Liddell would consider comeback if money, health was right

Chuck Liddell has been on the sidelines for seven years, and while rumors of a comeback materialize every so often, none have led him to a return.

However, the former UFC light heavyweight champion admitted Monday on "The MMA Hour" that the "itch" to step back inside the Octagon remains.

"I don't think the itch to fight has ever left me, ever," Liddell said according to Shaun Al-Shatti of MMAFighting.com. "I mean, I got paid to do what I love for a living, and I got paid very well to do it. So that's going to always be there. That's always going to be like, 'Man, I wouldn't mind getting out there again.' That'll always be there, and then it's just that battle of should I? Or, is it the right thing to do? That's what it all comes down to."

While the 47-year-old isn't excited about the prospect of taking part in a legends-type fight, he would consider putting his gloves back on for the right price, health permitting.

"I have had people that I was doing some promotion stuff with go, 'You know, we had an idea. We should have, like, a legends fight,'" Liddell said. "It's always that. That conversation always comes up when we're talking about doing some promotion for a company, or helping them promote their league. The conversation always leads to, 'Have you ever thought about doing a legends fight?' Like, 'We have this new idea, we're thinking about a legends fight.' New idea, yeah, that's brand new. No, it always comes up.

"But it's just, in the right situation, if they offered enough money, and my body would hold up to getting in shape, I'm not saying I'd say no."

One option for Liddell could be signing with Bellator, who have a history of putting on bouts with big-name fighters from the past.

Chael Sonnen - who is currently signed with Bellator - has called out Liddell repeatedly in recent months, though "The Iceman" doesn't view him as much of a challenge.

"Talk about if I had to pick an easy big-name fight to come back to," Liddell said. "If I ease into fighting again, I mean, a warm-up fight, that's the one you're talking about.

"I love Chael and I don't pay much attention to what he says because he's one of those guys that, he made a name for himself by talking a lot of trash, and he runs his mouth. And he did that because he was a boring fighter. I mean, he was not that exciting, if I'm trying to be nice. But he wasn't that exciting to watch fight. He was a throwback to a lay-and-pray guy. But, he made a name for himself and he made a great career with it, and you know, it's that cartoonish trash talk. He's like a WWE guy. It's over the top, it's always funny, he's always trying to be funny.

"And actually, I know the guy, he's a nice guy. He's just all business here. So it's hard to watch that and get upset about him trash-talking. It's just weird."