During a recent four-fight heavyweight run, Randy Couture was outweighed by as much as 50 pounds on fight night. While it might seem wise to eliminate that excess and return to the light heavyweight arena, there’s always a price to be paid: in this case, he’ll be facing some considerably faster opponents who might be able to put punches together in the same time Tim Sylvia got off one.
Will Vera be intimidated by the Couture name?
Brandon Vera has made repeated mention of athletes like Chuck Liddell and Couture being role models for what can be accomplished in the sport; that kind of hero worship cost Georges St. Pierre his first fight against Matt Hughes. While Couture isn’t running as rampant as Hughes was at the time, he may still exist in Vera’s head as something other than a man. An idol is a hard thing to damage. ... Read More
We know the story, and we know how it often ends: Randy Couture, who has somehow avoided the debilitating effects of 12 years spent inside the Octagon, takes on a younger, faster, hungrier opponent. People with microphones and laptops gather around and shake their heads at the waiting disaster. And then Couture makes us all -- observers, fighters, bookies -- eat a big, fat one.
This pattern has been repeated against Chuck Liddell, Vitor Belfort (twice), Tim Sylvia, Pedro Rizzo (twice), Gabriel Gonzaga, Kevin Randleman, and Tito Ortiz -- and to a lesser extent, in respectable efforts against Antonio Nogueira and Brock Lesnar. It is not Couture’s viability at his age that impresses, but his ability to resist the cumulative wear of spending over a decade in a sport that treats participants like a wood chipper welcomes trees. It’s an inexplicable career we should probably be grateful for witnessing first-hand. ... Read More
(PRESS RELEASE) -- – Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is a heavyweight legend looking to climb to the top of the mountain one more time following his win over Hall of Famer Randy Couture in August ... Read More
The expectations created by Fedor Emelianenko’s media profile make it impossible for him to perform in a way that pleases everyone: if he had crumbled Brett Rogers Saturday in a manner akin to Tim Sylvia -- women sobbing cageside, Medivacs hovering overhead -- fans would sigh and complain that Rogers never belonged in the ring with him.
In taking nearly seven minutes to finish Rogers off, gushing blood all the while, Emelianenko is instead viewed by a portion of the audience as a less-than-prime fighter. The paint, some would argue, is coming off the pedestal.
There is some truth in the idea that we don’t yet know how impressive it really was to beat Rogers: maybe he’s a devastating heavyweight who hasn’t had much of a chance to show off. (His lone win over a top-10 opponent, Andrei Arlovski, earned him this slot.) Maybe he’s a one-dimensional athlete who won’t go much further. ... Read More
The Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club monolith is known for stocking virtually everything anyone could possibly want: paper towels, dress socks, and even coffins. And if you need someone to try and beat Fedor Emelianenko, by God, they’ve got one of those, too.
Up until this past spring, Brett Rogers was working in an Illinois Sam’s Club tire department, changing radials and likely getting a slight buzz from the stacks of rubber piled around him. Beating Andrei Arlovski in June has kept him from any job but training: 10-0, he’ll attempt to spin a heavy set of hands in his favor. ... Read More
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- Brett Rogers and Jake Shields are the latest fighters signed to appear in EA Sports MMA interactive arts video game, announced the gaming purveyor on Friday. ... Read More
(PRESS RELEASE) -- HDNet's "Inside MMA" will provide LIVE, exclusive coverage of the weigh-ins for "STRIKEFORCE: Fedor vs. Rogers," Friday, November 6at 6:00 pm ET ... Read More
(PRESS RELEASE) -- Gladiator Challenge (GC), one of the top MMA promotions in California, is proud to present a world title match at this weekend’s “Reality Check,” live from the Wendover Nugget Hotel & Casino in Wendover, NV. ... Read More
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