Rashad Evans has been touted as the light heavyweight with the best chance of ousting Jon Jones, but UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture believes otherwise.In an interview with Five Ounces of Pain, Couture broke down the fight people are calling the bigges…
Rashad Evans has been touted as the light heavyweight with the best chance of ousting Jon Jones, but UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture believes otherwise.
In an interview with Five Ounces of Pain, Couture broke down the fight people are calling the biggest grudge match since Chuck Liddell versus Tito Ortiz.
I really don’t have a prediction, and I could make a case for either fighter winning the bout. The favorite is Jones because of his range, and he is so athletic with such a dynamic striking style.
Rashad has the tools and skillset to make it a tough fight for Jones, but he has to make it a wrestling match and take him down at every opportunity. That’s not the style we tend to see out of Evans since he landed that head kick on Sean Salmon. Being a standup fighter is not a great style match-up when you’re facing a guy like Jones.
So what style would be great against Jones?
The 24-year-old champion may be the most well-rounded fighter the sport has ever seen. In 2011, he dominated three former UFC champions in Lyoto Machida, Mauricio Rua and Quinton Jackson.
When breaking down Jones’ style, you would be hard-pressed to find any holes in his game. The unknown aspects of his overall abilities are the only things people can point to as potential weaknesses.
Jones is a proven world-class grappler, but we have never seen him forced to fend from his back. Couture believes a strong wrestler with great takedowns and clinch control would have the best chance to dethrone Jones.
If not Evans, what other fighters possess that particular skill set?
I think a fighter like Dan Henderson or even Chael Sonnen, who is a big 185-pounder and used to compete at light heavyweight with strong wrestling. They have to take him out of his comfort zone and take away his reach advantage. There is no longer in the division and maybe not in the sport as far as Jones’ reach.
His takedown defense is good, and he has very good wrestling. He has very unorthodox striking which makes him very dangerous. I think you have to use the fence, use your wrestling and force him to fight your fight. Either one of those guys can do that.
Alright, fight fans, “It’s time!” to get some…culture. Just like in the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece and the Modern Summer Olympics from 1924 to 1948, which held not only athletic contests but also art competitions, artists …
Alright, fight fans, “It’s time!” to get some…culture.
Just like in the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece and the Modern Summer Olympics from 1924 to 1948, which held not only athletic contests but also art competitions, artists whose works feature athletes truly complete humanity’s appreciation and promotion of sports.
In MMA, we are fortunate to have someone like Brad Utterstrom, who has dedicated his art to portraying mainly portraits of our renowned fighters—recent past and present. Yours truly is privileged to correspond with the artist and receive from him the links to his 11 personal favorites along with his personal thoughts on each piece.
Utterstrom is an alumnus of Western Oregon University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Art in 2002. In his own words, “During my final year at WOU, I did my first MMA related painting…a red, yellow, and blue acrylic of Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture. Since then, almost all of my artwork has been MMA related.”*
Enjoy this slideshow of samplings of the painter’s works: 11 portraits treated in different mediums and styles of artistic expression, with a sprinkling of thoughts from the artist on his creations as shared to this writer.
I also included brief backgrounds on each subject.
Yes, Mr. James Ladner, there’s inspiring and edifying beauty in the combat sport of MMA.
The artist will truly appreciate it if you will write down your favorite piece on the comments thread below.
(God damn…Randy Couture is looking ROUGH these days.)
It’s kind of a shame that we’ve barely managed to touch upon the aftermath of what was a fantastic UFC on FUEL event this past weekend, but simply put, UFC 145 has so much more on the line in terms of hype, hatred, and championship gold that the Swedish card can’t help but be placed on the back burner. The light heavyweight championship bout pitting Jon Jones against Rashad Evans has torn fans, friends, and even training camps apart before our very eyes, and we are just a business week away from finally being treated to its conclusion.
And among those divided by this match-up are the very fighters who once ruled the 205 lb division with an iron fist. Everyone from Chuck Liddell to Vitor Belfort to even Frank Shamrock (who was king of the division back in its “middleweight” days) recently weighed-in on the fight, and needless to say, they have it a lot closer than the bookies do at this point.
Let’s start with the division’s very first champion, Frank Shamrock, who was finally able to speak without unknowingly blinding his audience with the illuminating power of his braces:
This fight has a tremendous story behind it, with it having grown out of a friendship that went sour back when these two were teammates. The drama that’s fueling this is incredible. Fans can expect a fight that, stylistically, will be extremely challenging for Jones to overcome, and he’ll have fits with Rashad’s wrestling if he’s able to put Jon on his back. But ultimately, I see Jones being able to inflict more damage and walk away with the belt still in hand. This will be a fight that will not end as easily and devastatingly as Jones’s others have, but rather one of those moments in his career where he’ll have to pull himself up and battle until the final bell. In the end, this fight will help Jon become a better fighter and a better champion, and will endear himself to fans for years to come.
Join us after the jump to hear what the rest of the light heavyweight elite have to say about Bones/Suga.
(God damn…Randy Couture is looking ROUGH these days.)
It’s kind of a shame that we’ve barely managed to touch upon the aftermath of what was a fantastic UFC on FUEL event this past weekend, but simply put, UFC 145 has so much more on the line in terms of hype, hatred, and championship gold that the Swedish card can’t help but be placed on the back burner. The light heavyweight championship bout pitting Jon Jones against Rashad Evans has torn fans, friends, and even training camps apart before our very eyes, and we are just a business week away from finally being treated to its conclusion.
And among those divided by this match-up are the very fighters who once ruled the 205 lb division with an iron fist. Everyone from Chuck Liddell to Vitor Belfort to even Frank Shamrock (who was king of the division back in its “middleweight” days) recently weighed-in on the fight, and needless to say, they have it a lot closer than the bookies do at this point.
Let’s start with the division’s very first champion, Frank Shamrock, who was finally able to speak without unknowingly blinding his audience with the illuminating power of his braces:
This fight has a tremendous story behind it, with it having grown out of a friendship that went sour back when these two were teammates. The drama that’s fueling this is incredible. Fans can expect a fight that, stylistically, will be extremely challenging for Jones to overcome, and he’ll have fits with Rashad’s wrestling if he’s able to put Jon on his back. But ultimately, I see Jones being able to inflict more damage and walk away with the belt still in hand. This will be a fight that will not end as easily and devastatingly as Jones’s others have, but rather one of those moments in his career where he’ll have to pull himself up and battle until the final bell. In the end, this fight will help Jon become a better fighter and a better champion, and will endear himself to fans for years to come.
Never a man of many words, at least not coherently put together in a sentence, Tito Ortiz’s analysis was much simpler:
Jones is looking very good. But Rashad is fast, man, and once he hurts you he’s on you. I’d like to see Rashad use his wrestling and takedowns and really mix it up. I think it will be a great fight.
As for the rest of the former champs…
Randy Couture: “I think it is going to be very interesting, Rashad has the speed and skills to win. Rashad has to avoid his propensity for standing up and just striking, which he has done in the past. He can’t just strike with Jones; if he does he will lose because Jon has more tools in the toolbox. Rashad has to take Jones down, not just once or twice but every single time he has any opportunity. If Jones is worried about getting taken down, that’s when Rashad can put his hands on him and do some damage. But he has to keep Jon guessing if it is a takedown or a strike that’s coming.
I think Jones is super-talented and he is clearly getting better in each fight. He could turn into a very special type of champion. He poses some very unique problems in the Octagon – and so far no one has solved too many of them. I think this is a huge fight for the division. “Bones” Jones is very hot right now and with the personalities and the back story, it all hypes this up into a very interesting fight.”
Vitor Belfort: “I think this fight will be great for the sport because Jones and Evans used to train together. That changes things, now they are going to fight against each other. We are in the new era of sport with these athletes like Jon Jones and the techniques they can do. Both guys have a chance to be the winner, and it could come down to who is better on that one night. I am looking forward to seeing this huge fight.”
Chuck Liddell: “Everyone is different but, I think, for most fighters getting into the Octagon with someone they don’t like is a great motivation in training. Every time you are tired or holding a little back, you think about losing to this guy you can’t stand and it helps you give 100%. That’s how I was with Tito, I couldn’t stand the idea of losing to him and so I trained harder.
“I’d love to know who really got the best of it when these guys trained together. You get a feeling for someone when you spar with them. That’s why I was so confident against Tito; I’d beat him up standing, wrestling and at BJJ when we trained together years before out fights and I knew I was in his head because of that. Listening to Rashad, it seems from watching the Primetime show that he feels he’s in Jon’s head a little. He sounds very confident and I think that’s based on experiences in the gym. I’m glad he is confident, because that’s something you have to have against Jones. If you don’t go after Jon you are in for a bad night.”
Quinton Jackson: “Rashad has to go for it right from the start, for real. Rashad can’t play on the outside, you can’t fight no Jon Jones on the outside, believe me. Rashad is fast and can surprise you. He surprised me by faking a takedown and hitting me with a right hand which kinda stunned me. I think he can do that to Jon Jones, but he has to do it right away because the more time you give Jones, the harder it is to set him up for a punch. I think Jon Jones will win, but I think Rashad has a chance.”
Forrest Griffin: “This is a great fight. I’m glad I’m not fighting Jon Jones anytime soon, but I think Rashad has the right style to give him problems. There are so many emotions between these guys going into the fight, and I know the Atlanta fans will be getting their money’s worth. Jones looks very nasty, but I’m not going to underestimate Rashad. I kinda did that before once…”
Lyoto Machida: “Jones vs Evans is a big fight for the fans and a big fight for the division. It is a very interesting fight; Jones is very unorthodox and is strong in all aspects of the game, but Rashad is a great wrestler and has the hand speed to catch Jones.”
Mauricio Rua: “They are two very smart, strategic athletes. Both of them fight thinking of their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and think about how to fight the best possible fight to win. But I think Jon Jones has an advantage, since he is very hard to reach. He is not only long (limbed) but also fast and he can react very quickly, I know this. So, I think it’s going to be Jones’ match. However, let’s not forget Rashad is also very strategic. I believe Rashad will have a good gameplan and I am very interested to see what he will try to do in this fight.”
Since we’ve already asked your opinion on who will emerge victorious from this one about a dozen times, let’s switch things up. How do you have this one ending? *prays for spinning elbow KO*
(That look in Chuck’s eyes — we know it well. / Full gallery is after the jump.)
Since our 25 Most Awkward Photos in MMA History gallery was such a big success, and because we could all use some stupid fun on a Friday afternoon, we decided to put together a GIF-based sequel. Enjoy the uncomfortable hilarity, and if we left out any of your favorites, please post some links in the comments section. Have a great weekend, Potato Nation!
Since our 25 Most Awkward Photos in MMA History gallery was such a big success, and because we could all use some stupid fun on a Friday afternoon, we decided to put together a GIF-based sequel. Enjoy the uncomfortable hilarity, and if we left out any of your favorites, please post some links in the comments section. Have a great weekend, Potato Nation!
It’s hard to imagine at this point in his career, but there was a time not too long ago that Brandon Vera was knocking on the door of a heavyweight title shot. Consecutive losses to Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum quickly squashed this notion, and perhaps in an attempt to save his career, Vera dropped to light heavyweight. The results thus far have been nothing short of disastrous.
Since dropping to 205, Vera:
1. Scored a weak UD over Reese Andy in his debut at UFN 14
2. Was made Keith Jardine’s personal whipping boy at UFC 89
3. Was nearly bear hugged to death by Randy Couture at UFC 105
4. Had his face ground into a fine powder by Jon Jones at UFC Live 1
5. Suffered the second most embarrassing loss in UFC history* when Thiago Silva used him as his personal set of bongos before treating his face like that of a three dollar hooker at UFC 125. But hey, the fight was changed to a no-contest, so that’s something, right?
6. Had his arm broken by a guy he was supposed to destroy at UFC 137.
Regardless of his track record, it looks like Vera will be getting yet another chance to silence his naysayers when he takes on the heavy-handed James Te Huna at UFC on FUEL 4 in July.
(“How old are you again, Brandon? I lost count.”)
It’s hard to imagine at this point in his career, but there was a time not too long ago that Brandon Vera was knocking on the door of a heavyweight title shot. Consecutive losses to Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum quickly squashed this notion, and perhaps in an attempt to save his career, Vera dropped to light heavyweight. The results thus far have been nothing short of disastrous.
Since dropping to 205, Vera:
1. Scored a weak UD over Reese Andy in his debut at UFN 14
2. Was made Keith Jardine’s personal whipping boy at UFC 89
3. Was nearly bear hugged to death by Randy Couture at UFC 105
4. Had his face ground into a fine powder by Jon Jones at UFC Live 1
5. Suffered the second most embarrassing loss in UFC history* when Thiago Silva used him as his personal set of bongos before treating his face like that of a three dollar hooker at UFC 125. But hey, the fight was changed to a no-contest, so that’s something, right?
6. Had his arm broken by a guy he was supposed to destroy at UFC 137.
After Silva was popped for steroids in the aftermath of his win over Vera and served a subsequent year-long suspension, “The Truth” was supposed to welcome that “piece of shit juice monkey” back to the octagon at UFC on FX 3. However, when Vera found out that the aformentioned broken arm he sustained against Elliot Marshall would not be healed up in time, he was forced to withdraw from the rematch.
Vera might want to consider wearing his protective face guard ala Kobe Bryant when he squares off against James Te Huna, because that New-Zealander packs some serious power in his hands. Te Huna is currently 3-1 in the octagon, with all of his victories coming by way of uber violent (T)KO. He suffered his only UFC loss via rear-naked choke to top contender Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 127, so if Vera is smart, he’ll be looking to take this one to the ground, as Te Huna has shown a weakness for submissions in the past.
No date or location have been named for UFC on FUEL 4, though it is expected to place sometime in July.
The topic of determining the best pound-for-pound fighter has always been somewhat debatable. Fortunately, UFC Hall of Famer and former multiple-time UFC champion, Randy Couture, was able to help break down the top fighters in mixed martial arts a…
The topic of determining the best pound-for-pound fighter has always been somewhat debatable.
Fortunately, UFC Hall of Famer and former multiple-time UFC champion, Randy Couture, was able to help break down the top fighters in mixed martial arts and rank them according to their respective skill sets.
Making an appearance on “UFC Insider” Couture was in a segment called “The Takedown” and used his analytical skills to breakdown the sport’s pound-for-pound fighters.
Renowned for his methodical approach, Couture made his own pound-for-pound rankings list and considers UFC champions Jose Aldo, Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva to be among the best fighters in the sport.
Each fighter brings a certain skill to their respective divisions, which makes them stand above the competition.
Couture spoke highly of each fighter, including Jones, who is slated to meet rival Rashad Evans at UFC 145 next weekend.
“I watched Jon Jones in his first fight, and he was flailing around and I wasn’t terribly impressed with him at all. He looked like he was struggling and didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do out there, and they matched him up in his very next fight with Stephan Bonnar, and I’m like ‘Oh my gosh, Stephan’s gonna kill this kid,'” Couture said.
“And I was like, ‘How the heck does he do that?’ He just has that kind of potential and ability and we’ve seen that now come full circle.”
“The sky’s the limit for him,” he concluded.
The current landscape of MMA will constantly change, and the opinions will vary as fans will continue to debate one of the hottest topics in the sport today.
