On May 9th, the UFC will return to Newark, New Jersey, for the 12th time with its stacked UFC 328 card. The event features two title bouts along with several marquee matchups, but it’s not just the fights that have fans buzzing right now. Recently, the UFC’s cryptic post has hinted at the possible return of a legend. Yet, fans are not entirely convinced.

“TWO TITLE FIGHTS. STACKED CARD. NEWARK NJ. COMING SOON. MAY 9TH. PARAMOUNT+” UFC posted a promotional picture on their official account with an ice emoticon.

If you look closely at the bold letters in the post, they spell out “Iceman.” Well,  the longtime UFC fans will definitely recognize that as a reference to the former UFC light heavyweight champ, Chuck Liddell, who famously carried the ‘Iceman’ moniker throughout his career. So, it won’t be a stretch to speculate that we might see Liddell make a special appearance in Newark, New Jersey.

However, neither the UFC nor Liddell has hinted at any return or even a special appearance so far. But that hasn’t stopped fans from entertaining the idea of the former 205 lbs kingpin stepping back into the Octagon. The Californian once mauled elite names like Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz during his prime. But at 56 years old, that’s wishful thinking if he wants to repeat a similar feat. He last fought in a trilogy bout against Ortiz back in 2018.

So, a professional return looks highly unlikely. Also, Liddell is from California and has never fought in New Jersey, which rules out any hometown hero angle. So what could be the real mystery behind the post?

There’s another strong speculation making the rounds. World-famous rapper Drake is launching an album titled ‘Iceman’ on May 15, and he has already used imagery of Chuck Liddell and George Gervin, both known for the ‘Iceman’ moniker, to promote it.

With the UFC set to host a major event in Newark, New Jersey, it could be the perfect stage for Drake to build more buzz around the album. If he were to appear alongside Liddell, it would create a historic moment, though that possibility also remains purely speculative.

For now, with no clear explanation behind the cryptic post, fans have taken matters into their own hands, flooding social media with wild theories and even more intriguing interpretations.

Fans speculate about the cryptic UFC 328 promotional post 

One fan was confident of Chuck Liddell’s return and wrote, “Liddell about to revive the LHW division!!!” followed by another user who wants to see the former champ fighting for an interim title, “Chuck is coming back to fight Magomed Ankalaev for the interim strap?”

Now, if ‘Iceman’ was actually in his prime, a clash against Magomed Ankalaev or any other light heavyweight contender would have been fascinating. But he’s clearly older now and not in the condition to absorb the kind of damage that comes with facing the younger generation.

But with that comment, users also indicated the current state of the 205 lbs division, which is seemingly heading toward an interim title after champion Carlos Ulberg sustained an ACL tear during UFC 327. What’s more intriguing? Fans even want to see ‘Iceman’ clash against the reigning champ.

“We are coming back. Ulberg will go ICE cold 🥶 Love ya bud,” a fan wrote, backing ‘Iceman’ to knock out the reigning champ. After the return talk around the UFC legend, some fans also focused on how the cryptic post could actually be tied to Drake promoting his album Iceman.

A user wrote, “If this is for Drake’s album and not Chuck, your entire company is f—d.” Then another frustrated fan added, “The new promotion crew is straight bums holy s—t 😭”

Well, fans clearly didn’t seem happy about the card turning into a promotion center for Drake’s new album. But that’s not all, one user also took a dig at the card itself, “UFC doesn’t do stacked cards anymore. Stop playing with us.”

To be honest, with two title fights featuring marquee champions and multiple other high-stakes bouts, UFC 328 is definitely shaping up to be one of the best cards of the year so far. Still, it all comes down to how it delivers.

That said, what do you think the cryptic post is about? Is it Chuck Liddell’s return or something tied to Drake’s promotion?