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Randy Couture says fight with James Toney will bring in new followers from the boxing world
By Zach Arnold | May 10, 2010
Quotes from an interview he did with MMAFighting.com on Saturday night in Montreal, Quebec, Canada at UFC 113:
Couture: “It’s not official yet, but we’re getting real close to signing it. James Toney, UFC 118 in Boston.”
Question: “What do you think of that match-up? Because I know when James Toney, when they first announced him coming to the UFC, you were on Twitter and you were asking for it.”
Couture: “Yeah, absolutely. He’s been running his mouth saying he’s going to knock everybody out. I’d be happy to welcome him to MMA. I think it’s a great crossover fight. You know, since I’ve been in this sport for 13 years, everybody’s been comparing us to boxers so to have a world-class boxer to finally step up and sign on the dotted line is a big deal.”
Question: “Do you think a guy like him deserves to be fighting in the Octagon?”
Couture: “Deserves? I mean, who says? He’s a four-time world champion in boxing, he wants to try his hand in MMA, he thinks he can knock everybody out. Why not?”
Question: “But, let me explain. There are guys who work years and years to get here and has never fought in an MMA match. You know, does he just get the right to go in?”
Couture: “I worked years and years in wrestling and walked right into Mixed Martial Arts. My very first fight was a UFC.”
Question: “But that was a different time, though.”
Couture: “Like I say, it doesn’t matter. Combative sports are combative sports. He’s going to be a formidable opponent because he’s a very good striker. They don’t call him Lights Out for nothing. I obviously have a wrestling background. How does that match-up? That’s an interesting match-up in my opinion. It crosses over and we’re going to draw a bunch of boxers in to watch our sport for the first time ever. It’s good.”
Question: “A lot of people say that if you think to stand with him for one second, you’d be making a big mistake just based on your wrestling skills. Will you try to stand and bang with him?”
Couture: “I’m not going to stand and bang with him, that would be stupid. But one second? C’mon, give me a break. I can stand with him as long as I need to stand with him to put him where I need to put him, to beat him up, to beat his ass.”
Question: “When you go in there, will you feel as though you are representing this sport?”
Couture: “Absolutely, that’s the whole point of the fight. It’s a cross-over fight, boxing versus MMA, and I will gladly represent Mixed Martial Arts.”
Question: “And is the point of this fight maybe to never have him fight in the UFC again, to say you know what, you should stick to your sport?”
Couture: “No, I don’t think that’s true. I think he wants to transition into Mixed Martial Arts. Unfortunately he’s jumping right in. I think in a matter of time with his background he could be a very, very good Mixed Martial Artist. How much is he going to learn between now and the end of August, that’s the question.”
Question: “And finally, a victory over James Toney, does that still put you in line for a future Light Heavyweight title shot? Do you think that’s you know does what you need to do?”
Couture: “I don’t think it has anything to do with that. I don’t think that puts me into title contention. I don’t think it’s a title contending fight. … I think I’m already made my statement in the Light Heavyweight division as one of the #1 contenders. There’s a lot of tough guys in the Light Heavyweight division. I hope to get the nod and fight the winner of [the main event at UFC 113 — which was Shogun], but James Toney doesn’t help me get there. It’s just an interesting crossover fight.”
Topics: Boxing, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 10 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
“(O)ne of the #1 contenders”?
How many number ones are there?
I think Couture beats Toney and Toney’s tenure is done.
I was down on Toney’s entrance into the UFC…. But I’m sort of looking forward to Couture/Toney. At least they are of equal age….
I think how they handled Kimbo in the UFC has given me hope that the freakshow won’t run over the real competition.
Please don’t be tempted (any more than I’m sure you already are) to put on a 205 title fight between Shogun and Couture if Couture beats Toney.
Let’s keep that belt in play with the current crop of LHWs for a bit.
I second that. Beating Vera, Coleman, and Toney should not give anybody a title shot….
It should be Shogun vs. Evans/Jackson. With the winner of that fight probably fighting Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
And try to give Griffin a chance to get back into the LHW title picture. He’s already got a pretty strong built in storyline with each of Rua, Jackson and Evans (not to mention he was supposed to fight Lil Nog before the injury).
Thankfully Dana’s said the winner of Shad/Page gets the next shot…logic prevails.
I read that and was happy to see White isn’t completely off his rocker.
I understand the need to have legends in the UFC. I don’t like to see them take too much damage, but I understand it. They also need to understand their role and place in the organization.
Couture/Coleman or Liddell/Franklin headlining a card in 2010 is not acceptable. Hughes/Renzo or Couture/Toney as the 3rd biggest fight on the card just adds depth to a card and makes it much more interesting. And I admit it really just helps a card out when it’s to bulk up a card….
Shogun said in an interview with Sherdog that he wants a fight against Randy Couture… 🙁
boxing fans stopped careing about toney a long time ago!!!
[…] doesn’t think a win against James Toney will help him get the title shot. Transcription via Fight Opinion: “I don’t think it has anything to do with that. I don’t think that puts me into title […]
Couture vs. Toney will be a freakshow. Unless Toney gets back on his meds and actually trains, Couture should walk right over him, and that’ll end the madness.
I have no problem with Toney trying to make money, seeing as how his boxing career is done, and if he wants to do MMA, that’s fine. Throwing him in with Couture is a terrible idea, even at Randy’s age.
Perhaps this is White’s out; they’ll build Toney up, he’ll get his ass handed to him by Couture and they can let Toney go. It’ll be a “We gave him a shot, he didn’t get it done, UFC’s commitment to Toney is finished. Good luck someplace else, James.”