Former UFC champ, SLO resident Chuck Liddell arrested on domestic violence charge
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship star and Cal Poly graduate Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell was arrested early Monday morning on suspicion of domestic violence after a fight involving his wife.
Liddell, 51, was arrested at a Hidden Hills home in the Los Angeles area after the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department received a call about a family disturbance around midnight Monday, according to an agency news release.
“Upon arrival, deputies determined a husband and wife had been involved in a physical altercation,” the Sheriff’s Department said.
Liddell was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery, and was taken to the Sheriff’s Department’s Lost Hills station, where he was booked. Liddell has since posted a bond and has been released from jail, the agency said.
A TMZ video shows Liddell leaving jail and being asked by a reporter, “Hey Chuck. How are you, buddy?” He’s seen responding with a fist pump.
Liddell has been married to his wife, Heidi Northcott, for more than a decade. The couple has a daughter and son together. Liddell has two children from other relationships as well.
UFC champion has SLO County connection
Liddell, a UFC Hall of Famer and former light heavyweight title holder, is often credited for helping to bring mixed martial arts into the mainstream.
The former San Luis Obispo resident attended Cal Poly, where he was a Division 1 wrestler.
After graduating from Cal Poly and competing as an amateur kickboxer, Liddell started his mixed martial arts career.
He fought in blockbuster pay-per-view matches against some of the sport’s biggest stars, including Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, Wanderlei Silva and Quintin “Rampage” Jackson.
In a Tribune interview in 2009, Liddell described fighting for a living.
“People assume if you’re a fighter, you’re mean and you’ve got a screw loose — that you’re liable to snap at any second,” Liddell said. “But for the most part, that’s not true.”
Liddell appeared on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2009, earning 11th place with his professional dance partner, Anna Trebunskaya.
Liddell lived in San Luis Obispo for several years during and after his fighting career and trained with John Hackleman, owner of The Pit Martial Arts and Fitness in Arroyo Grande.
Liddell sold his five-bedroom San Luis Obispo home, which was featured on “MTV Cribs” in 2008, for $1,096,600 in 2011, real estate agent Melissa Kues confirmed then.
Liddell then moved to Los Angeles to pursue other career options, the Tribune reported at the time.
Correction: This article was changed to reflect accurately Chuck Liddell’s athletic career at Cal Poly.
This story was originally published October 11, 2021 at 1:32 PM.
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