Does anyone think Randy has a chance. I love the guy but Brock is a monster.
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Randy’s got a heck of a good chance. He’s defeated larger fighters before by smart fighting, and Lesnar’s only 2-1 and still learning. Mir pulled off a first round submission on him, there’s no reason Randy couldn’t do the same. Vegas odds have them right about even right now, and I’d agree.
That said, I expect Lesnar will probably win. Not because of any relative strength or weakness of either fighter, but just in keeping with the recent tradition of the Universe punishing me by making me see every fighter I want to win get the crap knocked out of him, over and over.
Mir is very good but he came close to getting dominated.
So you’re the one…
Yeah. I missed the fight, but I heard he got whooped up on pretty good before he got the kneebar. Coture is better on his feet than Mir, but then again Mir is better on the ground. Should be an interesting one. If Couture doesn’t win, I hop it at least goes the distance.
Seriously. The only time my fighter has won lately has been when I missed the fight. Maybe I’ll help Randy out and just not watch.
No he doesn’t.
Just like that little pink haired boy didnt stand a chance against kimbo.
Man I wrote a long post and somehow lost it. 
Lesnar is no Kimbo. He was a very good college wrestler. 4 time All American I believe. I think that wrestling is the best base for a newcomer to MMA to have.
Randys positives are normally his strength, quickness, and wrestling.
Brock is stronger, extremely quick and has great wrestling.
To win I see Randy having to fight Lesnar like Bisbing fought Leben. Lots of jabs moving back and fight a very technical standing fight. Trying to keep out of Brocks shooting distance. Brock hits very hard and Randy can’t afford to catch one flush. If he does all this I can see him frustrating Lesnar and winning by points. If Lesnar gets ahold of him though, I can see it ending badly for Couture.
Interview with Randy where he talks a little about his strategy (bear in mind, he may be employing some misdirection 
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I’m a relative newcomer to the sport (I’ve been watching for about a year), but I just can’t see Randy hanging with Lesnar.
Couture is pretty incredible (and I’ve gone back and watched some of his old fights), but he’s old. Really old. At some point, age catches up with everyone, even a great like Randy.
Second, rust has got to be a factor. When’s the last time he was in the ring?
Third, Lesnar is huge. Size can be overrated in the heavyweight division because unlike, say, the 185 lbers, some of that size isn’t necessarily useful (I’m thinking of a guy like Tim Sylvia). But Brock seems to have a fully “useful” 260 lbs. I’m guessing he has to cut to make the heavyweight limit. He’s going to be a handful for anyone, and I don’t see Couture being any different.
Of course, as Bob Sapp shows, being huge and cut isn’t necessarily a guarantee of success in MMA.
One last thought while we’re talking heavyweights: watching The Ultimate Fighter, how likable is Noguera? What a great guy. I didn’t have a dog in the Mir-Noguera fight before, but now I’ll be rooting hard for Antonio.
I disagree. As you mention, Brock could put anybody out with one punch, he’s a strong and quick mofo. I don’t think there’s any question he’ll hold the title SOMEDAY. But this is still only Lesnar’s 4th MMA fight. Wrestlers are good head to head, but notoriously bad on their backs. I think Couture needs to GO to the ground. Lesnar is just too damn strong and quick to stand up with. Get him to the ground, hopefully on his back, wait for Lesnar’s inexperience to give you an opening.
2nd Round: Couture by Rear Naked Choke
I think they’ve waited too long. No way Fedor/Couture is the fight now that it could have been a year ago. Shame.
The problem lies in taking Brock to the ground. I agree wrestlers are like turtles get them on their back and they are done. Brock probably has a better shot and sprawl then Randy. Randy made it to the olympics in wrestling but it was Greco-Roman. All upper body no shooting. Randy’s greco-roman would translate into a better clinch with some upper body throws. The problem is that he is not going to be able to muscle Brock into a throw. When you are in tight you have to pummel and position your arms correctly for a throw. That requires more strength then people think. If Randy can somehow get Brock onto his back he has a very legit shot to ground and pound him out. But if Brock initiates the takedown and puts Randy on his back Randy will be in a lot of trouble. Imho he doesn’t have the skill in jujitsu to roll for a knee bar or heel hook.
That’s a very good point. Further Randy will have a harder time stunning Lesner with a punch as he did with Silvia, for example.
Brock is very aggressive in his punching and his shooting skills (see Heath Herring fight, and Heath is a pretty big boy). I like Randy but I don’t think he has Mir’s submission skills - or youth.
What is your reasoning here? Randy had Silvia’s back for most of the first round and was unable to get the choke and, IMHO, Brock is stronger than Tim.
Lesnar has a quality win against Herring, but his only other fights were a win against a can and was submitted by Frank Mir in 1:30 less than a year ago (February). Randy was the UFC Heavyweight Champion when he left.
Silvia is a veteran of 29 MMA fights, Lesnar has 3. I don’t think it will be a measure of Randy’s skill, but rather Lesnar’s inexperience. Even in his win against Herring, I don’t remember him getting knocked around all that much (you can correct me if I’m wrong here). This is something I don’t think he’ll be able to avoid against Couture.
I think Couture will rattle him. Get him against the cage, take him down, drop some bombs. Rear Naked Choke in the second was a shot in the dark, but I do think Couture will win by submission.
Tim is more experienced in the MMA ground game. I just rewatched the beginning of that fight, and Tim did a very good job of grabbing Randy’s wrists to take away the choke. I have my doubts as to whether Brock would be as good at that.
I guess I want Randy to win, but he’s certainly got his work cut out for him. I doubt he can ground and pound Lesnar even like he did Gonzaga. Of course, that accidental head butt did him a world of good in that fight.
I am cheering for Randy, but I have to bet on Lesner. Mir did submit Lesner, but Lesner was dominating the fight up until seconds before the tap out, and what about the restart after Lesner landed a blow to the back of Mir’s head? I think that Lesner would have won that fight except for the restart.
Couture is smaller and older than Mir and does not have anything like Mir’s submission skills. I think that Lesner will steam roll over Couture and win by TKO from ground and pound. I hope I’m wrong and I wouldn’t be totally shocked to see Couture win.
Couture’s best shot is to stick and move and rely on his superior agility and stand up skills. If Coture wins I predict it will be by a knock-out punch from the clinch. Anyone can be knocked out and Coture is a master of dirty boxing.
Thrash pretty much encapsulates my feelings on the matter. Couture is, at his core, a ground-and-pounder who’s managed to develop an otherwise diverse skillset. However, Lesnar is (pretty much) going to obliterate Couture in that aspect of the game; he’s much bigger but maintains an athleticism I can’t believe given his mass. Contrast that with the reigning champion who looks more like a light-heavyweight and has competed there in the past.
So the question to me is: are Couture’s other skills (striking and submission) enough to win the fight for him? My guess is no - Lesnar is obviously being groomed to be the next UFC star and I’d imagine he’s working his juijitu as we speak. After watching him almost knock out Mir with a few lazy hammerfists it became evident that he’s going to be a dominating force.
My prediction: Lesnar by ground-and-pound TKO in round three.
It’s true that Lesner does not have the experience of Silva but I still say a lot of protecting your neck is about strength which Brock has to burn.
I guess it’s only fair that I should throw out a prediction as well. As much as I hope Randy wins, I predict Lesner in round 1 by ground and pound.
What’s surprising to me is that so many people think Brock has a chance.
People are forgetting Randy’s #1 strength: his gameplanning.
Anything can happen, but there is a very, very small chance of Randy going out there and getting pounded out in the first round. I think he is going to let Brock wear himself out (Brock is too aggressive for his own good - takes a lot of oxygen to feed those huge muscles) and take it to him hard in . . . hmmmm . . . 'bout the 3rd round. Randy by ground and pound, submission, or decision, but probably submission. I’ll come back and eat my words if Brock wins but I really don’t think he will. Even if Brock smashes him for the first 4 and a half rounds, Randy will always be dangerous in this fight. He’s smarter than Heath Herring, cooler under pressure, and likely won’t have a broken orbital bone.
Randy has roughly equal pure wrestling credentials, possibly the best current MMA wrestling, better standup, - can’t say for sure but probably way better cardio -, and most important of all a ton of invaluable experience.
You guys are betting on a guy who is new to the sport and hasn’t had his heart, chin, or gastank tested yet against one of the top fighters of all time, whose last 2 fights have been solid wins over legitimate top 10 contenders. Brock hasn’t even been in the cage with a top 20 fighter yet.
By the way . . . I’m calling it now: Dustin Hazelett Vs. Tamdan McCrory, Fight of the Night.
I guess I’m not confident enough to call it either way. If Randy works the jab and keeps seperation he will probably win. In tight I gotta give it to Brock. Those big muscles do require a lot of energy but Lesnar’s work ethic is no joke. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwwnpo3VQZU
Maybe decision or ground and pound. I think Randy has only like two submissions in his career.
I think a lot of MMA fans like to discount Brock because of his WWE background but his attributes make him fearsome. That said he has a way to go. I think a good BJJ practitioner would still beat him. It will be interesting if he beats Randy how he handles Nog.
I was looking forward to the Amir fight again. He seemed to be beat in every one of his fights until he landed an armbar. I really would like to see how much progress he has made. Sadly his leg infection will keep him out. I also wanted to see the Florian vs. Stevenson fight. The race to be BJ Penns next victim. Sadly I forgot about the fight earlier this week and made plans with a friend so I won’t get to see the fight.
I am absolutely not discounting Brock or counting him out. I won’t be shocked if he wins. Kinda surprised, but not shocked. He is massive and has great physical tools. The thing is, of the 3 major MMA discplines - striking, wrestling, and jiu jitsu - he knows one of them. It will take a lot of - dare I say it - luck to get by with 1 out of 3 these days, no matter how strong he is.
And if he fights Nog, I can 100% guarantee you he will not win that fight. Nog is the worst possible matchup for him (besides Fedor of course.)