UFC: Chuck Liddell breaks up fights during George Floyd protests in Huntington Beach
- The former UFC star, who was born in California, appeared in a local TV spot trying to calm protesters and keep the peace
- In an interview for ABC7, he says Americans have the right to protest, but it must be done peacefully as ‘violence begets violence’
Chuck Liddell has become the latest UFC star to appear in video footage related to the George Floyd protests that have engulfed dozens of American cities for more than a week.
Liddell, whose nickname is “The Ice Man” appeared in a local television spot for Los Angeles and Southern California broadcaster ABC7 trying to break up fights on the streets of Huntington Beach. The city, which is located south of Los Angeles, saw protesters get violent with one another Sunday.
“It’s good to see people defending their city,” said Liddell while being interviewed by ABC7 on Monday. “And it’s just terrible, violence begets violence, violence doesn’t help anybody.”
The protests surrounding the death of Floyd have raged for more than a week. Washington and other major US cities extended curfews on Monday as US president Donald Trump called the riots “acts of domestic terror”.
Floyd died after being pinned down at the neck by police after he was arrested on May 25 outside a shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota, following a report by an employee of the shop that he had tried to use a counterfeit US$20 bill.