ProphetFighting

Winners And Losers: UFC 105 Edition

The two biggest results of UFC 105 are undoubtedly Randy Couture’s reemergence in the light heavyweight division and Dan Hardy’s arrival as the #1 contender at 170 pounds, but, as usual, there were other implications down the card.  While I will reserve comment on the Brock Lesnar situation until there is more information available, there is plenty more to discuss.

In terms of Winners, one that may have flown under the radar is John Hathaway.  His unanimous decision win over Paul Taylor made him 3-0 in the UFC (and 12-0 overall).  He’s starting to make a little noise and deserves a shot at some better competition.  Alexander Gustaffson also made some noise making short work of Jared Hamman, who I thought would have the advantage based on the higher level of competition he’s faced in his career.  Also on the under card, Terry Etim appears to be handling the pressure of being compared to Anderson Silva by Joe Rogan, submitting (of all things) Shannon Gugerty; look for him to get another shot at some better competition after unsuccessful efforts in 2008.

On the main card, Matt Brown continued his run of wins and looks prime to be a future gatekeeper in the welterweight division.  It would be easy to call Dan Hardy a big winner last night, but the victory for “The Outlaw” leads him to be the proverbial lamb to slaughter when he eventually fights Georges St Pierre.  It will be interesting to see what happens in Mike Swick’s next few fights; a loss or two could really devalue Hardy’s win.

Denis Kang was clearly last night’s biggest loser.  His last big win came in 2006 versus Akhiro Gono and I wonder how long he is destined for the UFC.  Luckily for him, he’s a big star in Korea and the UFC is not his only option.

I know I’ll be called a hater for this, but I think Randy Couture was also a loser last night.  Of course, he won the fight, but the UFC planned for this fight to be his springboard to the top of the light heavyweight division.  Vera was able to defend take downs effectively and had the clear advantage in the stand up.  A quality win, for sure, but not the kind of performance that places him among the best in the world.  Possibly worst of all, the majority of the fight was extremely boring and fans could place the majority of the blame on Couture who seemed more than willing to hold Vera against the fence without inflicting any significant damage.  The Couture/UFC conundrum continues…

Tags: Couture, UFC, UFC105, Vera

The Downside: UFC 105 and Randy Couture’s Legacy

Saturday night’s fight with Brandon Vera represents a potential inflection point for Randy Couture’s future and legacy. A loss would be three straight and I wonder if the fog of time will dim the glow that surrounds Couture. Is it possible that “The Natural” could be considered another fighter who tried to hang on?

Further, could he be remembered as coming back to the sport to challenge a particularly weak class of heavyweights? I refer specifically to Tim Sylvia and Napao Gonzaga, who two years ago were on the top of the division. Clearly, there will always be people those who defend him, but if his record ends up as 16-11 or 16-12, it’s a tough argument to win.

And finally, if he was to lose, who could Randy fight next? Can the loser of 3 consecutive bouts be a headliner?

My opinion is if he loses, he’ll retire, totally for realsies this time. I think he is aware (perhaps keenly) of his legacy and will preserve it. After all his future revenue streams- Xtreme Couture and his acting career- are dependent on it.

Tags: Brandon Vera, Randy Couture, UFC 105