Chuck Liddell isn't a fan of where mixed martial arts has drifted, and he's saying so out loud. According to Sherdog, Liddell singled out the use of wrestling by fighters in today's UFC as a tactic that doesn't sit well with him.

It's a pointed comment from someone whose name is synonymous with the sport's earlier eras, and it lands right in the middle of a debate that never really goes away among fans and fighters alike: should winning ugly count the same as winning exciting.

Liddell didn't offer a fix or call out any specific fighter by name in the reporting, just his own discomfort with watching bouts get decided by fighters who lean on takedowns and top control rather than trading in the open. That kind of criticism tends to resonate with a certain segment of the fanbase, the ones who buy tickets and pay for pay per views hoping for finishes rather than grinding decisions.

Whether the UFC's current crop of wrestlers takes any notice of a legend's complaint is another matter entirely. Styles built around control and volume have proven effective for plenty of champions in recent years, and judges have generally rewarded that approach on the scorecards. But when a figure like Liddell speaks up about the direction of the sport, it's a reminder that not everyone who helped build the promotion's audience is thrilled with how the finished product looks today.