There's no quit in Chuck Liddell

The gym, just beyond the stone wall that faces Grand Avenue, is where Liddell first drove up on his motorcycle 17 years ago. It's where he started denting a punching bag and working out on a sweat-stained wrestling mat.

"When I can't perform day in and day out in the gym, training for a fight, that's when I'll know," Liddell said recently outside the muggy gymnasium. "If I can't get it going here, I definitely won't be able to get it going there."

Liddell, who turns 39 in December, enjoyed a two-year reign as light-heavyweight champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He lost his belt in May 2007 to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, then watched another opponent, Keith Jardine, get his arm raised four months later, marking the first losing streak in Liddell's 10-year mixed martial arts career.

Just as some began to wonder if Liddell had lost his edge, he silenced the critics last December, winning a unanimous decision against Wanderlei Silva in Las Vegas.

Liddell (21-5) said he didn't approach that fight as a must-win, but the victory probably prevented him from dropping to undercard status. He's scheduled to headline UFC 88 on Saturday night in Atlanta, taking on Rashad Evans (11-0-1) in the three-round main event.

A victory would move Liddell closer in his bid to re-claim the light-heavyweight crown, currently held by Forrest Griffin. A loss could put him out of the running for good.

Michael Bisping, who lost a split decision to Evans in November, said Evans might be too quick for Liddell. "If they had a real fight, Chuck would win every time, I think, but Rashad doesn't like to do that. He's very elusive," Bisping said.

Regardless of the outcome, Liddell will revert to his homing pigeon routine after the fight, returning to a place he feels most comfortable, the little gym off the 101 freeway.

Liddell has lived his entire life along the Central Coast. He grew up in Santa Barbara, playing center and linebacker for the San Marcos High football team. He was also a top wrestler in the 160-pound weight class.

Proficient in math, he earned a partial wrestling scholarship to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He later graduated with a degree in accounting.