Sports

35 Star Athletes Who Stayed Around For Too Long

Darren - December 2, 2020

Sports

35 Star Athletes Who Stayed Around For Too Long

Darren - December 2, 2020

3. Chuck Liddell

Before Conor McGregor came along, the likes of ‘The Iceman’ and Randy Couture helped to make the UFC the world’s most popular MMA promotion. Liddell had a savage, relentless style that helped him to win the UFC light-heavyweight championship. However, he failed to evolve and when the losing streak started it all turned nasty. Liddell won one of his last six fights with the UFC. Even worse, four of those defeats were by knockout.

Then, after eight years on the sidelines, Oscar De La Hoya convinced the 48-year-old to return against the active Tito Ortiz. It was terrible to watch as Ortiz won by KO. Liddell looked old and it was grim viewing. Overall, ‘The Iceman’ stayed around too long and should never have returned for the sake of his own health. There were no winners from this event because it just left a bad taste.

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2. Brett Favre

The irony is that Favre retired for the second time at the perfect time in 2008. The 11-time Pro Bowler departed Green Bay as one of the greatest in history. But then he decided that he wanted back in. The Packers said no because they had a young gun named Aaron Rodgers ready to go. Then the three-time NFL MVP joined the New York Jets before a spell with the Minnesota Vikings. However, he definitely should have stayed retired.

Favre hung around too long for two reasons. Firstly, his numbers rapidly declined, apart from interceptions which skyrocketed. The sad truth is that people have very short memories and it’s easy to forget success when you don’t see it. Meanwhile, it also undoubtedly had an effect on his long-term health. Favre received multiple concussions throughout his career and only time will tell what effect they have upon him.

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1. Muhammad Ali

The greatest boxer ever to step into a ring, you have to wonder what his last couple of fights did to his health. Ali endured classic wars and took incredible punishment against the likes of Joe Frazier and George Foreman. Meanwhile, he had three years on the sidelines after refusing to go to Vietnam. But this could have contributed to him staying in the sport longer than he should have.

We all know about his sad battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He absorbed a lot of damage before his last few fights, but unfortunate matchups against Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick only stung fans’ hearts. This twentieth-century icon definitely stayed around too long. Legendary Boxers often struggle to resist the lure of the ring, the fame, and the glory. ‘The Greatest’ was no exception.

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35 Star Athletes Who Stayed Around For Too Long

35 Star Athletes Who Stayed Around For Too Long

3. Chuck Liddell

2. Brett Favre

1. Muhammad Ali

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