Heavyweight bout: Randy Couture vs. James Toney
Odds: (-550 Couture /+350 Toney )
Betting Pick: Randy Couture
In the semi-main event, UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture will try to settle years of internet and sports talk debate as he faces former champion boxer James Toney. Toney is past his prime and has no legitimate credentials outside of boxing, but he is easily the highest-profile and most skilled professional boxer ever to compete in MMA, which makes this at least somewhat interesting.
Obviously, Randy Couture is one of the fighters whose name will forever be synonymous with MMA and the UFC in particular. A multiple-time champion in two weight classes, Couture’s continual defiance of age and expectations made him the sport’s foremost legend. It is clear to any impartial observer, though, that age has finally caught up with him and that “Captain America” doesn’t have many more miracles up his sleeve. Against skilled fighters in their prime, Couture will never be a contender again. Luckily for him, Toney is neither a skilled fighter nor in his prime, so Randy might be able to cap his career off with one more high-profile win.
James Toney was an extremely formidable boxer in his heyday, but age and an almost miltant aversion to exercise have put an end to any legitimacy he ever had. Compounding the issue is the seemingly nonchalant manner in which Toney is handling the switch of sports. If you take Toney’s hype talk at face value, he doesn’t seem to think that such things as wrestling and jiu-jitsu are going to make much difference, and that is clearly not going to be a very profitable mindframe for him.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that it is impossible for Couture to lose this fight. His chin is hardly made of granite, and he does have a tendency to get caught and dropped in most of his fights lately. Conventional wisdom is that a boxer like Toney wearing 4 oz. gloves is going to put away anyone he connects with, Toney did score a KO victory in his last bout, but was never a very heavy-handed puncher to begin with. Still, he does have a puncher’s chance, but if he wants to cash in on it he is going to need to do it with one of his first two punches, because that is the maximum he will be allowed to throw before Couture clinches with him, shoves him into the cage, works him over, throws him on his back, and submits him in routine fashion.
Prediction: Randy “The Natural” Couture via first round rear naked choke.
- A bet on Toney @+350 isnt a bad idea. If Toney can clip Couture before he goes for the takedown he can win this fight. Randy likes to clinch, not known to shoot much, I think Toney can possibly get some shots in.
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