Former UFC two division champ (heavyweight and light heavyweight) Randy Couture is 47 years old now and won’t fight just anybody. The best game-planner in the history of the sport, Couture likes an opponent that presents an interesting stylistic dilemma. The eccentric shotoka karate style of Lyoto Machida, himself a former UFC champ, presents exactly the kind of puzzle that fascinates Couture and keeps him coming back to the Octagon. Couture spoke to MMA Weekly about the fight:
“I think (Lyoto Machida) presents a lot of the same challenges to me that he has everybody else. He’s hard to get a handle on. He’s very elusive, he’s got great footwork. He has a very upright, unique style. He has the ability to lure guys in and get them to chase him and then he changes directions and explodes and catches you with that straight left hand. Obviously, he’s taken some pretty significant fighters out in the last couple years. I think nobody’s been able to really nail him down, to get their hands on him, to use the cage effectively, to put him on the ground for any length of time and those are all things that I usually try to do in my fights. I think getting him on the ground and either damaging him or finding a way to submit him is definitely going to be the goal.”
Apr 30th, live on Pay-per-view from Toronto, Ontario, Canada:
Randy “The Natural” Couture (19-10) [Num.16] +300
Win James Toney – Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) UFC 118
Win Mark Coleman – Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) UFC 109
Win Brandon Vera – Decision (Unanimous) UFC 105
Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (16-2) [Num.5] -500
Loss Quinton Jackson – Decision (Split) UFC 123
Loss Mauricio Rua – KO (Punches) UFC 113
Win Mauricio Rua – Decision (Unanimous) UFC 104