UFC Hall of Famer Chuck
Liddell was arrested early Monday morning in Los Angeles after
an alleged domestic violence incident.
TMZ Sports was first to report Liddell’s arrest. The
51-year-old former light heavyweight champion was booked for
misdemeanor domestic battery at the Lost Hills Sheriff Station
after an alleged incident between Liddell and his wife in Hidden
Hills, Calif.
Lost Hills police were called to respond to a family disturbance at
the 24000 block of Jim Bridger Road at approximately midnight local
time. It was then determined that a verbal argument became
physical. Liddell is married to Heidi Northcott, and the couple
have two children together. Northcott did not require medical
attention, according to the report.
Liddell released a statement regarding the incident on Monday
evening, where he claimed that he was the victim of an assault from
his wife, and that he volunteered to go with authorities in her
place.
Liddell’s statement is as follows:
Last night the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department deputies who
responded were professional. While the information about his case
will be revealed in due course, I believe it is important to convey
and clarify a few facts about the situation.
I was the victim of the incident last night at our family him, as
details of the case will reveal. The deputies informed me that my
wife would be arrested, as I did not respond to her assault while I
sustained bruising and lacerations. I volunteered to go in her
place.
This was one of the many times I have tried to shield a family
mental health issue from the public purview. It has become
painfully apparent that this cannot continue, as our private life
has now reached a public breaking point. Please respect our privacy
as I help to navigate our family through this difficult
time.
Liddell’s bail has been set at $20,000, and he is set to appear in
Van Nuys Court in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Liddell is listed at
6-foot-2 and 240 pounds on his booking sheet.
Known as “The Iceman,” Liddell was one of the UFC’s most popular
fighters during his heyday as 205-pound champion. After an
eight-year retirement, Liddell returned at a Golden Boy
MMA-promoted event, where he suffered a first-round knockout loss
to Tito
Ortiz on Nov. 24, 2018.