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UFC 91: Couture faces retirement as Lesnar hamhocks legend
by eezerGeezer on Mon Nov 17, 2008 8:38 pm
Randy Couture should retire. Brock Lesnar will only get better; Couture will only get older.
The mere fact that Couture admitted to the growing strength of the UFC heavyweight division after his humbling at the hands of Lesnar should be admission enough that it is time to move down to light-heavyweight, or pass on his great skills and knowledge to his protégés - in retirement.
UFC:13 in 1997, when Couture first stepped into the Octagon. looked a long, long time ago.
Lesnar proved that size and speed and youth - and behind the scenes bale loads of effort to create what has been a huge learning curve - defeats age and experience, no matter how great the experience, after a certain age. When Lesnar held Couture against the Octagon netting, you could not see him.
Lesnar was too heavy, too determined and ultimately, savvy enough to fight cleverly against a man credited with great Octagon generalship over the last decade. Indeed, Lesnar barely planted a huge foot wrong.
Getting 'Lesnar-ed' could become part of the new lexicon of MMA, or will the 'Lesnar Hamhock punch' become the newest weapon to be referred to within the UFC Octagon. Some were saying this had all the makings of a classic, yet it proved that a new age, Lesnarism, is upon MMA.
Referee Mario Yamasaki had too do little in a clean, clever fight. It was a great tactical first round, as both fighters tested their strength. Lesnar did look nervous and admitted as much afterwards.
But in round two, a huge elbow strike from Lesnar wobbled Couture, and it broke the ice for the Big Man, who then went to work. It was if it had opened up his self-belief. Perhaps even to Lesnar, the Couture legend of 'Captain America' was something he too had first to overcome.
Then, when Lesnar was cut over his right eye, and claret ran crimson in lines down his right cheek, the sleeping giant appeared to wake up. Lesnar went to work.
Getting Couture on the ground with a right hand punch to the head, glancing on Couture's temple, he let loose in a ground and pound attack which was unrelenting for over twenty strikes, hammer fists, and elbows. Many of them were blocked, or missed, but referee Yamasaki had seen enough. It was 3.07 of the second round. Lesnar was, and is, the new UFC heavyweight champion. Like Couture himself, Lesnar succeeded in his fourth UFC fight.
"I can't believe it," said Lesnar. "Thanks Dana [White], UFC, and this guy Randy Couture who had a year off and then came back to fight a young buck like me. All my hard work paid off. I may come across as cocky but God gave me my mind and this body."
Elsewhere on the night, co-main event fighter Kenny Florian looked fantastic against Joe Stevenson, winning by rear naked choke in the opening round, with almost a minute remaining. His form, six wins in a row, makes a UFC lightweight title tilt against BJ Penn a great prospect. Quite why he said he wanted "to kill" BJ Penn was beyond most in the audience.
The salary for both competitors at the UFC: 91 main event was revealed as $250,000 each. Lesnar received $200,000 for his victory, although both men were expected to make seven figure sums with a percentage of pay per view sales going to them. The gate receipts at the MGM Grand were published at $4.8million.
The mere fact that Couture admitted to the growing strength of the UFC heavyweight division after his humbling at the hands of Lesnar should be admission enough that it is time to move down to light-heavyweight, or pass on his great skills and knowledge to his protégés - in retirement.
UFC:13 in 1997, when Couture first stepped into the Octagon. looked a long, long time ago.
Lesnar proved that size and speed and youth - and behind the scenes bale loads of effort to create what has been a huge learning curve - defeats age and experience, no matter how great the experience, after a certain age. When Lesnar held Couture against the Octagon netting, you could not see him.
Lesnar was too heavy, too determined and ultimately, savvy enough to fight cleverly against a man credited with great Octagon generalship over the last decade. Indeed, Lesnar barely planted a huge foot wrong.
Getting 'Lesnar-ed' could become part of the new lexicon of MMA, or will the 'Lesnar Hamhock punch' become the newest weapon to be referred to within the UFC Octagon. Some were saying this had all the makings of a classic, yet it proved that a new age, Lesnarism, is upon MMA.
Referee Mario Yamasaki had too do little in a clean, clever fight. It was a great tactical first round, as both fighters tested their strength. Lesnar did look nervous and admitted as much afterwards.
But in round two, a huge elbow strike from Lesnar wobbled Couture, and it broke the ice for the Big Man, who then went to work. It was if it had opened up his self-belief. Perhaps even to Lesnar, the Couture legend of 'Captain America' was something he too had first to overcome.
Then, when Lesnar was cut over his right eye, and claret ran crimson in lines down his right cheek, the sleeping giant appeared to wake up. Lesnar went to work.
Getting Couture on the ground with a right hand punch to the head, glancing on Couture's temple, he let loose in a ground and pound attack which was unrelenting for over twenty strikes, hammer fists, and elbows. Many of them were blocked, or missed, but referee Yamasaki had seen enough. It was 3.07 of the second round. Lesnar was, and is, the new UFC heavyweight champion. Like Couture himself, Lesnar succeeded in his fourth UFC fight.
"I can't believe it," said Lesnar. "Thanks Dana [White], UFC, and this guy Randy Couture who had a year off and then came back to fight a young buck like me. All my hard work paid off. I may come across as cocky but God gave me my mind and this body."
Elsewhere on the night, co-main event fighter Kenny Florian looked fantastic against Joe Stevenson, winning by rear naked choke in the opening round, with almost a minute remaining. His form, six wins in a row, makes a UFC lightweight title tilt against BJ Penn a great prospect. Quite why he said he wanted "to kill" BJ Penn was beyond most in the audience.
The salary for both competitors at the UFC: 91 main event was revealed as $250,000 each. Lesnar received $200,000 for his victory, although both men were expected to make seven figure sums with a percentage of pay per view sales going to them. The gate receipts at the MGM Grand were published at $4.8million.
Re: UFC 91: Couture faces retirement as Lesnar hamhocks legend
by WFT_BigTuna on Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:51 am
What a fight. This was very exciting. Lesnar is sooo big and athletic for his size its ridiculous. The guy is a freak of nature. He will be a force in the MMA world. Dont forget he has only been in the sport for 1 year which in itself is amazing. 1 year and he is the UFC heavyweight champion. Couture will still be known as probably the greatest fighter and at 45 he was having a great fight prior to being caught by the monster.
