One of the major storylines surrounding UFC 105 involves the ongoing saga that is Brandon Vera's career. He has gone from a dominating young talent in the UFC's heavyweight division with quick wins over former champion Frank Mir, Assuerio Silva, Fabiano Scherner, and Justin Eilers to a lengthy layoff due to a management dispute regarding his contract to a career that is flirting with mediocrity. It's safe to say that Brandon Vera (11-3, 7-3 UFC) has experienced the roller coaster effect that MMA can have on one's career, and Saturday's performance against Randy Couture (16-10, 13-7 UFC) could signal a steady ascension back toward bigger fights and more impressive performances.
While I haven't truly been sucked into the hype surrounding the potential for Brandon Vera to show the world that he's back to his old form within the confines of his new weight of 205 pounds, the bout is still ripe for Vera to "breakthrough" and signal an end to his lackluster performances of the past. The problem with my hesitance to accept the media's hype around the main event is Randy Couture's powerful wrestling style, a style that has easily thwarted some of the better strikers in the heavyweight division.
We all know the type of gameplan that Randy Couture will bring to the table against Brandon Vera. He'll likely try to use his world-class Greco-Roman wrestling base, a wrestling style that Vera is all too familiar with since he did actually train with Couture at the Olympic Training Center many years ago, to initiate the clinch, work a dirty boxing game, and crush Vera's will against the cage. Vera, on the other hand, will more than likely try to outstrike Couture from a distance using his long limbs, Muay Thai boxing pedigree, and hard leg kicks. Couture isn't immune to these types of attacks, but he is very adept at handling his opponents in the clinch and creating lengthy, damaging bouts.
Ultimately, an attrition-based attack might not be the best plan of action since this will only be a three-round battle. Vera will need to show that he's finally acclimated himself to the weight cut, and push the pace against Couture in order to land for points or try to counter and finish "The Natural".
The x-factor in this battle is whether Vera's Greco-Roman experience from the past can truly handle an aging Randy Couture. There is also the discussion as to whether Couture's striking is on a collision course with "terrible" as age is always a factor when it comes to reaction time. Brent's breakdown of Couture's uppercut is one sure way to breakdown tape and see the flaws in Couture's timing, but his form has been fairly poor for most of his career. Vera's Muay Thai stance and speed can easily overcome those deficiencies and net him the win.
In the end however, Couture is one of the most durable fighters in this sport despite being 46 years old. He has immense strength for his age, but his tactics and intelligence are what truly set him apart from many of the other fighters. This will be his return to the light heavyweight division, so he should pick up a little speed with the drop in weight. I'll take Couture in this fight as I want to see Vera prove to me and the rest of the fanbase that he can actually turn in an impressive performance against a veteran athlete like Couture. Couture's smothering dirty boxing clinch style of combat should allow him to take this one the distance, but Vera has the tools to defeat Couture decisively in this one. Prove me wrong, Truth!