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Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz have a date and a place for their third fight. Will they have an audience to go with it on Nov. 24? Retired UFC and WEC fighter Danny Downes joins MMAjunkie columnist Ben Fowlkes to discuss in this week’s Trading Shots.

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Downes: There’s something in the air, Ben. No, it’s not the seasons changing. It’s the buildup to Ortiz-Liddell III.

Accompanied by their promoter Oscar De La Hoya, the UFC Hall of Famers held a press conference at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to promote their upcoming fight. And you know what? It delivered all the hits. Not only did Ortiz assure us that he’s “healthier than he’s ever been,” he also has a new nickname for Liddell – “The Snowflake.”

Have you ever seen an “Iceman” with a burn that bad? I can’t wait to see the T-shirt!

In the last year or so, I know you’ve definitely come around to the idea of a “legends tour.” If the former stars of the sport are going to continue to compete, it makes sense that they should fight one another instead of some young lions. Just this week you were getting pumped for BJ Penn’s return to the octagon. I’m going to ask you a simple question: How pumped are you for the trilogy to end all trilogies?

Fowlkes: Pumped isn’t exactly the word. Not for Liddell-Ortiz III or for Penn vs. Ryan Hall. My attitude toward both matchups is essentially the same: Could be worse.

If we begin from the assumption that there’s just no stopping these old guys, at least not while someone, somewhere is still willing to pay them, then it seems like the least we can do is try not to murder them with matchmaking. Liddell-Ortiz III might be silly, but it’s the kind of silly people can allow themselves to enjoy. They don’t have to feel guilty about it the same way they do when this sport cannibalizes its own parts to feed the hype machine.

If the old guys fight each other (or, in Penn’s case, fight a grappling specialist who typically doesn’t inflict a ton of damage), at least there’s less of a chance of someone getting seriously hurt.

Are people seriously going to buy this, though? I understand that it’s fun to get both these guys up there at a press conference so they can pretend like it’s still 2007. Liddell’s going to try to be all scary. Ortiz is going to mangle some common phrases. Then they’ll both play the animosity angle for all it’s worth. But when it comes time to dig out the credit card and actually pay for it, are people going to feel like it’s worth the money? And what are they going to be expecting to see?

Downes: They’re expecting to be entertained. That may seem like an obvious statement, but I think it’s something we often forget. There are a lot of ways to be entertained as a combat sports fan. You can enjoy brilliant technical proficiency, a brutal slugfest, or some good ol’ fashioned weirdness.

Look at Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather. It didn’t give us technical wizardry or satisfy our bloodlust, but it was entertaining. Was it a circus? Yup. Did I ask myself, multiple times, “why am I watching this?” You know it. Despite all of that, it was still a captivating experience.

I’m not saying that Liddell-Ortiz will be the same cultural event as McGregor-Mayweather, but I think that it will provide some good, absurd fun. Why do you think they’re still making “Fast & Furious” movies? It’s not because of the brilliant acting or strong, cohesive plot lines.

Fight fans in general are looking for something different. That’s why they enjoy the Bellator heavyweight grand prix. It’s also why they are giving bare-knuckle boxing a shot. That interest will surely wane, but it means that promoters can catch some extra eyeballs.

I don’t believe Oscar De La Hoya will be the great MMA disruptor, but we might as well give it a shot. Liddell-Ortiz is certainly more interesting than UFC Fight Night 136 in Moscow was this past weekend. I would also guess you’re more excited in the Iceman’s return to action than anything happening this weekend in Sao Paulo. You couldn’t think of anything interesting to write about that event today. I bet you couldn’t even name the co-main event.

Dragging out MMA’s stars of yesteryear isn’t the key to the sport’s future, but it’s at least a change of pace. Isn’t that really what we’re all looking for?

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Fowlkes: Seems like this kind of thing happens often enough that it’s not that much of a change anymore, but I see your point. And I get it, this is sports but it’s also the entertainment business. If you want me to pay premium prices for an event on my TV, you better offer something that I feel like I can’t not watch.

Mayweather-McGregor had that kind of vibe. This, though? Seems like we’d be paying for it solely because we’re counting on it being an absolute mess.

Think about it, if this turns out to just be a normal fight with nothing weird about it, wouldn’t you be slightly disappointed? If it’s just a good, solid effort on both sides, resulting in a clear, uncontroversial result, won’t you feel like you didn’t get what you wanted here?

They’re selling the train wreck, and people might actually buy it on that basis. And who knows, buying it for that reason might actually be the best chance anyone has of getting their money’s worth here.

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

Ben Fowlkes is MMAjunkie and USA TODAY’s MMA columnist. Danny Downes, a retired UFC and WEC fighter, is an MMAjunkie contributor who has also written for UFC.com and UFC 360. Follow them on twitter at @benfowlkesMMA and @dannyboydownes.