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According to UFC President Dana White, longtime UFC fighter Chuck Liddell is retired from fighting.

"He's a huge superstar, and we could still sell lots of tickets with Liddell, But I don't care about that. I care about him. I care about his health, and it's over, man. It's over." Said White.

With the loss to Rua, Liddell has lost 4 out of his past 5 fights and the third to come by knockout.

"How we built this company – using boxing as the blueprint and we don't let guys hang around longer than they should," White said. "I was pushing for retirement. He's my friend, I love him, and I care about him. We sat down prior to UFC 97. We had a two-hour talk. He wanted to do this fight. I said, 'If you take this seriously – if I hear you're in one ***** nightclub, if you're not training, if you're not doing this, doing that – it's over. That's it. He said, 'No, I'm taking this seriously.'

"And he did. He kept his word. He was in great shape. He came out guns slinging like he does, but that was it. If that (fight) was a toe-to-toe war and he got flashed (knocked down) a couple times and it went to decision, he'd still be retiring too. He'd still be retiring."

White said the decision is all the easier when considering all that the former UFC light-heavyweight champion has accomplished. White continually states that Liddell is the highest earner in MMA history and the biggest star the sport has ever seen.

"I don't want him to fight anymore," White said. "He [expletive] doesn't have anything to prove. Nothing to prove. He doesn't have to prove anything to me or the rest of world. He has [expletive] loads of money. There's no reason for it. ... I don't care how much he draws. I don't want to see him get hurt."

Liddell attended the post- UFC 97 press conference, a rarity for high-profile stars who suffer losses in their fights. White said it's just the type of person Liddell is. But maybe Liddell just wanted to say goodbye – without officially saying goodbye.

When asked if he had entered the cage for the final time, Liddell was at first noncommittal but later admitted it was probably true.

"Yeah, that's probably the case," Liddell said. "I'm not going to make any decisions until I go home to talk to everybody, talk to my people and my friends. ... But it's probably safe to say (I'm retired)."

According to White, Liddell will remain with the organization, though an exact role has not been determined. However, White said Liddell will likely be involved in the organization's public relations, including the push for MMA legislation in the few remaining U.S. states where the sport is not currently regulated