Liddell Makes Cover of ESPN Magazine - Bad Timing?

It looks like mixed martial arts will finally get the credit it has so patiently deserved when the Iceman graces the cover of ESPN Magazine. This is a huge step for MMA and no one deserves it more than UFC icon Chuck Liddell, but how about the timing? It's all going to depend on the outcoming of his fight against Quinton Jackson. You are going to have millions of people exposed to MMA for the first time with this issue of ESPN Magazine. After reading the article, most are going to think Chuck is the baddest man on the planet, get excited about MMA, and will probably take notice of his next fight. Now, if Chuck beats Rampage, he lives up the magazine hype and justifies his placement on the cover. This will only help the sport as a new base of fans get to see, and get behind, a true great of the sport. Think of it this way, most people don't give a shit about horse racing, but when you have an undefeated horse who smashes the competition at the Kentucky Derby, like Barboro did a year prior, people all of the sudden take notice of horse racing and go on to tune into the second leg of the Triple Crown (The Preaknes) to see if that horse can continue that win streak. The real problem with Liddell on the cover is that if he loses his next fight (which I think he will, but that's another post all together) a lot of newly interested and potential fans will be let down. Just like that great race horse who everyone has read about and ends up finishing last in his next race. I wish Chuck would have been on the cover a couple of years ago, that way the readers would have been able to see the sport's star live up to his status as he rattled off KO after KO. Regardless, this is a great day for mixed martial arts and nothing should be taken away from Chuck, win or lose at UFC 71.