Joe Rogan gives his take on Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz trilogy fight: “it’s the motivation that bothers me”

Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz’s trilogy fight is now allegedly official — though certain key details like the date and venue of the fight are still unknown.

No matter the setting of this fight, which will be promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, it’s likely to be the subject of much controversy. Ortiz, after all, is 43, while Liddell is 48 years old. Liddell also hasn’t fought since 2010, when he retired on the heels of three-straight knockout losses.

One of the latest members of the MMA community to criticize this fight between the aging legends is UFC commentator Joe Rogan. Speaking on his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience MMA Show, Rogan admitted that he will most likely watch the fight. That being said, he’s having a bit of a hard time swallowing it. His main issue surrounds the motivation of both men. He’s just not sure why they feel compelled to fight again, and why nobody in their camps has attempted to stop them from doing so.

“If they want to compete, if it’s because they want to compete, I wonder where it makes sense to tell them they can’t or they shouldn’t?” Rogan said (transcribed by Jed Meshew for MMA Fighting). “Because if they want to do it and they had money – what is it about it? Is it the motivation that bothers me? What is it about a fight like that? I think it’s the motivation that bothers me, a little bit.”

“[Chuck] has been saying that he misses it,” Rogan continued. “It was his favorite thing and he misses it. If we were gonna live forever, I’d say definitely don’t do it because you’re just gonna keep damaging yourself. But if you’re not gonna live forever…”

Do you share Joe Rogan’s feelings on this controversial third fight between the MMA legends Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 7/4/2018.