A Nogueira-Couture Fight Would Be One for the Ages

With many sources stating that Randy Couture has verbally agreed to a rumored fight with fellow all-time great Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in August, we may be set to see a fight that matters just as much (if not more) for the all-time rankings as it does in the present-day ones.

The fight, which apparently would take place at the yet-to-be formally announced UFC 101, would see both fighters coming off of losses against younger fighters, but still would be a highly anticipated bout.  After all, the fighters that the two lost to recently- UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar and UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir- are not exactly slouches. 

Additionally, this fight would be a meaningful one because it not only pits two of the greatest fighters of all-time against one another, but because the winner could be propelled to a title shot against the winner of Lesnar and Mir late in the year.
Of course, a fight like this is not one that can only be enjoyed on paper or in terms of rankings and title pictures.  After all, Nogueira and Couture are just as famous for *how* they fight as they are for the results of their fights.

Both fighters represent the best qualities of mixed martial arts, and have ascended to legendary status as much because of these attributes as for the titles that they have worn.  Nogueira, a real-life Rocky Balboa who has survived head kicks from Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and beatings from men a foot taller or 150 pounds larger, has won as many fans with his sheer heart and courage as he has with his slick submissions.

Nogueira’s wins are not nearly as impressive on a sheet of paper as they are when witnessed with your very eyes, as he overcame being pile-driven by Bob Sapp to pull off a courageous arm bar, or did the same after having his head rattled by Cro Cop.  The same could be said about a couple of Nogueira’s losses, as when he fought on while not being able to find an answer against Fedor Emelianenko, the best heavyweight the sport has ever seen.

Meanwhile, though Randy Couture may not have racked up a ton of wins in his mixed martial arts career (sixteen wins in twenty-five total fights), he certainly has packed in as much quality as possible in those wins.  Consider the fact that only one win out of his sixteen is against a fighter with a sub-.500 record, and that win was against former UFC Champ Maurice Smith, who lost seven of his ten fights while learning the sport as a former kickboxer before settling into a great career himself.

While it’s difficult to know for sure, it’s easy to suspect that Randy Couture would have the record for most wins in big fights as the official underdog.  He was supposed to lose when he faced and beat Vitor Belfort, Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, and Tim Sylvia, among others.  The fact that he has had the greatest success in his career since reaching the age when athletes usually are forced to think about hanging it up is a testament to his talent and work ethic.

Both fighters have always stared down insurmountable odds and overcome them, which is why such a matchup is an intriguing one.  Who wins when two fighters who have relied so much on will get in the octagon together?  Most fighters cite a desire to “impose their will” on their opponents before a big fight, but Nogueira and Couture are not men that are easily imposed upon.

With B.J. Penn apparently hoping to fight in August against extremely patient contender Kenny Florian, the card for UFC 101 could end up being a great one, if Nogueira-Couture also happens at that event.  Let’s hope that the fight itself, when it happens, lives up to the great careers that both have had so far.

by Jon Hartley for Fightmania.com

Tags: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, B.J. Penn, Brock Lesnar, Chuck Liddell, Fedor Emelianenko, Frank Mir, Kenny Florian, Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia, Tito Ortiz, UFC, Vitor Belfort