Tag: Randy Couture

[VIDEOS] Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard, Donald Cerrone, + More Make Their Picks for Ben Henderson vs. Nate Diaz

Can you guys imagine what the MMA landscape will be like if Nate Diaz is able to defeat Ben Henderson on Saturday, thus becoming the lightweight champion? For starters, this article will be the first and last time you ever see the word “thus” in a sentence where the subject is a Diaz, but on the grander scale, just try and imagine the ways a Diaz with a belt will throw a wrench into the UFC’s plans. Interviews snippets will be so short and incoherent that MMA writers will be forced to resort to rambling, ludicrous conspiracy theories just to pass the time. And as for the brand-promoting public appearances that have become the standard for a champion? You can forget about those; we’re talking about a man who once tried to fight a fictional Brazilian character at a Jiu-Jitsu expo for Christ’s sake. If one fan even mentions the Maynard fight around Diaz in public, the UFC will probably have a full-scale riot on their hands.

If you would, just picture Nate Diaz at an anti-bullying seminar for a moment. After showing up 3 hours late and being reluctantly called to the stage, Diaz will deliver a one minute diatribe aimed at America’s “faggoty yoots” who should “just like, yeah, I dunno” before calling out “that bitch Georges,” his eyes never lifting from the linoleum floor. When he is informed that he is in fact the lightweight champion and can’t fight GSP right now, Diaz will declare that he’s “done with this shit” before slapping that stupid ass hat off the school’s gym teacher on his way out the door. Simply put, it will be glorious.

Anyway, MMAInterviews recently asked a bevy of pros including Frankie Edgar, Randy Couture, Gray Maynard, and Donald Cerrone to determine the likelihood of a world in which a Diaz is champion, and believe it or not, the overwhelming majority of them believe it’s something we should start preparing ourselves for.

Part 1 is above and part 2 is after the jump.

Can you guys imagine what the MMA landscape will be like if Nate Diaz is able to defeat Ben Henderson on Saturday, thus becoming the lightweight champion? For starters, this article will be the first and last time you ever see the word “thus” in a sentence where the subject is a Diaz, but on the grander scale, just try and imagine the ways a Diaz with a belt will throw a wrench into the UFC’s plans. Interviews snippets will be so short and incoherent that MMA writers will be forced to resort to rambling, ludicrous conspiracy theories just to pass the time. And as for the brand-promoting public appearances that have become the standard for a champion? You can forget about those; we’re talking about a man who once tried to fight a fictional Brazilian character at a Jiu-Jitsu expo for Christ’s sake. If one fan even mentions the Maynard fight around Diaz in public, the UFC will probably have a full-scale riot on their hands.

If you would, just picture Nate Diaz at an anti-bullying seminar for a moment. After showing up 3 hours late and being reluctantly called to the stage, Diaz will deliver a one minute diatribe aimed at America’s “faggoty yoots“ who should “just like, yeah, I dunno” before calling out “that bitch Georges,” his eyes never lifting from the linoleum floor. When he is informed that he is in fact the lightweight champion and can’t fight GSP right now, Diaz will declare that he’s “done with this shit” before slapping that stupid ass hat off the school’s gym teacher on his way out the door. Simply put, it will be glorious.

Anyway, MMAInterviews recently asked a bevy of pros including Frankie Edgar, Randy Couture, Gray Maynard, and Donald Cerrone to determine the likelihood of a world in which a Diaz is champion, and believe it or not, the overwhelming majority of them believe it’s something we should start preparing ourselves for.

By a final tally of 8 to 3 (with 4 undecided), it appears as if Diaz would be the heavy favorite coming into Saturday’s fight. The most telling pick in my opinion would be that of former champ Frankie Edgar, who you might recall actually beat Ben Henderson at UFC 150 yet was declared the loser (YEAH, I SAID IT). Edgar believes Diaz will lay a good old fashioned 209 curb-stomping on Henderson. The bookies, however, do not share this sentiment, as Henderson is currently a slight favorite hovering around -155.

So we might as well get the obligatory question out of the way: Who do you like for this fight and how, Potato Nation?

–J. Jones

UFC News: Randy Couture Responds to Steven Seagal’s No Holds Barred Challenge

UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture has responded to actor Steven Seagal’s challenge regarding a potential no holds barred fight where no bystanders are present.Cage Potato got an exclusive phone interview with “The Natural” to get his reaction to Seagal’s…

UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture has responded to actor Steven Seagal‘s challenge regarding a potential no holds barred fight where no bystanders are present.

Cage Potato got an exclusive phone interview with “The Natural” to get his reaction to Seagal‘s unexpected comments during Ariel Helwani’s “The MMA Hour.”

“I’m the one that started the joke as an off-handed comment I made to Jay Glazer — that I’d only come out of retirement if it were to fight Seagal. Obviously now somebody has talked to him about it and it has gotten some legs,” he said. “I’m not surprised that he wants to do it in private, remote location where nobody could see it happen. Obviously I intended it as a joke. I don’t think it would really happen.”

While the former two-divisional UFC champion saw the humor in the situation, Seagal‘s comments on Monday seem to indicate that he felt disrespected by Couture’s joke from several months ago: 

“I really have to kind of wonder what his intentions and motivations may have been in saying that. I always thought that Randy was my friend and a gentleman. I’m kind of confused as to why he would say that. All I can say is, I’m here. Anybody can find me anytime and anyplace. If Randy really wants to fight me, he can fight me anytime he wants. It’ll be for free, and it’ll be some place where there are no witnesses.”

For those wondering, Couture indicated in the Cage Potato interview that he didn’t think the no holds barred stipulation “changes the nature of the fight at all.”

Couture last fought at UFC 129 in April 2011, getting knocked out by a devastating crane kick in the second round by former light heavyweight title holder Lyoto Machida. 

To the shock of many fight fans, “The Dragon” credited Seagal as one of the people in his camp who led him to a victory over Couture. 

Seagal was also mentioned shortly after UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, a Black House teammate of Machida, knocked out Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 in February 2011 with a similar kick.

The star of dozens of action films in the past three decades has never competed in a mixed martial arts bout, but to his credit, does have a seventh degree black belt in Aikido.

So is there any chance the 60-year-old Seagal takes on the 49-year-old Couture? “Hey, it could happen organically I suppose,” Couture stated at the conclusion of his Cage Potato interview.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

[EXCLUSIVE] Randy Couture Responds to Steven Seagal’s No-Rules Deathmatch Challenge


(Photo via MMAWeekly)

By Elias Cepeda

A while back, retired legend Randy Couture joked that the only way he’d come out of retirement for would be if the UFC offered him a fight against Steven Seagal. Let us repeat that: It was a joke.

Couture is a four-time Olympic alternate in Greco Roman wrestling and one of only two UFC fighters in history to hold world championships in two different divisions. Seagal is an actor and aikido master whose success in real fights is officially undocumented, although his on-set altercations have become the stuff of pants-crapping legend.

The action star has hung around the best fighter in the world, Anderson Silva, for the past few years, however, all the while claiming to coach Silva. It has been hilarious to observe, and Couture’s joke about fighting Seagal clearly played on Seagal’s many audacious claims about his own fighting and coaching abilities while passing himself off as an MMA expert.

Predictably, Seagal didn’t see Couture’s tongue-in-cheek statement as such during a recent interview on The MMA Hour. “I always thought that Randy was my friend and a gentleman. I’m kind of confused as to why he would say that,” Seagal said on the show.

“All I can say is, I’m here. Anybody can find me anytime and anyplace. If Randy really wants to fight me, he can fight me anytime he wants. It’ll be for free, and it’ll be some place where there are no witnesses.” When asked if this hypothetical match would take place under MMA rules, Seagal told Ariel Helwani, “I don’t play by rules. That’s not how I fight.”

Since Seagal’s poor self awareness and lack of humor allowed for him to talk about him fighting Couture as a real possibility, we thought it would be fun to give “Captain America” a call and get his reaction to it all…


(Photo via MMAWeekly)

By Elias Cepeda

A while back, retired legend Randy Couture joked that the only way he’d come out of retirement for would be if the UFC offered him a fight against Steven Seagal. Let us repeat that: It was a joke.

Couture is a four-time Olympic alternate in Greco Roman wrestling and one of only two UFC fighters in history to hold world championships in two different divisions. Seagal is an actor and aikido master whose success in real fights is officially undocumented, although his on-set altercations have become the stuff of pants-crapping legend.

The action star has hung around the best fighter in the world, Anderson Silva, for the past few years, however, all the while claiming to coach Silva. It has been hilarious to observe, and Couture’s joke about fighting Seagal clearly played on Seagal’s many audacious claims about his own fighting and coaching abilities while passing himself off as an MMA expert.

Predictably, Seagal didn’t see Couture’s tongue-in-cheek statement as such during a recent interview on The MMA Hour. “I always thought that Randy was my friend and a gentleman. I’m kind of confused as to why he would say that,” Seagal said on the show.

“All I can say is, I’m here. Anybody can find me anytime and anyplace. If Randy really wants to fight me, he can fight me anytime he wants. It’ll be for free, and it’ll be some place where there are no witnesses.” When asked if this hypothetical match would take place under MMA rules, Seagal told Ariel Helwani, “I don’t play by rules. That’s not how I fight.”

Since Seagal’s poor self awareness and lack of humor allowed for him to talk about him fighting Couture as a real possibility, we thought it would be fun to give “Captain America” a call and get his reaction to it all.

“I’m the one that started the joke as an off-handed comment I made to Jay Glazer — that I’d only come out of retirement if it were to fight Seagal. Obviously now somebody has talked to him about it and it has gotten some legs,” Couture chuckled to us over the phone today.

“I’m not surprised that he wants to do it in private, remote location where nobody could see it happen. Obviously I intended it as a joke. I don’t think it would really happen.”

Couture is clearly bemused by the actor’s ominous-sounding statements. Asked if he was intimidated by Seagal’s claim that the fight would be truly no holds barred, Couture neatly replied, “I don’t think that changes the nature of the fight at all.”

So it’s safe to say that Couture is not going to take Seagal up on his battle-to-the-death challenge, then, right? “Hey, it could happen organically I suppose,” Couture ended, simply.

Steven Seagal Says He’d Fight Randy Couture for Free in a No Holds Barred Bout

If Randy Couture is truly looking for a fight, Steven Seagal won’t back down from the UFC Hall of Famer.During an appearance on G4TV’s “Attack of the Show,” Couture stated (via MMAWeekly.com) that he planned on staying retired from fighting, unless Sea…

If Randy Couture is truly looking for a fight, Steven Seagal won’t back down from the UFC Hall of Famer.

During an appearance on G4TV’s “Attack of the Show,” Couture stated (via MMAWeekly.com) that he planned on staying retired from fighting, unless Seagal wanted to sign up.

Seagal, who considered Couture a friend, was completely dumbfounded by the comment.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani on “The MMA Hour,” the Hollywood action star responded to Couture’s challenge (via MMAFighting.com):

I have to wonder what his intentions may have been in saying that. I always thought that Randy was my friend and a gentleman. I’m kind of confused why he would say that, but I’m here, anybody can find me any time and any place. If Randy really wants to fight me, he can fight me any time he wants.

Couture’s comments were initially perceived as a joke from media and fans, but Seagal isn’t one to take challenges lightly.

As a movie star, people tend to forget that Seagal comes from a legitimate martial arts background. As a seventh degree black belt in Aikido, he has earned the opportunity to travel all over the world and teach martial arts to young students.

He has even helped MMA legends Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida prepare for several UFC bouts.

Still, Seagal realizes his own limitations when it comes to all-around fighting skills. He would likely suffer a similar fate as James Toney if he agreed to step into the Octagon with Couture.

At 60 years old, Seagal would fight Couture any time and any place, but there would have to be strict conditions.

He explains in his interview with Helwani:

It would be for free, and it would be some place where there are no witnesses. I’m hoping it wouldn’t get to that, and I don’t know why it would come about, but if that’s what he wants, he can get it any time he wants.

Luckily for MMA fans, the bout won’t happen in the UFC Octagon. It’s still impossible to shake the thought of Couture manhandling an overweight Toney at UFC 118.

Seagal isn’t interested in any MMA circus fights. If he fights Couture, he’ll make up his own rules:

I don’t play by the rules. I’m sure one person will walk out. I’m a man of honor. I’m a gentleman, but I am a warrior, and if he needs to find me, he knows where to find me.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Randy Couture’s Comments on Sonnen-Henderson Demonstrate Why Wrestling Rules MMA

During my sophomore and junior years of high school I beat the crap out of one of my best buddies twice a week, regular as clockwork.He was a great guy. If I felt like drinking beer during the offseason, he was one of the first dudes I called. Girls li…

During my sophomore and junior years of high school I beat the crap out of one of my best buddies twice a week, regular as clockwork.

He was a great guy. If I felt like drinking beer during the offseason, he was one of the first dudes I called. Girls liked him better than me, so he was worth hanging out with just for that reason alone. 

But he wanted my spot on the varsity wrestling lineup. So, when it came down to it, I was perfectly happy to grind him into the mat. He didn’t take it personally.

Now, I’m talking about a level of competition that was light years below what happens during the Olympic trials. We were a small school in a small state.

But it’s the exact same attitude MMA legend Randy Couture was referring to when he spoke about the possibility of a Chael Sonnen-Dan Henderson fight during a recent Cage Junkies interview. Addressing the possibility of a potential fight between Henderson and Sonnen, Couture said:

“Yeah I think they’d fight. They’ve wrestled each other for a spot on the Olympic team, they’re wrestlers at the end of the day and now they’re fighters, they’re professionals, this is what we do.”

I’ve heard Couture make similar statements often over the years. Again and again, the always affable Captain America has explained that fighting a guy he likes is no big deal because he’s used to competing against some of his best friends in the wrestling room. 

Now, there is surely a difference between punching a guy in the face and taking him down and pinning his shoulders to the mat. But if you think the difference is that substantial, then I have to say you have probably never wrestled. 

After he won the first of his three NCAA wrestling titles, current Cornell senior Kyle Dake had barely caught his breath when he told the press: “If you watched the first 30 seconds, we were basically punching each other in the face, but we’re wrestlers.”

Dake, the first wrestler ever to win NCAA titles in three separate weight classes, sounded absolutely cheerful as he made this observation.

An aside: Dake is on track to become only the third four-time NCAA champion in history. He will probably give international wrestling a go, but if he goes into MMA, he will be a serious contender for any 155 or 170 titles from the day he declares.

Being able to beat the crap out of somebody without being mad enough to take it personally is a skill all by itself. Being able to beat up a guy you are friends with just because that is what you are doing today takes a certain mindset.

Beyond the obvious skills that a wrestling background provides an MMA competitor, these intangibles are crucial.

An elite wrestling background allows an MMA fighter to dictate where the fight will take place.  But an elite wrestling background also gives an MMA competitor a mental edge that a contemporary American athlete would be hard pressed to pick up anywhere else. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

The 20 Biggest Badasses in MMA History

Some men are born to be fighters, and some men are born to be absolute warriors of the most vicious caliber. While the true bad asses of MMA are few and far between, the last (near) 20 years have produced a handful of amazing talents. We’re talki…

Some men are born to be fighters, and some men are born to be absolute warriors of the most vicious caliber. While the true bad asses of MMA are few and far between, the last (near) 20 years have produced a handful of amazing talents.

We’re talking about the one in a million kind of combatants. Those who leave our jaws planted on the floor in awe. Those who refuse to succumb to pressure or extreme challenges… those willing to walk through Hell to ensure a victory.

Many talented fighters have come and gone over the years, but this specific piece is meant to serve as a reminder of who the truly terrifying competitors are. The unbreakable warriors we’ll still be discussing in a few decades…

Begin Slideshow