Getting ready for his first fight in eight years, Chuck Liddell’s past has come flooding back.

The UFC Hall of Famer chokes up when he thinks about the way he used to train. He was having the time of his life at the top of the MMA world, but he was short-changing himself in the gym.

Liddell’s hard-partying days led to a career slump that left him without a title, and eventually, a contract as a fighter.

“I had a lot of fun, but it was not the best environment for fighting,” Liddell (21-8) said in a promotional video for his trilogy bout with Tito Ortiz (19-12-1), which takes place Nov. 24 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif.

When he agreed to face Ortiz, Liddell’s first order of business was to get in shape. He showed up to Body Shop MMA ready to train.

“What everyone is saying is I look better than I did 10 years ago,” he said. “I’m 48 years old, and I look better than I did when I was fighting at 38. That is a testament to the life I’m living now.”

One of the main reasons Liddell chose to come out of retirement is the thrill of fighting never left. But another powerful motivator for “The Iceman” is providing a good example to his children.

“I want the kids to see the guy that became a world champion, not the guy resting on his laurels, laying around, taking it easy,” he said. “Until I started training and getting back into shape, I didn’t realize the choices I started making where, ah, I can take it easy here, I can take it easy there, and I don’t like living that way.

“I’ve been more energized, more alive since I started training for this fight than I have in the last eight years. I want them to see their dad in this way. I want them to see the work ethic I have, how hard I work and the results you get from doing that.”

To hear more from Liddell, check out the video above.

For more on Golden Boy MMA: Liddell vs. Ortiz 3, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.