MMA legend Chuck Liddell was once considered among the greatest fighters in the world. His two year reign as UFC light-heavyweight champion and infamous wars with fellow legend Randy Couture made him the sports most recognizable and famous athlete.

But at 40-years of age, and after dropping 5 of his past 6 fights, including another first-round knockout Saturday night, this time at the hands of former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin, it appears that Liddell has made his last appearance inside of the Octagon.

"Yes [Chuck Liddell is done]," UFC President Dana White said. "And I hope he agrees, and I don't think he won't. Here is the deal man, Chuck is one of those guys that has been with me longer than we owned this company. I love him and I care about him as a person and as a friend, and I respect him very much as a fighter. I sat down with him, whenever it was, and I told him I think it's over. I mean, what else does he have left to prove? He trained very hard for this fight, got in the best shape of his life, and I felt very comfortable going into this fight.

Long known for hard living outside of the cage, at the behest of his White, Liddell curtailed his notorious nightlife over the past year and focused on training and nutrition with the understanding that he'd get one more shot at a comeback with the promotion.

"I think he and Rich Franklin tonight fought the type of fights that made them both famous and made them both world champions, White said. "Chuck Liddell wanted one more shot and he got it tonight."

Regardless of his standing with the promotion as a fighter, White made clear that Liddell would always have a place with the UFC in other capacities, and recognized Liddell among the chief reasons for the companies success.

"He means a lot to this company and he means a lot to this sport," White said. "He means a lot to me personally. In the early days, when we got no press and we got no media, Chuck would be on the road with me for weeks on end traveling and representing the sport. When we bought this company, I was managing Chuck and he was making $2,500 a fight. When we all got together, me, Lorenzo, and Chuck was a part of it, and we had a dream it would be like this. It happened and were living it.He was a great champion, he was a great business partner, etc. etc. He's always going to have a home at the UFC. People love him and he's always got opportunities outside of the Octagon. He is one of those guys that will always be with the UFC one way or another. I don't have one sad feeling in my body at all. We did it. He was a part of it and he will always be a part of it.Believe me, he wanted this and he went out like Chuck Liddell would want go out. He came out blasting, bombing, and trying to put Rich away in a slugfest. He gave the fans a good last fight as "The Iceman."