UFC Pioneer Chuck Liddell Arrested And Charged With Domestic Violence
UPDATED: October 12, 2021 9:46AM ET.
One of the UFC’s most legendary fighters was reportedly arrested and charged with domestic violence early Monday morning.
Chuck Liddell, 51, is currently held in jail with a bail set at $20,000, according to a TMZ report.
There are little details on the incident, but the report states there was a verbal dispute, which turned physical between Liddell and his wife, professional poker player Heidi Northcott.
She did not need medical attention, the report said.
Later Monday, Liddell released a statement regarding his arrest.
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“I was the victim of the incident last night at our family home, as details of the case will reveal” the statement reads. “The deputies informed me that my wife would be arrested as I did not respond to her assault while I sustained bruising and lacerations. I volunteered to go in her place.
“This was one of the many times I have tried to shield a family mental health issue from the public purview. It has become painfully apparent that this cannot continue, as our private life has now reached a public breaking point.”
He claims that he volunteered to go with authorities in place of his wife. He added that the incident stemmed from an existing “family mental health issue.”
Liddell is credited as a pioneer of MMA and putting the sport into mainstream lighting. He is also considered one of the greatest light heavyweight champions of all time.
He has tangled with other greats like Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture and Quinton Jackson to name a few. In 2009, he was inducted into the Pioneer Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame.
His last fight was in 2018 against Ortiz, which he lost by first-round knockout.