tugboater
Miller Tang Soo Do Rocks
“I see something.”
That’s what former heavyweight champion Max Schmeling said shortly before facing the apparently invincible “Brown Bomber”, Joe Louis, for the first time in 1936. What he saw in the flawless knockout artist was something only another fighter would notice – Louis’ tendency to drop his left hand after jabbing, leaving him open to a right cross.
Schmeling would capitalize on this flaw and stun the boxing world, knocking out Louis in the 12th round and rejuvenating a career that most observers thought was finished.
Former UFC light heavyweight and two-time heavyweight champion Randy Couture - firmly settled in retirement – also saw something when he watched the current heavyweight king, 6 foot 8 Tim Sylvia, battle 5 foot 9 Jeff Monson last November. No, it wasn’t a technical glitch in what ‘The Maine-iac’ was doing in the Octagon that night (and if it was, he wouldn’t be telling us), but rather an attitude that made ‘The Natural’ rethink life on the sidelines and announce his return to active competition to face Sylvia at UFC 68 in Columbus, Ohio on March 3rd.
“I definitely think watching that fight solidified my feeling that coming back at heavyweight rather than light heavyweight is what I wanted to do,” said Couture, who retired after his second loss to light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell in February of 2006. “And more than a technical thing that I saw was just Tim’s attitude in entering that fight. And I think it started with the (third) Andrei Arlovski fight. Giving him the benefit of the doubt against Arlovski, as explosive as he is, and both guys kinda having knockouts, you expect maybe a little more conservative performance in that situation. But then to see it again with Jeff, when he clearly had Jeff in trouble and was the better fighter that day, and dealt with him not only on his feet but on the ground, I thought Tim could have showed the burning desire that got him the championship in the first place and stepped up and won that fight decisively, and he just didn’t do that. Not to criticize anybody, they’re both great competitors and Tim’s a friend and I like him, but that really has nothing to do with it.”
For Couture, what this comeback revolves around is not only a return to the sport he loves as a participant, but having a chance to make history as well as the first man to win the heavyweight title three times. Are there going to be doubters? Absolutely. But then again, ‘The Natural’ has made a career of silencing his critics, whether it was his first big UFC win over seemingly unbeatable Vitor Belfort in 1997, or his reinvention as a light heavyweight in 2003 after losing back to back heavyweight bouts to Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez.
But why come back now at 43 years old, when he has already been inducted in the UFC Hall of Fame, has a new wife, a new gig as a UFC commentator, and a seemingly endless string of possibilities for life after fighting?
“I just think that while I’m still physically capable of beating these guys and competing, it seems like the right time,” he said. “I went through a nasty divorce the last couple of years, got all that stuff settled, and emotionally and spiritually I came out the other side and feel a lot more like myself. I felt like it was time to get back into competition, starting with the grappling tournament (in November) in the PSL (Professional Submission League). It went well and I felt good in that, and I was thinking about fighting again for quite a while, and I was just waiting for the right opportunity. This opportunity came up, and I jumped on it.”
And while most fighters wait a few years before announcing comebacks, Couture’s itch to compete again came fast, something that wasn’t helped by being around the fight game on an almost daily basis.
“It’s hard to be around fighters and around this sport as much as I am and not want to compete,” he said. “I can hardly sit around and watch the fights and commentate without wiggling in my seat and demonstrating technique in my head while I’m watching.”
There are questions that come with Couture’s return though, most notably whether the knockout losses to Liddell in 2005 and 2006 (sandwiched around a submission win over Mike Van Arsdale in 2005) were undeniable signs that it was truly time to go for the Oregon native. Then again, getting knocked out by ‘The Iceman’ is a fate that can be suffered by the young as well – just ask recent victims Renato Sobral and Tito Ortiz.
“I don’t feel like I’m on the downslide,” admits Couture. “I don’t feel like I’ve slowed down. I think I was facing an opponent (Liddell) who’s at the top of his skill level right now, and I’m not the only one he’s pointed that out to. He’s had fights since then that have indicated that as well, and this is the best Chuck Liddell we’ve ever seen. He manages to go out and do what he does, find that range, and land that shot. From Babalu to (Jeremy) Horn and Tito. I don’t think it’s an indication of my skills – it’s more an indication of Chuck’s.”
What about the return to heavyweight though? The last time Couture was seen competing with the big boys in 2002, he got stopped by Barnett and the Rodriguez, leading ‘The Natural’ to conclude at that time that he would be better served facing fighters closer to his own height and weight.
“I think most notably, my ability has changed,” said Couture, who defeated the likes of Maurice Smith, Kevin Randleman, and Pedro Rizzo (twice) before the losses which prompted his jump to the light heavyweight class, where he went on to stop Liddell and Ortiz en route to the 205-pound title. “I think the guys are still big, but I’m a better fighter and more technical fighter. I train smarter and have a better idea how to peak for fights, and first and foremost, I believe I have the technique to deal with a bigger fighter, even if I do end up on the bottom. And I didn’t really have those skills back in those days dealing with Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez.”
Now he’ll need them to deal with the biggest UFC heavyweight of them all in the 6-8, 260 pound Sylvia. And if he wins, well…Couture isn’t jumping ahead too fast just yet.
“I’m in the process of signing a four fight deal over the next two years,” he said, “and like anything, you take it one fight at a time. The last thing I want to do is look past Tim Sylvia.”
And given Couture’s history of producing mixed martial arts miracles, the last thing Tim Sylvia should be doing is looking past him.
“The year off has been good, certainly on a spiritual level, and it’s been good to clear the decks, get a lot of things settled, and get back to being me,” said Couture, one of the game’s classiest figures and a true ambassador of the sport. “I’ve got a lot better support system than I had going into those fights, and I’m in a lot better place in general.”
“Look, everybody’s gonna question my age and question the decision, and that’s okay – I understand that. I’m either gonna look like a knucklehead on the third of March or a genius. We’ll see.”
That’s what former heavyweight champion Max Schmeling said shortly before facing the apparently invincible “Brown Bomber”, Joe Louis, for the first time in 1936. What he saw in the flawless knockout artist was something only another fighter would notice – Louis’ tendency to drop his left hand after jabbing, leaving him open to a right cross.
Schmeling would capitalize on this flaw and stun the boxing world, knocking out Louis in the 12th round and rejuvenating a career that most observers thought was finished.
Former UFC light heavyweight and two-time heavyweight champion Randy Couture - firmly settled in retirement – also saw something when he watched the current heavyweight king, 6 foot 8 Tim Sylvia, battle 5 foot 9 Jeff Monson last November. No, it wasn’t a technical glitch in what ‘The Maine-iac’ was doing in the Octagon that night (and if it was, he wouldn’t be telling us), but rather an attitude that made ‘The Natural’ rethink life on the sidelines and announce his return to active competition to face Sylvia at UFC 68 in Columbus, Ohio on March 3rd.
“I definitely think watching that fight solidified my feeling that coming back at heavyweight rather than light heavyweight is what I wanted to do,” said Couture, who retired after his second loss to light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell in February of 2006. “And more than a technical thing that I saw was just Tim’s attitude in entering that fight. And I think it started with the (third) Andrei Arlovski fight. Giving him the benefit of the doubt against Arlovski, as explosive as he is, and both guys kinda having knockouts, you expect maybe a little more conservative performance in that situation. But then to see it again with Jeff, when he clearly had Jeff in trouble and was the better fighter that day, and dealt with him not only on his feet but on the ground, I thought Tim could have showed the burning desire that got him the championship in the first place and stepped up and won that fight decisively, and he just didn’t do that. Not to criticize anybody, they’re both great competitors and Tim’s a friend and I like him, but that really has nothing to do with it.”
For Couture, what this comeback revolves around is not only a return to the sport he loves as a participant, but having a chance to make history as well as the first man to win the heavyweight title three times. Are there going to be doubters? Absolutely. But then again, ‘The Natural’ has made a career of silencing his critics, whether it was his first big UFC win over seemingly unbeatable Vitor Belfort in 1997, or his reinvention as a light heavyweight in 2003 after losing back to back heavyweight bouts to Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez.
But why come back now at 43 years old, when he has already been inducted in the UFC Hall of Fame, has a new wife, a new gig as a UFC commentator, and a seemingly endless string of possibilities for life after fighting?
“I just think that while I’m still physically capable of beating these guys and competing, it seems like the right time,” he said. “I went through a nasty divorce the last couple of years, got all that stuff settled, and emotionally and spiritually I came out the other side and feel a lot more like myself. I felt like it was time to get back into competition, starting with the grappling tournament (in November) in the PSL (Professional Submission League). It went well and I felt good in that, and I was thinking about fighting again for quite a while, and I was just waiting for the right opportunity. This opportunity came up, and I jumped on it.”
And while most fighters wait a few years before announcing comebacks, Couture’s itch to compete again came fast, something that wasn’t helped by being around the fight game on an almost daily basis.
“It’s hard to be around fighters and around this sport as much as I am and not want to compete,” he said. “I can hardly sit around and watch the fights and commentate without wiggling in my seat and demonstrating technique in my head while I’m watching.”
There are questions that come with Couture’s return though, most notably whether the knockout losses to Liddell in 2005 and 2006 (sandwiched around a submission win over Mike Van Arsdale in 2005) were undeniable signs that it was truly time to go for the Oregon native. Then again, getting knocked out by ‘The Iceman’ is a fate that can be suffered by the young as well – just ask recent victims Renato Sobral and Tito Ortiz.
“I don’t feel like I’m on the downslide,” admits Couture. “I don’t feel like I’ve slowed down. I think I was facing an opponent (Liddell) who’s at the top of his skill level right now, and I’m not the only one he’s pointed that out to. He’s had fights since then that have indicated that as well, and this is the best Chuck Liddell we’ve ever seen. He manages to go out and do what he does, find that range, and land that shot. From Babalu to (Jeremy) Horn and Tito. I don’t think it’s an indication of my skills – it’s more an indication of Chuck’s.”
What about the return to heavyweight though? The last time Couture was seen competing with the big boys in 2002, he got stopped by Barnett and the Rodriguez, leading ‘The Natural’ to conclude at that time that he would be better served facing fighters closer to his own height and weight.
“I think most notably, my ability has changed,” said Couture, who defeated the likes of Maurice Smith, Kevin Randleman, and Pedro Rizzo (twice) before the losses which prompted his jump to the light heavyweight class, where he went on to stop Liddell and Ortiz en route to the 205-pound title. “I think the guys are still big, but I’m a better fighter and more technical fighter. I train smarter and have a better idea how to peak for fights, and first and foremost, I believe I have the technique to deal with a bigger fighter, even if I do end up on the bottom. And I didn’t really have those skills back in those days dealing with Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez.”
Now he’ll need them to deal with the biggest UFC heavyweight of them all in the 6-8, 260 pound Sylvia. And if he wins, well…Couture isn’t jumping ahead too fast just yet.
“I’m in the process of signing a four fight deal over the next two years,” he said, “and like anything, you take it one fight at a time. The last thing I want to do is look past Tim Sylvia.”
And given Couture’s history of producing mixed martial arts miracles, the last thing Tim Sylvia should be doing is looking past him.
“The year off has been good, certainly on a spiritual level, and it’s been good to clear the decks, get a lot of things settled, and get back to being me,” said Couture, one of the game’s classiest figures and a true ambassador of the sport. “I’ve got a lot better support system than I had going into those fights, and I’m in a lot better place in general.”
“Look, everybody’s gonna question my age and question the decision, and that’s okay – I understand that. I’m either gonna look like a knucklehead on the third of March or a genius. We’ll see.”
