Randy Couture Undergoes Surgery; Fight With 'Minotauro' Nogueira on Hold

by AJB on Jan 10, 2009 3:32 PM EST Comment 24 comments

Promoted to the front page from the FanPosts by Cannon Jacques.

Josh Gross over at Sports Illustrated is reporting that Randy Couture has turned down a fight with Nogueira for the first half of 2009 due to recent surgery on his elbow. The problem? Apparently, 16 cm (!!!) bone spurs:

A pair of abnormally large bone spurs were removed from The Natural's elbow on Thursday. While training for his failed UFC heavyweight title defense in November against Brock Lesnar, Couture aggravated the joint, which was mined for a pair of 16-centimeter spurs.

That's no small injury to rehab from, and as seems to be the comment associated with everything Couture does these days, age is not on his side. Here's hoping he has a speedy (and full) recovery, especially since he seems to want the fight with Big Nog, eventually:

Asked if he desired a fight with the 32-year-old Nogueira, the longtime Pride heavyweight champion who was stopped for the first time in 38 fights by Frank Mir on Dec. 27, Couture answered simply: "yes."

I think the Randy-Nog fight is a natural, and one that the fans want to see. Considering the staph infection and the beating he took at the hands of Frank Mir, I don't see Nog having much of a problem waiting until the summer of 2009 for the match-up... though the fans may not find it quite as easy.

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

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Hopefully we will get to see Randy fight Nog and Mir and a re-match with Lesnar before he retires.

by steveoc24 on Jan 10, 2009 1:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I would rather see him rematch GG and I still think there is some interest in a Fedor fight.

Eliot Marshall: Bader won. Like I said in the episode, I'm not going to make any excuses. It's my job to be able to deal with when somebody's doing that. It's not his job to change up his tactics.

http://eliotmarshall.com/

by BJJDenver on Jan 10, 2009 1:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Gonzaga would be another great fight. I think Gonzaga would have have his number this time. So many great fights for Couture still. I hope he can hang in there for another year or two.

by steveoc24 on Jan 10, 2009 2:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

agreed completely.

Eliot Marshall: Bader won. Like I said in the episode, I'm not going to make any excuses. It's my job to be able to deal with when somebody's doing that. It's not his job to change up his tactics.

http://eliotmarshall.com/

by BJJDenver on Jan 11, 2009 1:51 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The only people interested in Fedor-Randy

are people that hate Randy Couture. Or are so blinded by their love for him that they can’t see a lopsided mismatch when it’s staring right at them. I love Randy, but not enough to believe that he’d beat Fedor. I have Fedor over Brock today, for Christ’s sake (but maybe not in six months).

by subo on Jan 10, 2009 3:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

very true and they are out there.

Eliot Marshall: Bader won. Like I said in the episode, I'm not going to make any excuses. It's my job to be able to deal with when somebody's doing that. It's not his job to change up his tactics.

http://eliotmarshall.com/

by BJJDenver on Jan 11, 2009 1:51 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Nog has time still and fighting on a lighter schedule would probably help. Randy is a different story, The clock is definatly ticking for him.

by who me on Jan 10, 2009 1:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I still think that Tito will resign with the UFC and fight Randy. It’s the only credible match up that can still be made with the Chuck-Randy-Tito $$$ trinity. We also know that Randy is focused on big money fights.

by Jahbulon on Jan 10, 2009 3:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

maybe tito will resign and fight vera.. That way vera becomes a bigger name. Then they can have vera fight chuck.. If chuck wins the shogun fight and the vera fight, then he can get his last title shot then retires.. If vera wins over tito and chuck, then his career is revived as he beat the 2 long time LHW champs.

http://weoweoweo.deviantart.com/

by Anton Tabuena on Jan 10, 2009 7:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That’s a damn huge ‘if’.

by Gong on Jan 10, 2009 8:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

which one? haha. vera winning 2 straight fights against old timers? or chuck beating shogun and vera?

http://weoweoweo.deviantart.com/

by Anton Tabuena on Jan 11, 2009 8:25 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Chuck beating Shogun

And Vera beating anybody

Gimme 1 Round!

by skwirrl on Jan 11, 2009 3:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

even vera beating tito? cmon now.

vera’s not good.. but tito is worse. And he has the perfect name (and skillset) to build someone back up. Vera would gain a bit of credebility (at least to the casuals) then they he can fight chuck in the Philippines. Main event sells, and chuck doesnt get shit for taking on a ‘can’ since he just won.

After..vera becomes a bigger name, or chuck becomes a bit more relevant and they can push him towards a last title shot. Instead of having 3 guys who have names, but have losing records, you end up with one that becomes relevant again. Win win for the UFC..

Plus dana gets happy cause chances are, tito gets beat up again..

http://weoweoweo.deviantart.com/

by Anton Tabuena on Jan 12, 2009 8:54 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wow. Those are epic bone spurs.

Can’t wait to see this fight in the fall. Nog should fight between now and then, however – maybe kick Herring’s ass again or something.

How cool is it to read ‘ESPN is reporting on Randy Couture’ instead of MMAJunkie or Meltzer? I like our sources, but the mainstream legitimacy (if not direct PPV buys) conferred by ESPN onto the UFC continues to tickle me in a way that if my girlfriend tickled me in that way I would say, ‘oh yeah. That’s good.’

by subo on Jan 10, 2009 3:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

They are, aren't they?

I wonder if Gross got the unit wrong. If they were 16 mm – 1.6 cm, or a bit over half an inch for those still using imperial measurements (you damn barbarians) – that would make sense. I mean, a 16 mm bone spur is still a NASTY bone spur to have in your elbow.

"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."

by AJB on Jan 10, 2009 9:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Blast your Communist measuring units

I’ll take a hog’s head and a fortnight over your kilobullshit any day.

by subo on Jan 10, 2009 10:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I heard the bonespurs

weighed almost 3 stone

Gimme 1 Round!

by skwirrl on Jan 11, 2009 3:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Somewhere in here

there’s a joke a bout ‘tree fiddy,’ but I’m unable to find it.

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Jan 11, 2009 11:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This works out with Couture’s role in The Expendables anyway. The filming on the movie makes it so Randy won’t be ready until the summer anyway for a fight.

by dropkick101 on Jan 10, 2009 4:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs