UFC's Liddell not making career decision until weekend

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell (21-7) plans on waiting at least through the weekend before deciding if it's time to step away from the game that brought him fame and fortune, said his longtime trainer JohnHackleman.

"We're not going to do what [people on the] Internet say, or what any one person says," Hackleman told SI.com on Monday. "It will ultimately be his decision, but we're going to go back and forth on it and see what he wants to do. Nothing's been settled yet."

Following Liddell's first-round loss to Mauricio Rua (18-3) at UFC 97 -- the "Iceman's" fourth defeat in five fights -- Liddell has heard calls for retirement, including from several of his staunchest supporters, most notably UFC president Dana White.

"It's a huge decision for someone to make, and I don't think he'll make it rashly to retire and unretire and retire and unretire," said Hackleman. "We're going to have to sit down and talk, go to Dana and talk, and [speak with] some of the other people in our camp, and family and friends."

And where does Hackleman stand on his 39-year-old charge's future?

"I don't know yet," the trainer said. "I go both ways on it. But at the end of the day it's ultimately Chuck's decision. He's not walking around punchy."