Sports Live On Pc

Randy Couture will take on former Pride Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in front of his home crowd in Portland, Oregon. It’s a fight that has been years in the making and skill for skill these guys match up so well it’s ridiculous.

On paper it’s almost impossible to call. Their records are similar, their experience is comparable. Nogueira has great jiu jitsu and Couture is an elite wrestler. Yet someone will walk away a winner and one step closer to a title shot, while the other will slide back down the rankings after suffering back-to-back losses.

Granted, Couture only has 27 fights compared to Nogueira’s 37, but it’s important to consider the level of opponent that Couture has consistently faced throughout his career, fighting in a record 15 title bouts. He’s used to big fights and he’s seen just about everything there is to see in mixed martial arts. Nogueira won’t have any surprises for “The Natural.” But what he will have is some seriously dangerous jiu jitsu. Nogueira is as good as they come on the ground and Couture knows it. Even with his background as an Olympic wrestler, Couture doesn’t want to spend too much time on the mat with the Brazilian grappler. Instead he’ll look for tactical exchanges on the feet where he’ll try to answer the one glaring question surrounding Nogueira: does he still have it?

Nogueira had long been considered the most durable man in mixed martial arts, going 36 fights without being knocked out or submitted. So when Frank Mir, a man who’s never been known as a striker, handed him his first KO at UFC 92, the messages boards lit up with theories that years of wear and tear had finally taken their toll on Nogueira’s body.

Sure, one knockout in 37 fights is generally not cause for major alarm, but from a guy like Nogueira it was a big red flag. And it might be Couture’s best shot at a win.

Both men have excellent standup skills but if Nogueira’s chin isn’t what it used to be, Couture might have the advantage there. He can feel him out, see if he thinks he has a chance at a knockout. If it’s not there, Couture can fall back on his proven methods in the clinch. Few men have been able to answer Couture’s dirty boxing and if he can’t finish it with a KO, he might be able to grind out a decision.