying, while using his left jab to set up the overhand right. A punch that he had gameplanned into the fight. 

Jardine gameplanned around Liddell's one-dimensionality and made him pay with leg kicks and quick combos. In that fight Liddell's face almost asked the question, "why isn't he standing there to let me punch him?"

The Jackson fight just showed that Liddell's chin had really never been tested, now that Rashad has repeated the KO and Jardine the knock down, maybe Chuck's chin is just average. 

Chuck did beat Wanderlei Silva at the end of 2007. This fight is the only bright spot for Chuck in over a year and it may be known as his last stand. Wanderlei lost by playing into Chuck's game, pushing forward while Liddell throws power punches while moving away. But Liddell did cary his fighting in this fight, he took Wanderlei down at one point as well as throwing a spinning backfist. 

The question remains what now for Chuck Liddell? Has he achieved Tito Ortiz status? Is Chuck Liddell largely irrelevant but still a PPV draw? These questions will need answering and there is no true well to tell besides watching him fight. The UFC and Zuffa will most likely place him as the co-main event of a fight, perhaps against Lyoto Machida. But Liddell needs a legit opponent to truly know if he is done, or if he has a few more fights left.

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