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02-08-2010 11:30 AM:
Randy Couture is now 2-0 in his latest return to the light heavyweight division. After wins over Brandon Vera at UFC 105 and Mark Coleman at UFC 109, he appears to be in line for a potential title shot. The 46-year-old Couture just finished his third fight in less than five and half months. He may want a break but he joked that if UFC president Dana White called him to fight next week he may take it.
"The training camps have been good. We shortened the camps because of the quicker turnarounds," Couture said during the UFC 109 postfight press conference. "Which I now see as a real positive. I like the shorter camps."
Couture said he likes being so active. This is the first time he's fought this often since 2003. He's also been wise with his conditioning between fights hovering around 217 pounds. But after staying so busy recently, Couture may be in store for a long break. He's stuck in 205-pound limbo while the other top fighters return from injury and making movies.
Couture said he wasn't very interested in going back up to heavyweight because the size and skill of the top fighters has improved so much. But White indicated later that he wasn't ruling out Couture back at heavyweight (video below 0:20 mark).
White scoffed at the notion that Couture may not return until August but that looks like the most realistic timeline unless he's a fill-in for an injured fighter. At 205, the title is up for grabs between Mauricio Rua and Lyoto Machida on May 8 and Rashad Evans meets Quinton Jackson on May 29. Is there another 205 worth pitting against Couture? And more importantly, one that he'd be interested in fighting? A would be an injury to Forrest Griffin before his May 8 fight, where Couture could fill in against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
At heavyweight, the top four guys behind Brock Lesnar are fighting on Feb. 21 and Mar. 27. Even if one of the fighters got injured, there wouldn't be enough time for Couture to get ready for the fight unless Frank Mir or Shane Carwin were dropped from UFC 111 in the next week or so.
White said repeatedly before and after the fight that he thinks Couture is top five in the world at 205? Is that inaccurate? Are the USAToday/Bloody Elbow rankings correct in slotting Couture behind guys like Griffin, Nogueira, Rich Franklin and Thiago Silva at No. 11? Who else are we missing? Where could Couture be slotted instead of waiting for Evans, Rua, Machida or Jackson?
More...
Yahoo! Sports.
Cagewriter is an MMA blog edited by Steve Cofield.
Randy Couture is now 2-0 in his latest return to the light heavyweight division. After wins over Brandon Vera at UFC 105 and Mark Coleman at UFC 109, he appears to be in line for a potential title shot. The 46-year-old Couture just finished his third fight in less than five and half months. He may want a break but he joked that if UFC president Dana White called him to fight next week he may take it.
"The training camps have been good. We shortened the camps because of the quicker turnarounds," Couture said during the UFC 109 postfight press conference. "Which I now see as a real positive. I like the shorter camps."
Couture said he likes being so active. This is the first time he's fought this often since 2003. He's also been wise with his conditioning between fights hovering around 217 pounds. But after staying so busy recently, Couture may be in store for a long break. He's stuck in 205-pound limbo while the other top fighters return from injury and making movies.
Couture said he wasn't very interested in going back up to heavyweight because the size and skill of the top fighters has improved so much. But White indicated later that he wasn't ruling out Couture back at heavyweight (video below 0:20 mark).
White scoffed at the notion that Couture may not return until August but that looks like the most realistic timeline unless he's a fill-in for an injured fighter. At 205, the title is up for grabs between Mauricio Rua and Lyoto Machida on May 8 and Rashad Evans meets Quinton Jackson on May 29. Is there another 205 worth pitting against Couture? And more importantly, one that he'd be interested in fighting? A would be an injury to Forrest Griffin before his May 8 fight, where Couture could fill in against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
At heavyweight, the top four guys behind Brock Lesnar are fighting on Feb. 21 and Mar. 27. Even if one of the fighters got injured, there wouldn't be enough time for Couture to get ready for the fight unless Frank Mir or Shane Carwin were dropped from UFC 111 in the next week or so.
White said repeatedly before and after the fight that he thinks Couture is top five in the world at 205? Is that inaccurate? Are the USAToday/Bloody Elbow rankings correct in slotting Couture behind guys like Griffin, Nogueira, Rich Franklin and Thiago Silva at No. 11? Who else are we missing? Where could Couture be slotted instead of waiting for Evans, Rua, Machida or Jackson?
More...
Yahoo! Sports.
Cagewriter is an MMA blog edited by Steve Cofield.
