Randy Couture: Defying the odds.

[The Crock]

Randy Couture just picked up a win against James Toney in very overwhelming fashion. Sure, Toney wasn't a big threat anywhere but on his feet, nevertheless it was a big win. Now on to the point, Couture was in excellent shape and he didn't show his age in that fight. He is 47 years old yet he manages to somehow keep up with the young guns in the UFC.

In his return to the Light Heavyweight division he faced Brandon Vera and won. Vera is a huge threat and is quite young. He then faced an older opponent in Mark Coleman, but still won. That takes us to his last fight against Toney which he also won. That gives him a 3 fight winning streak. A winning streak is not easy to come by in the UFC and Randy has somehow done it.

Not only has he had a big winning streak, but he's actually been improving as time goes by, which considering his age is an amazing feat. How has he been able to do this? He credits his trainers, his workout regimen, and his diet.

That being said: Do you think he can keep it up? If so, how long can he keep it up? Will he be a legitamate threat in the Light Heavyweight division?

I think that Randy can keep it up and that he still has a few years left in the tank. With the shape he's in and the in-cage ability he has he should be fine for at least a few more years. I don't think he'll go past 50 though, I don't think Dana White would even allow it if he wanted to. Randy takes it on a fight by fight basis, so it can change quick. He'll also definitely be a threat in the LHW division, maybe not a title contender but a formidable roadblock.

What do you guys think?

EDIT: Messed up on the age, sorry. Fixed it now.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

There is no doubt Randy is a legend when it comes to the sport of MMA. I have nothing but the upmost respect for him, for someone being 47 (not 45 Crock) to still compete actively like he does is amazing no doubt about it. The move to the Light Heavyweight division was the smartest thing for him. If he would've stayed at Heavyweight he would've just kept losing.

Crock, his last few performances were good but really look at them, Vera fight was good but there was a lot of people feeling that he lost that fight even though he got the unanimous decision, which was very close to call, but Vera could've easily had the decision as well. Vera landed the harder more damaging shots, even knocked Randy down with them, once Randy took him down Vera got right back up.

The Coleman fight, yeah he won but look at Coleman now, nowhere near what he used to be, his name is value for what he has done in the past, but he isn't relevant these days, that fight was more of a grudge match that was supposed to happen years ago. The win didn't do anything but have them two have their match from over 10 years ago, and end Coleman's second UFC stint.

The Toney fight. Everyone new that Randy was going to win this fight, if not then you are a moron, or your name is Game Rage. The thing with Toney is that anyone with a wrestling backround would've beaten Toney just like Couture did. All along everyone knew what was going to happen in the fight. It is another fight that didn't do anything for Couture in helping him climb the ranks for a title shot.

I think Randy can keep going, he has two fights left on his six fight contract. With the way he is going, he will probably sign one more contract after this one. So we might just see him fight until he is 50. But if he wants to get into title contention then he has to step up his competition, start fighting guys that are ranked in the top 10 of the division. Thats where he can get himself into trouble. It will be interesting to see who he fights next, I wouldn't mind seeing him fight Rich Franklin that was supposed to happen until Franklin fought Liddell because of Tito's injury.

 

[Fizzy]

Randy is 47 actually, but that is irrelevant. Thing with Randy is he started at a later age, so he hasn't taken nearly as much damage as say Chuck Liddell or Big Nog. He is very professional, and doesn't go party every night, and get out of shape in between training camps. He is always working out, and in shape. Randy is my favorite fighter of all time bar none. He makes me more excited in a easy fight against Toney than any other of my favorite fighters in let's say a title bout. Now how long does he have left? Good question. I want to say he will stay until 50 than retire. I have no idea what he plans on doing. I think he will close his career on his terms. Fighting fights that he wants because there are some absolute beasts at 205, and I don't think Randy can hang with them. Randys chin is not what it used to be, and I think he would just get tagged by the top of the division. The man has proved me wrong before though so who knows As long as Randy keeps fighting I will keep watching, and I hope we have a few more years watching him compete.

 

[jmt225]

I don't know, man; Couture's gotten some easy competition as of late.

Couture defeating guys like Toney and Coleman has not erased the memory of seeing him get dominated by Brandon Vera and losing basically a boxing match to Big Nog (whose chin we saw against Mir and Cain). I mean, those fights, especially the Vera one, show me that Couture cannot compete against the top tier fighters of the LHW Division.

I am a huge Randy Couture fan, but if he gets matched up against Machida, Jon Jones, Shogun, etc... he will get destroyed. I mean, sure... Randy would stand a chance still against Tito, Evans, Rampage, and Forrest, but even then I don't think I would bet on him.

So, yeah.. I love the guy, but no, his time is coming to an end. One more loss and he's done. And he will get that loss next, and most likely it'll be against Lyoto Machida once Machida kills Rampage.

 

[Via Armbar]

I don't know, man; Couture's gotten some easy competition as of late.

I don't agree with the easy competition part outside of Toney. Vera, though incredibly over hyped is still a very credible opponent. He also presented a tough test for Couture in terms of gauging Randy's relevancy in the division. Coleman, though obviously not what he used to be, is not an easy fight and could possibly give some of the top 20 LHW's trouble honestly. They aren't top ten fighters but they are certainly tests and opponents worth noting. He also looked great against both opponents.

There are still a handful of opponents that would be great match ups for Randy at LHW and even possibly HW. People seem to want a match up with Franklin, and although that idea bores me to tears it seems like a smart move for both fighters. His style presents a world of trouble for fighters; he stifles their offense while at the same time sneaking in his own with his clinch game. His chin is the only questionable part of his game. I honestly believe he could beat some of the top ten fighters in the division. He has good enough boxing defense to hang with Lil Nog, Bader and Rampage. His wrestling could neutralize some guys main weapons if they try to take down Couture, guys like Bader and Rashad. Especially with his clinch, wrestlers would have a hard time matching him offensively in that position. Though, guys like Shogun and Machida who have power and speed in their striking would probably be too much.

So really at this point in his career, it's a stylistic match ups. There are some guys at the top that I have no doubts that he could hang with (mostly the wrestling heavy fighters) and there are some guys who have too much speed offensively for Randy to avoid. I see his biggest problem being Machida who has extremely underrated take down defense and will be able to counter every strike Randy could throw. Most fighters have more clear cut favorable match ups but Couture is definitely still a wild card. Being on the tail end of his career doesn't mean he cannot present a lot of trouble for the younger guys. Not to mention there are many interesting options for him left.