by Dave Doyle

BEST DAMN BEATDOWNS Best Damn Sports Show Period The last time Chuck Liddell fought Renato Sobral, the knockout was so nasty, it ended up as one of our Best Damn Beatdowns. Check out the clip from .

At most UFC pay-per-view shows, while other fighters usually make their appearances dressed to the nines in expensive suits, the fighter known as "The Iceman" tends to show up in his trademark t-shirt, blue jeans, and work boots.

That was how the Santa Barbara native presented himself when he broke into the game and was making $100 per fight, and he's still that way now, even as he collects on six-figure fight fees and seven-figure endorsement contracts.

"I'm a fighter, man," said the 38-year old Liddell. "All this other stuff, this celebrity stuff, I mean, don't get me wrong, it's good making some money now, but I'm the same person I always have been. Nothing that comes along is going to change me."

This type of focus has well-served Liddell, who has reigned as champion since a knockout win over Randy Couture at UFC 52 on April 16, 2005.

At the moment, the mixed martial arts world is abuzz with chatter about The Iceman's potential future fights, whether it be an announced-but-not-yet-finalized clash with PRIDE middleweight champion Wanderlai "The Axe Murderer" Silva, or a rematch with red-hot former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz.

But before any of this pans out, Liddell has a big test on his hands Saturday at UFC 62. Brazilian jiu-jitsu standout Renato "Babalu" Sobral has won 10 consecutive matches since his last loss, a first-round knockout suffered when he found himself on the wrong end of a nasty Liddell kick to the head at UFC 40 in 2002.

So for now, Liddell is leaving most of the talk about Silva, who will face Mirko Cro Cop in the semifinals of the PRIDE Grand Priz open weight tournament in September, and Ortiz, who is expected to face Ken Shamrock in a televised rematch in October, to others.

"It (the proposed Silva fight) is all speculation right now," said Liddell, who is on a five-fight win streak, with four knockouts and one TKO. "I've got other things to worry about, and Wanderlai has a couple fights on his hands. If you have to know, I like my chances with him. I think I match up well with him. I want to go toe-to-toe with him and I hope he brings it, because I plan on knocking him out. But right now, I'm thinking about Babalu."

Which is understandable. Sobral's win streak hasn't come against many pushovers. He's been matched up largely against fellow grapplers and submission artists, with six submissions (including Mike Van Arsdale, Chael Sonnen and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua) and four decisions (including Jeremy Horn) to his credit. Babalu, who has done the bulk of his training for the fight in Brazil, has taken his past five decisions by submission.

And that's where the intrigue for this fight comes in, since Liddell is primarily known for his striking skills. The Iceman defended his title against another grappling strategist last August at UFC 54 when he fought Horn. Liddell patiently waited out Horn's ground game and slowly wore him down over the course of four rounds, not taking the bait when Horn deliberately tried to take the fight to the mat, and getting in his shots where when he could.

"I know people look at the first fight (with Sobral) and say that I knocked him out, but that doesn't mean anything for this fight," said Liddell, who also flustered Couture's legendary grappling skills. "Any time you're matched up with someone, anyone can leave themselves open for one punch or one kick. That's just the way it is. Babalu keeps winning and he keeps getting better and better and he's a really smart fighter."

When prodded, Liddell did have some words for Ortiz. Back when Ortiz held the light heavyweight title, a matchup with Liddell seemed to be the biggest money-making fight on UFC's horizon for 2002.

But Ortiz vanished from UFC for 10 months, and by the time the two got around to fighting, Ortiz had already lost the title to Couture. At UFC 47 in April, 2004, Liddell needed just two rounds to score the knockout.

Since Ortiz's returned to the UFC this year, he has blossomed into 2006's hottest consistent ticket seller and buyrate draw in the pay-per-view business, but Liddell continues to scoff at the former champ.

"Yeah, Tito's running his mouth again. That ain't news," said Liddell with a laugh. "He can talk all he wants. That's all he does is run his mouth. He doesn't even want to fight me. It took me years to get him in the octagon last time and I beat his ass. He might fight me if they offer him so much money he can't say no, but he doesn't really want to step into the octagon with me."

But whether it is Babalu, Ortiz, Silva, or whomever the promoters decide to throw at him, Liddell says he'll take on one comer at a time for as long as they'll let him.

"When people ask me how long I think I can do this, to me, that is the silliest question," he said. "I have been training to fight since I was 12 years old. I'm a fighter. That's all I know and that's all I want to be."

Dave Doyle is an editor for FOXSports.com. Check in Saturday for his live blog from UFC 62 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.