Toney Jaws, Couture Quiet About ‘MMA vs. Boxing’ Bout Saturday
Joe Myers Aug 25, 2010
Professional boxer James Toney,
who makes his mixed martial arts debut Saturday night at UFC 118 at
the TD Garden in Boston, has had a lot to say leading up to his
fight against six-time promotional champion Randy
Couture.
However, Couture -- one of only two fighters to win UFC titles in two different weight classes -- didn't return the favor when asked Wednesday if he had a message for Toney prior to their bout, which serves as a co-main event to the UFC lightweight title fight pitting champion Frankie Edgar against B.J. Penn.
"No, I don't do any talking," said Couture at a press conference
promoting the event. "It all happens it in the cage. That's all
that matters."
The 47-year-old Couture has won two straight fights since dropping a unanimous decision to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 102 in August 2009. In his last fight, Couture submitted fellow UFC hall of famer Mark Coleman with a rear-naked choke in the second round at UFC 109 in February. With wins over seven former UFC champions, Couture is no stranger to the limelight and he said representing the sport of MMA against a boxer in Toney doesn't add any pre-fight pressure.
While Couture was reticent to address Toney at the press conference, UFC President Dana White and Toney did debate whether mixed martial arts has surpassed boxing as the top combat sport.
"Boxing has been around for 100 years and the UFC, we've only owned it less than 10 years," said White. "We're a sport that's continuing to grow. Does boxing have problems? Yes, it does. The two sports can live together, but MMA has become the biggest combat sport in the world."
Toney responded to White's comments by saying, "No way," and the promotional president steered conversation quickly to another topic.
The 42-year old Toney, who has held world titles in boxing ranging from middleweight (160 pounds) all the way up to heavyweight and has a 72-6-3 record in the ring, had his pro first professional boxing fight all the way back in October of 1988. He had accumulated 60 pro fights and won championships at middleweight, super middleweight (168 pounds) and light heavyweight (175 pounds) before Couture ever competed in MMA.
However, after being unable to find fights that satisfied him, Toney turned to MMA and asked UFC President Dana White to sign him to a contract. After turning him down several times, White acquiesced and made the fight with Couture.
"(Toney) wanted this fight and we talked back and forth about it for a while," said White. "I didn't think I'd make it, but I finally decided to just do it. I thought the guy deserved to be in the UFC and once he gets in there, it's an MMA fight. (Toney's) got more knockouts than Randy has fights, you know what I mean? The guy deserves to be in there. He's a great boxer. He's dabbled, I guess you can say, in mixed martial arts. We'll find out on Saturday, but James Toney's a real guy and anything can happen in a fight."
Toney has been training for the Couture fight for several months and said he wanted to fight someone as talented as Couture in his first bout rather than face someone with less experience.
"I'm a different kind of animal," said Toney. "I adapt to my atmosphere. To come in and fight a guy who's accomplished so much is the only way I know how to do it. I fight the best there is. That's how I am."
When the fight was announced, it was panned as a "freak show" fight, the kind of matchup the UFC has tried to avoid in the past. However, White doesn't see the bout as one being made for pay-per-view buys or to get mainstream buzz.
"Going into this thing, I wasn't sure how seriously (Toney) was going to take it," said White. "But I can tell you he's a lot smaller now than when he signed the contract for this fight. He's taken it seriously. He's a real fighter and is the only boxer who's stepped up to fight in the UFC. I'm anticipating a good fight."
However, Couture -- one of only two fighters to win UFC titles in two different weight classes -- didn't return the favor when asked Wednesday if he had a message for Toney prior to their bout, which serves as a co-main event to the UFC lightweight title fight pitting champion Frankie Edgar against B.J. Penn.
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The 47-year-old Couture has won two straight fights since dropping a unanimous decision to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 102 in August 2009. In his last fight, Couture submitted fellow UFC hall of famer Mark Coleman with a rear-naked choke in the second round at UFC 109 in February. With wins over seven former UFC champions, Couture is no stranger to the limelight and he said representing the sport of MMA against a boxer in Toney doesn't add any pre-fight pressure.
"There's no pressure for me," said Couture, whose first pro MMA
fight came back in May of 1997. "To me, this is just another fight.
It's an MMA fight, regardless of what he brings in the cage from
his boxing experience and other training. I'm ready to go."
While Couture was reticent to address Toney at the press conference, UFC President Dana White and Toney did debate whether mixed martial arts has surpassed boxing as the top combat sport.
"Boxing has been around for 100 years and the UFC, we've only owned it less than 10 years," said White. "We're a sport that's continuing to grow. Does boxing have problems? Yes, it does. The two sports can live together, but MMA has become the biggest combat sport in the world."
Toney responded to White's comments by saying, "No way," and the promotional president steered conversation quickly to another topic.
The 42-year old Toney, who has held world titles in boxing ranging from middleweight (160 pounds) all the way up to heavyweight and has a 72-6-3 record in the ring, had his pro first professional boxing fight all the way back in October of 1988. He had accumulated 60 pro fights and won championships at middleweight, super middleweight (168 pounds) and light heavyweight (175 pounds) before Couture ever competed in MMA.
However, after being unable to find fights that satisfied him, Toney turned to MMA and asked UFC President Dana White to sign him to a contract. After turning him down several times, White acquiesced and made the fight with Couture.
"(Toney) wanted this fight and we talked back and forth about it for a while," said White. "I didn't think I'd make it, but I finally decided to just do it. I thought the guy deserved to be in the UFC and once he gets in there, it's an MMA fight. (Toney's) got more knockouts than Randy has fights, you know what I mean? The guy deserves to be in there. He's a great boxer. He's dabbled, I guess you can say, in mixed martial arts. We'll find out on Saturday, but James Toney's a real guy and anything can happen in a fight."
Toney has been training for the Couture fight for several months and said he wanted to fight someone as talented as Couture in his first bout rather than face someone with less experience.
"I'm a different kind of animal," said Toney. "I adapt to my atmosphere. To come in and fight a guy who's accomplished so much is the only way I know how to do it. I fight the best there is. That's how I am."
When the fight was announced, it was panned as a "freak show" fight, the kind of matchup the UFC has tried to avoid in the past. However, White doesn't see the bout as one being made for pay-per-view buys or to get mainstream buzz.
"Going into this thing, I wasn't sure how seriously (Toney) was going to take it," said White. "But I can tell you he's a lot smaller now than when he signed the contract for this fight. He's taken it seriously. He's a real fighter and is the only boxer who's stepped up to fight in the UFC. I'm anticipating a good fight."
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