UFC 129: Randy Couture Prepared to Utilize Ground Skills Against Lyoto Machida
by Nick Thomas on Apr 15, 2011 8:17 PM EDT
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Former UFC two division champ (heavyweight and light heavyweight) Randy Couture is 47 years old now and won't fight just anybody. The best game-planner in the history of the sport, Couture likes an opponent that presents an interesting stylistic dilemma. The eccentric shotoka karate style of Lyoto Machida, himself a former UFC champ, presents exactly the kind of puzzle that fascinates Couture and keeps him coming back to the Octagon. Couture spoke to MMA Weekly about the fight:
"I think (Lyoto Machida) presents a lot of the same challenges to me that he has everybody else. He's hard to get a handle on. He's very elusive, he's got great footwork. He has a very upright, unique style. He has the ability to lure guys in and get them to chase him and then he changes directions and explodes and catches you with that straight left hand. Obviously, he's taken some pretty significant fighters out in the last couple years. I think nobody's been able to really nail him down, to get their hands on him, to use the cage effectively, to put him on the ground for any length of time and those are all things that I usually try to do in my fights. I think getting him on the ground and either damaging him or finding a way to submit him is definitely going to be the goal."
Randy "The Natural" Couture (19-10) [Num.16] +300
Win James Toney - Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) UFC 118
Win Mark Coleman - Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) UFC 109
Win Brandon Vera - Decision (Unanimous) UFC 105
Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (16-2) [Num.5] -500
Loss Quinton Jackson - Decision (Split) UFC 123
Loss Mauricio Rua - KO (Punches) UFC 113
Win Mauricio Rua - Decision (Unanimous) UFC 104
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I think he's being way overvalued.
Awful style matchup for him. But Randy’s made me look pretty stupid in the past, so who knows.
by POW on Apr 15, 2011 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
OVERVALUED at +300?
agree to disagree.
Handy’s got the wrestling and gameplanning acumen to bring this to a decision. But yeah, if he gets straight lit up on the feet, I wouldn’t necessarily be surprised.
But the man is certainly a live dog- He’s got avenues to win this fight.
by Body Triangle on Apr 15, 2011 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Yea how bout that “handy…”
BAWSE
Polishing turds since back in the day
MMA Fan. Bernard Hopkins is a tool
by ChickenSalad on Apr 15, 2011 5:49 PM EDT up reply actions
This is how the fight is going to go down...
except I don’t see him surviving. If Randy manages to pull off a win though, wow!
by Tats16 on Apr 15, 2011 5:15 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs
that knee should have gone straight through tito
by Body Triangle on Apr 15, 2011 5:19 PM EDT up reply actions
even as tito falls in agony, i'm sure he was thinking "sweet knee bra"
e mutio bom, Machida
by Body Triangle on Apr 15, 2011 6:24 PM EDT up reply actions
There are other cool moments in this fight especially when Machida takes down Tito at the end of the first round and crucifixes him immediately.
Check out the C&D Channel on YouTube for MMA reviews, predictions, analysis, and other MMA related content.
Im gonna get my pillow and snuggie for this one
You know Joe, Brandon Vera is considered to be a Heavyweight George St.Pierre because he just comes, comes, and comes again... -Mike Goldberg, UFC 57
Cheick Kongo looks like a cross between Evander Holyfield and pop singer Seal!
Melvin Guilard looks like a little Kevin Randelman!
-Mike "All black people look alike to me" Goldberg, UFC 62/64
Machida fights are never boring in my opinion.
by Tats16 on Apr 15, 2011 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
The days of Randy making comebacks are over from what I can tell. Randy just took advantage of a weak HW division, which has been restored to it’s natural order of bigger humans beating smaller ones.
Side note. Anyone else find it interesting that Machia is 3-2 against top ten talent? So weird…
What are the two losses really though? Is it shogun twice, or shogun and rampage once each?
Thank you UFC fans. My name Stun Gun. I want GSP
Shogun once, and Rampage once. Realistically, Shogun/ Machida 1 should have been a loss for Machida, and Jackson/Machida, should have been a win for Machida, so either way 3-2 is legit.
fight club
rule 6 of fight club… never count out Capt. America!
coffee's for closers only.... the leads are weak? Fucking leads are weak? You're weak... I've been doing this 15 years... "Oh yeah whats your name?" Fuck You! thats my name!
by Ian Reeves on Apr 15, 2011 5:23 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I don’t know man. I think Randy has been out of his prime for a long time now. Once Chuck put him down for the second time, I think that was Randy’s last moment in his prime. The man said it himself that he saw the HW division as weak, and that’s the only reason he came back. I believe him…
please don't crush my dreams!
Even though I really don’t like Randy is this matchup, i want him to win. He’ll definitely get a title shot after if he wins. I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, Bones Jones is actually a better stylistic matchup for Randy than Lyoto. And I’m already tired of that douche bones, I’d love the old man to give him a spanking ala Tito.
coffee's for closers only.... the leads are weak? Fucking leads are weak? You're weak... I've been doing this 15 years... "Oh yeah whats your name?" Fuck You! thats my name!
someone remembers the rules!
Jonny Bench called.
by Sterling Archer on Apr 15, 2011 6:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Randy is cocky now that he submitted toney. Predicting submissions…
Thank you UFC fans. My name Stun Gun. I want GSP
Randy is a black belt now, and its not from a Nogueira brother – Chael Sonnen
coffee's for closers only.... the leads are weak? Fucking leads are weak? You're weak... I've been doing this 15 years... "Oh yeah whats your name?" Fuck You! thats my name!
Cash Scam?
"I am the ultimate badass, state of the badass art" Private First Class Hudson
by Captain Leroy Hotdog Zanzibar on Apr 15, 2011 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions
my bad.. I thought your quote was from Family guy.. to Ian
"I am the ultimate badass, state of the badass art" Private First Class Hudson
by Captain Leroy Hotdog Zanzibar on Apr 15, 2011 7:19 PM EDT up reply actions
i think people dont give randy enough credit.
Tm Sylvia thought he was too small. he was wrestling pretty well against Brock IMO before he got caught with the deadliest shot in MMA (the hook right behind the temple). the man comes in with a strong game plan and never veers off script. machida is not some unsolvable puzzle anymore. Randy may not be in his prime anymore but he is in a position to take only the fights he wants and that keeps him hungry to keep doing this, something i think some fighters lack (looking at you Nick Diaz…quit yer whining. if you wanna quit, then quit, but i digress). further on though, even should he win, he should NOT fight bones. He wants to pick his fights and a champion doesnt have that luxury.
by trickthethaifighter on Apr 15, 2011 5:40 PM EDT reply actions
I wish it was Prime Randy in there with Brock, hell I would even take the Randy that fought Slyvia/Gonzaga…
I think Randy had a decent chance to beat that version of Brock in the later rounds. Hell, I think nearly any MMA fighter who has the ability to force Brock to work very hard for the takedown, has a decent chance against Brock.
Brock was looking really gassed prior to KOing Randy, and I think Randy still had a little magic left. Now imagine adding Brock to Randy’s resume. Damn!
i totally agree with you
He was gassing Brock out at Brock’s strong suit. He has a lot of young guys in his gym to take as training partners that let him gauge how his reflexes are and how he matches up with their speed. i think he will be able to tell when he is done. until then, we shouldnt be so quick to write him off. just MHO
by trickthethaifighter on Apr 15, 2011 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Im only writing him off as being a top 5 guy. He still has many skills. Randy has been done as a top 5 guy in MMA for a long time now. I think Prime Randy ended, when he lost conciousness to Chuck the second time…
i can kind of agree with that.
it hurts though…..just wanna throw that out there.
by trickthethaifighter on Apr 15, 2011 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Randy and Fedor...
That should be both guys’ fair well fight. It’s been a long time coming and I personally still want that fight as much as I did 5 years ago.
by DisposableHeroX on Apr 15, 2011 5:51 PM EDT reply actions
Counting out Randy would be silly...
But after seeing what Vera was able to do with him, I think he’s in for a rough fight.
I wanna see Machida regain some of the mystique that he appears to have lost since his first fight with Shogun. MMA fans can be some fickle sometimes, it’s amazing how “over-rated” he has become in the eyes of some. Randy is no joke for anyone, even at 47 years old. Machida needs to fight smart and also with a killer instinct here. Putting him away within 3 rounds will help him get back on track to achieving what he wants to achieve.
BAWSE
Polishing turds since back in the day
MMA Fan. Bernard Hopkins is a tool
*SO fickle
BAWSE
Polishing turds since back in the day
MMA Fan. Bernard Hopkins is a tool
by ChickenSalad on Apr 15, 2011 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions
The thing is that Machida is no slouch where Randy excels at. It’s not like Machida is bad in the clinch, and he is hard for anyone to get their hands on unless Machida himself initiates the clinch. On the ground, we don’t get to see Machida on his back, but he has looked good at top position against most of his opponents. I think that Machida is faster than Randy, and Randy has shown that he does not take getting hit well anymore. I just don’t see the upset happening as stylistically, this fight probably favors Machida more than Randy.
Check out the C&D Channel on YouTube for MMA reviews, predictions, analysis, and other MMA related content.
by chrisbboy82 on Apr 15, 2011 6:01 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Taking him down??
I thought Randy’s nic name was Captain America, not Captain Obvious….
Be a man, not a child-Phil Anselmo
by ANance on Apr 15, 2011 6:21 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
by lowellthehammer on Apr 15, 2011 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions
if i read
“randy” and “gameplan” in the same sentence again i might scream. its starting to sound like a cliche.
he hasn’t looked impressive in 4 years. he beat a washed up boxer by diving to his ankle and holding on, he beat up an absolutely washed up coleman, he was given a decision against Vera that HE DID NOT DESERVE, he lost to a kind of washed up medium Nog, and got knocked senseless by lesnar.
and he is now like 48 years old.
come on now, guys….
and then that “style” of “grab and press against the fence, repeat”…how is that game plan that he has tried to use in his last 5 fights so special and wonderful??
Senseless?
He got clipped and smashed on with brocks fap-like top shots. Up until that point he was winning the grappling contest in that fight and that was brocks bread and butter. and being able to hold your opponent up up against the cage thus nullifying their game is, like it or not, octagon control. and the fight with nog was a damn good fight, submission escapes, lots of shots traded. its easy to sit here and say he is washed up but the man performs and i dont think its so ridiculous to think that he is a good fighter.
by trickthethaifighter on Apr 15, 2011 6:35 PM EDT up reply actions
You need to watch that fight again. Randy was absolutley not winning the grappling match. I thought so at first as well, but after looking again, Brock took Randy down twice, and Randy got none.
It’s just Randy’s ability to do anything against someone who is so much bigger than him, just is overstated in your(our) brain. Randy seems to be doing better because he is outweighted by 60 lbs…
But Brock was def winning, Brock look scared, and looked like he was gassing, and was having a hard time, which tricks us into thinking that Randy was actually winning..
It was close though… Especially in the striking…
uhh no
….he was not winning up until that point.
by Snake_Pliskan on Apr 15, 2011 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Brock was def winning. He had the most significant strike , which was that huge elbow ( Standing ) , which straight up rocked Randy. Not to mention those knees to Randys legs that were just disturbing.
Also, Brock had two takedowns to Randys none. Randy landed a couple of punches, was able to scramble out as Brock attempted to go to mount, and Randy held Brock against the cage for a few moments while Brock caught his breath. Brock later forced Randy against the cage when he felt like it…
Im not saying Randy was getting destroyed, but he clearly was not winning …
Followed by....
Herb Dean gonna do some serious reffing…..
by Snake_Pliskan on Apr 15, 2011 7:55 PM EDT up reply actions
and then an exclusive
“UFC 129: Bruce Buffer Prepared to Utilize Voice and Movement During Fighter Introductions”
Followed by the scandalous revelation...
“Jon Jones willing to fight teammate”
To save me some time on 25% of all threads, here's the universal answer to the Fedor-debate: Fedor is the most accomplished MMA fighter ever. That is a fact. If he still is the best fighter at this point in time is up for debate.
actually its
dana lend herb dean 50 bux to buy some new shoes
Dana is all heart
I give Machida a big advantage in this one. Randy hasn’t faced a real opponent since Brandon Vera and easily could have lost that fight. I’m not impressed by victories over an ancient Mark Coleman or James Toney. Machida has stepped in the cage most recently with Rampage Jackson, Shogun Rua (twice), Rashad Evans, and Thiago Silva. The disparity in the level of competition each have faced could hardly be bigger. Randy hasn’t dealt with a dangerous striker since facing Chuck Liddell in 2006. Even Noguiera made Randy look overmatched in the standup game. Machida is on a whole different level and I don’t see how Randy can compete. It’s be a huge upset if he pulls it off.
by mjbaze on Apr 15, 2011 7:04 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
making the purchase count
Herschel Walker vs Couture, a combined 95 years in the cage!
Neither really want a title, and yes it leans heavily in favor of Randy but so what.
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
"That dude was legit, ponytails are a sign of nobility." TheFilt™
but we can't wait 5 years for this dream matchup
maybe a 5 year old can ref the match
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
"That dude was legit, ponytails are a sign of nobility." TheFilt™
Luckily both Herschel and Randy age at the same rate so it will only take about 2 years (Randy 47 born June 22, Herschel 49 born March 3)!
by Pyrgz Krum on Apr 15, 2011 8:25 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
The only skills we will see in this fight will be Machida's and the only time we see anything relating to the ground is when they're scraping Randy off it
Contributor at Unintelligent Defense
Lead Blogger at Ninja's Place
"...just when you think you’ve produced your magnum opus, someone shows up and takes a giant shit in your mouth. In your mouth." - Anthony Pace
Don't eat B.L.T. sammaches
so it is written, so let it be done
your prognostications are barely laughable
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
"That dude was legit, ponytails are a sign of nobility." TheFilt™
im sent here by the chosen one
im creeping death
in other words TOLD YA NEENER
Contributor at Unintelligent Defense
Lead Blogger at Ninja's Place
"...just when you think you’ve produced your magnum opus, someone shows up and takes a giant shit in your mouth. In your mouth." - Anthony Pace
Don't eat B.L.T. sammaches
by Urijah Bieber on May 6, 2011 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions
why the hell wasn't Randy cast as Captain America in the upcoming movie?
I mean its his damn moniker, and he can whip any other actors ass. He’s damn near a superhero anyway.
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
"That dude was legit, ponytails are a sign of nobility." TheFilt™
by tigerlee on Apr 15, 2011 8:05 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
The best game-planner in the history of the sport
Doesn’t he have the same game plan the majority of the time?
It’s almost like he exploited similar flaws in multiple opponents, which is either A) genius or B) planned.
It's just a world, it's just a life.
You could call a lay and pray artist a master gameplanner for the same reason then
Most people have those flaws, it doesn’t take a genius or a master to decide to play to them.
Randy very well could lose in a the first round in brutal fashion.
I mean; his last relevant fight was with Vera in 2009, in which he did no significant damage (but took a lot) and only won via clinch control. He did not look great in the fight or anything; but, I believe Randy would never have taken this fight if he did not think he could exploit a part of Machida. If Randy thinks he has a shot at this point in his career; I believe him.
He is a very live underdog to me.
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