(Video courtesy of YouTube/Stemerm1)
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni went down 4 years ago.
Why it matters:
• Frank Shamrock became Strikeforce’s inaugural middleweight champion after he defeated Phil Baroni at the EliteXC co-promoted event held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California by choking “The New York Badass” unconscious with a rear-naked choke. Shamrock was criticized for “kicking” Baroni off of him after the bout. He explained the incident at the post-fight press conference. “He was heavy on top of me… he was squishing the life out of me… he was laying on my leg and on my chest… that’s it. And I thought it looked better on camera.” Shamrock would lose the strap one fight later to Cung Le.
• Following the bout California State Athletic Commission test results revealed that Baroni tested positive for Boldenone and Stanozolol steroid metabolites. He was fined $2,500 and suspended for a year from competing in California — a suspension that would be observed by every member agency in the Association of Boxing Commissions. Baroni denied any wrongdoing and appealed the decision and on October 31, 2007 Baroni’s suspension was reduced to 6 months without a even a shred of evidence presented that exonerated him.
• Murilo Rua defeated Joey Vilasenor to become the first EliteXC middleweight champion. He would lose it in his next fight with Robbie Lawler.
• Carter Williams was found by the CSAC to have tested positive for cocaine. As a result he was fined $1,000 and suspended for six months.
Brian Bowles was born 31 years ago.
Why he matters:
• Bowles is the former WEC bantamweight champion
• He holds wins over Charlie Valencia, Miguel Torres and Damacio Page.
• All nine of his wins came by KO, TKO or submission giving him a 90% finish rate — one of the best in the UFC.
Randy Couture was born 48 years ago.
(Video courtesy of YouTube/UFCEdit)
Why he matters:
If you don’t know, you’re on the wrong website.
What Captain America has accomplished in his storied MMA career will likely never be duplicated.
• The three-time All-American Greco-Roman wrestler from at Oklahoma State University is the only UFC fighter to win both the heavyweight and light heavyweight straps. Couture won both belts twice and the interim light heavyweight belt once.
• He successfully defended the heavyweight belt three times, but never defended the light heavyweight belt.
• Although his 19-11 record betrays what just how much he accomplished in his career, the majority of his losses came against current, future or former champions including Chuck Liddell (x2), Vitor Belfort, Ricco Rodriguez, Josh Barnett, Lyoto Machida and Brock Lesnar.
• His trilogy of fights with Chuck Liddell are three of the best selling cards in UFC history.
• It’s unlikely any other fighter will fight until they are 47 with the rate of success that Couture had.