Whatever Happened to Chuck Liddell? Here’s the Latest on The Iceman

Retired mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Chuck Liddell was, and still very much is, a big deal in the world of MMA. Not just because of his lengthy career, but also for his performance and his role in helping bring MMA into mainstream American sports entertainment, according to IMDb.

Chuck had some pretty notable moments in his career, like when he cracked Vernon “Tiger” White’s orbital bone with a straight right hand, or when he knocked out Randy Couture at UFC 52, which, at the time, marked Couture’s first knockout of his career. But after Chuck retired in late 2010, and new faces emerged and began making headlines, many fans lost touch with him. So what happened to Chuck, and what is he up to these days?

Chuck Liddell may have retired from MMA in 2010, but he’s still around and a familiar face in the industry. From sponsoring health supplement brands to attending events, Chuck is still involved in the sport, just not actively fighting. He’s often featured on podcasts, where he reacts to viral fights.

While he’s no longer stepping into the octagon, he stays connected to MMA through commentary, podcasts, and appearances at events. He’s also partnered with the Palms in Las Vegas, where various fighting events are hosted, making him not only an attraction by being present but also giving him an opportunity to stay relevant in the sport.

On top of that, Chuck is newly married. On Oct. 12, 2025, he and Heidi Rae tied the knot at Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas after getting engaged eight months earlier. The former MMA fighter told People the wedding was “a long time coming.” He and Heidi met almost two decades before getting married, but it wasn’t until 2021 that they started dating. “We met 18 years ago and life took us in different directions, but we found our way back to each other, and it’s beautiful,” Chuck told the outlet.

But this isn’t Chuck’s first rodeo with marriage. He was previously married to a woman named Heidi, with whom he shares two children, and his divorce from her was finalized in April 2025. So, you could say he’s been keeping pretty busy since retiring.

Chuck decided to retire at the end of 2010 after consecutive losses in the ring. His close friend and former manager, Dana White, was also encouraging him to step back, seeing that he was putting his health on the line by fighting younger and stronger competitors. Just before retiring, Chuck took losses against Rampage, Rashad Evans, and Shogun Rua. After his fight with Shogun, Dana suggested Chuck consider stepping away from the sport, according to Fox Sports.

Dana noted that Chuck had already earned his titles and money from fighting, and it wasn’t worth risking his health by taking on opponents who were younger, faster, and stronger. At the time of his retirement, Chuck was 41 years old, already at the tail end of a typical fighting career. While it took a few rounds of encouragement from Dana, Chuck eventually made the decision to retire.

While he did return in 2018 for a fight against Tito Ortiz, that marked the last of his fighting days.