Will Randy Couture's Divorce Drama Cost Him Against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 102?
by Kid Nate on Aug 25, 2009 4:18 PM EDT
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Steve Cofield asks the question:
Anyone who's been through a breakup knows daily tasks like going to work and being productive can be a difficult task. Imagine if you're a fighter. You have to put aside the heartbreak and angst, and make sure that you're motivated each day to put in the time. And forget about fight night. There is no room mental distractions when there's a trained fighter across the way waiting to rip your head off. Randy Couture haas had to deal with this challenge for the last three months in prepping for Saturday's fight at UFC 102 against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
This is more than a salacious talking point leading up to the fight, Couture is on the record as saying that his previous divorce hurt his preparations for his second and third fights with Chuck Liddell.
While much of the buzz around the fight concerns whether or not Nogueira is having a good camp, let's not overlook the very real possibility that Randy Couture could be falling prey to one of his own recurrent nemeses: his turbulent love life.
As much as Couture vs Nogueira is a dream match for long time MMA fans, it would be a shame if one or both fighters wasn't able to enter the Octagon at their best.
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I am sure that
there is some distraction from his divorce, but come on. Let’s not start talking about what if explanations if he loses. He was KTFO’d twice against Chuck, he did not gas out from lack of preparation. I love Randy, but if Nog beats him convincingly I am not giving this any real credence & will give Nog credit.
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
by dnevil001 on Aug 25, 2009 4:25 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
he never claimed he gassed out
he claimed he didn’t make the adjustments from one fight to the next that he needed to make because he was mentally distracted.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
I never said that he did.
But he won the first fight so he knew how to beat Chuck & that gameplan (as we all know) did not change from fights 1-3. I love Randy, but that sounds like BS.
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
Chuck actually modified his attack based on Randy's footwork in the first fight
and Randy didn’t make any adjustments to his attack in all three fights.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
Chuck modified his attack, really?
I am a huge Chuck fanboy & I saw nothing different in any of those fights. Sure Chuck avoided getting tagged, but all that we ever talk about on here is how Chuck does not modify his attack or gameplan. He backs up, waits for his opponent to come forward & then counters. Maybe Chuck did not truly respect Randy’s striking in the first fight & he changed that aspect, but that is not really a gameplan issue in my mind. I guess that we will just have to disagree on this one Nate. I never gave Chuck any passes for losing (other than plain old age) & am not of the mind to do the same to explain Randy’s losses.
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
I was just giving gassing out
as an example of what short-training might do to a fighter. Was he so distracted that he decided he should stand & trade w/Chuck instead of taking him down & pounding him out like he did the first time?
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
in the first fight he was able to get the takedowns
because he was tagging Chuck on the feet. In the 2nd & 3rd fights Chuck figured out how to tag him when he came in and Randy didn’t adjust.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
If anything, I might
think that his SI workout videos & all of his other extra-curricular stuff might take away from his training time.
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
will it matter?
big nog has suffered alot of damage for a long time. when was the last time he was stellar? when was the last time he was good? it’s been a while. he struggled with heath herring, he was almost out if it wasnt for herring being a little gun shy.
i see couture taking this with relative ease and watching Mir think he’s on couture’s level because of that.
I'm old school hating Lesnar, I've been hating Lesnar since '08
after re reading it doesnt come across that i give nog any respect. i do, he was a great in the sport, but i think the sport wore him out a long time ago, and his body is physically unable to perform where it needs to to compete with the top competition.
I'm old school hating Lesnar, I've been hating Lesnar since '08
No worries.
I think we all know where you were going with that. Nog has taken tons of damage in his career & at some point that always catches up with fighters.
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
Nog definately isn't in top physical form like he could be at 33
If his twin can fight at 205. He looks relatively sloppy now, and although he has outstanding skills, I think he relies a bit too much on talent. He’s just not that naturally large of a HW, and i think he carries a lot of extra on him
Randy, on the other hand, is always in impeccable condition. Keep in mind that these two both are extremely well rounded and no stranger to a huge fight, so i’d say that everything else equal means conditioning is the key to this fight.
Couture by decision, can’t see Him TKOing Nog
by Austin Martin on Aug 25, 2009 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions
i see couture closing the distance making it a fight against the cage while landing short shots on Nog until couture feels him start to buckle, then a take down and GnP TKO victory
I'm old school hating Lesnar, I've been hating Lesnar since '08
i see all of that without the TKO
the ground seems like Nogs area to not get knocked out. He withstood Fedors attack, I dunno if Randy could get him from there.
by Austin Martin on Aug 25, 2009 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions
I guess the question for me would be, how much of the Nog who fought Fedor is still left?
That Nogueira wouldn’t have gotten knocked silly by Mir, k-1 level striking non-withstanding.
by WanderleiNoooooo! on Aug 25, 2009 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions
His edge is his mental game, so if that is off even a little then it could be a bad night for him. His wrestling may be good enough to carry him through an off night, but perhaps not vs. Nog. Interesting point, but I think we will be able to see if his prep is up to par at weigh-ins. Being such a small HW, if he slacks then he will likely show it.
I do not think
this divorce can compare to his last one. That was the mother of his children & his wife for a long period of time. I have only been married once & was married for less than a month & believe me I did not lose a seconds sleep.
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
hmmm
If anything, I’d think that going through a divorce would make you want to beat somebody’s face in even more.
If you can't laugh at yourself... Who can you laugh at?
The Packers, that’s who.
-- The almighty Manimal
Especially one
that lasted what 2 years or was it less?
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
and is supposedly ended
by one’s own womanizing?
by Austin Martin on Aug 25, 2009 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions
scandalous!
If you can't laugh at yourself... Who can you laugh at?
The Packers, that’s who.
-- The almighty Manimal
thats just rumored, i wouldn’t state it as fact though.
by Austin Martin on Aug 25, 2009 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions
You have to put aside the heartbreak and angst, and make sure that you’re motivated each day
Two types of people come to mind , A the type that totaly cuts himself off from the outside world and focuses even harder at the task at hand or , B the type who sits down and crys about it , and tbh i dont see randy being the type of guy whos sits down and crys about it..
by Xtor on Aug 25, 2009 4:37 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
I think that you are right on here.
Randy does not strike me as the type of guy who would shut everything down because of a failed very short marriage.
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
So Nog is going into the fight with a broken head, and Randy is going into the fight with a broken heart.
Keep firing Assholes!
ZE GOGGLES! ZAY DO NOZING!!!!
by Ubernoober on Aug 25, 2009 4:44 PM EDT reply actions 5 recs
So basically this figth is going to suck!
Nog is getting KO’d regularly in sparring and Couture is to heartbroken and busy with a messy divorce to make the necessary preparations.
How does Big Nog go from suffering his first ever KO to getting KO’d regularly in sparring?
Randy is a Super Hero. So how is he not immune to heart break???
"Stop smiling you are about to be punched in the face !"
Ever since GSP's loss to Matt Serra, I place a lot more weight on personal issues going into fights.
But dealing with those issues is a part of being a fighter.
I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.
It's a good point
…….that I hadn’t thought of. If you haven’t dealt with it, you just have no idea how badly divorce/seperation weighs on your mind and ability to focus on day to day activities. The mental part of training and fighting is huge so to blow this article off as nonsense is uninformed.
That said, a good point was made above that this 2nd divorce shouldn’t have the same effect of the long term wife/mother of his kids divorce did.
He’s on his 3rd divorce now.
Keep firing Assholes!
ZE GOGGLES! ZAY DO NOZING!!!!
by Ubernoober on Aug 25, 2009 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
You would think this would be no problem for him to deal with, he’s a pro at getting divorced.
by WeaponElDeem on Aug 26, 2009 8:34 AM EDT up reply actions
First time I was in Hawaii, it was awesome. Walking on air. 2nd time, it was really magical. Third time, I got bored two days before it was over and wished I was home.
I imagine divorces tend to run the same way, but in reverse.
by toxic on Aug 25, 2009 8:38 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Why buy the cow when you’re rich and famous and can get the milk for free, Randy???
by MMAInFeRioRiTy on Aug 26, 2009 9:47 AM EDT reply actions
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