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Randy Couture: Title Contender?
Written by Jeff Fox   
Monday, 08 February 2010 20:05

randy-couture-ufc 109

I really don't want to be the bad guy here.  I really don't want to rain on the parade.  But I feel I have no choice.  So here it goes: RANDY COUTURE IS NOT A TOP 5 LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHTER.

I feel better already having that off my chest.  Now, don't get me wrong, I respect Randy Couture.  He's had an incredible career and is definitely motivation to all of us who feel we are too old to follow our dreams.  But, seriously, who has Randy Couture beaten over the past couple of years to justify him being touted as a top 5 light heavyweight fighter and title contender like Dana White and a bunch of others are claiming?  He squeaked out a win over a very inconsistent Brandon Vera (who has never really beaten anyone of note) and he beat Mark Coleman 10 years past his prime.  This, my friends, does not equal a legit light heavyweight contender.

couture coleman ufc 109

But let's humour Dana White for a moment and consider that Couture really is one of the five best light heavyweights in the UFC.  That means he is better than at least one of the following: Lyoto Machida, Mauricio Rua, Rashad Evans, Rampage Jackson, Forrest Griffin or Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, depending on how you rank your fighters.  Couture has done nothing recently to prove he is better than any of these guys. This is not to say that he couldn't or won't beat one of these fighters, but he has not proven that he can.  So, before we proclaim that The Natural is back, let's wait for him to prove it.

So what should be next for Couture?  Time for him to back up all of this recent hype.  Time for him to beat a legit 205er.  But the problem is, all the fighters mentioned in the previous paragraph already have dance partners lined up in the near future.  So, forgetting about those six guys, who could Captain America fight next?  Thiago Silva is the first name that comes to mind as a legit, young light heavyweight that could prove whether Couture is for real or not.  Unfortunately he is injured until mid-summer, but this could still be a fight that happens.  Luiz Arthur Cane is another young stud that would be a good fight, assuming his medical suspension doesn't drag on for much longer.  Beat one of these guys and I'd be willing to give Couture his due and consider him a legitimate threat at 205.  Until then, this talk is nothing more than trademark Dana White hyperbole.

 



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