UFC 109: Randy Couture “Icing on the Cake”
Randy "The Natural" Couture to face Mark Coleman in UFC 109's main event
> Don't miss our UFC 109 predictions and check for updates of the UFC 109 fight card here at Pro Fighting Fans!
There isn’t much left for Randy “The Natural” Couture to prove to himself, the UFC, or any of his countless amounts of fans. The 46-year-old Everett, Washington native is already a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time light-heavyweight champ and the first fighter to hold titles in two different weight classes. He is also the only five-time champ in UFC history, the only fighter to have competed in fifteen title bouts, and the oldest (46) to step inside the octagon. So, it’s needless to say that whatever the UFC Hall of Famer does from here, is icing on the cake.
 |
Find great unique MMA & boxing style t-shirts & clothing online at IntimidationClothing.com!
|
Couture began fighting in May 1997 at UFC 13. He, along with his UFC 109 opponent, Mark Coleman, helped pave the way for wrestlers to succeed in mixed martial arts. He demolished countless opponents, including superstars like Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell, Tito Ortiz, and Vitor Belfort throughout his career as a light-heavyweight and heavyweight.
It was in August 2007, when Couture proved that he was still capable of competing at the highest level. It was there in Las Vegas at UFC 74: "Respect” that “The Natural” began to show another big part of his repertoire. He came up with a perfect game plan for his big and dangerous Brazilian counterpart, Gabriel Gonzaga. Using an inside striking strategy full of elbows and uppercuts, Couture punished Gonzaga in his first defense of his re-captured heavyweight belt.
His victory over Gonzaga was by no means the highlight of his legendary career; however it did bring a great deal of publicity as to how intelligent this veteran fighter really is. It is intelligence that he will lean on this February at UFC 109 in order to try and take down an opponent very similar to himself. As he already knows, Mark Coleman is not an opponent to take lightly.
To defeat Coleman would not only help him plan the next step in his Hall-of-Fame career, but it will also solidify his decision in making the drop to 205 pounds. While a UFC 109 victory wouldn’t mean an immediate title shot, it would make the crowded light heavyweight title picture even more packed.
> Look to Pro Fighting Fans for the official UFC 109 results after the fights are complete and check out the expanded selection of UFC clothing & merchandise available online!
If a title run is not in his or the UFC officials immediate plans, it does open the door for some intriguing match-ups. A win over a notable opponent of Coleman’s caliber allows him to looks at a couple different options, such as revisiting a rumored bout with UFC middleweight, and sometimes light heavyweight, Anderson “The Spider” Silva. If that bout doesn’t come to life, how about a Couture vs. Rampage, Couture vs. Griffin, or even another Couture vs. Ortiz match-up? The options are plentiful and whatever way you look at it, you can’t go wrong with pitting Couture against any of those 205 pound giants.
What if Couture falls in the UFC 109 main event? A loss to Coleman doesn’t kill his chances against any of the aforementioned possible match-ups; it just doesn’t make them as appealing. Win or lose, there isn’t anywhere for a legend of his stature to go - but forward. Only on fight three of his newly signed six-fight deal, be on the lookout for more Randy Couture headliners.
> Check out our UFC 109 feature on Mark Coleman - One Final Push exclusively here at Pro Fighting Fans!
By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer