Topic: UFC 91: Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar

[aktibista]

RANDY “THE NATURAL” COUTURE vs. BROCK LESNAR
UFC WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

SATURDAY, NOV. 15, 2008
LIVE FROM MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – On November 15th, the champ is back.

Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White today announced that after a year away from the game, UFC heavyweight champion Randy “The Natural” Couture will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon to defend his title against rising star Brock Lesnar in a clash of titans destined to shake the foundations of the sport. This championship bout, the biggest heavyweight title fight in years, will headline UFC 91: COUTURE vs. LESNAR, live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008.

“I am happy to announce that UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture will be returning to action in the Octagon,” said Dana White, UFC President. “He’s a legend in the UFC, and one of the fighters that helped build this sport. I have always said that wrestling is one of the best bases you can have in MMA and not only is Randy a top level wrestler but his opponent is as well. Brock Lesnar showed the MMA world that he is for real in his last fight, dismantling the far more experienced Heath Herring. His combination of speed and power was absolutely devastating. It is a fascinating matchup: the crafty, multiple-time heavyweight champion versus the younger, bigger, and stronger challenger. This is one that will go down in the history books.”

Ticket information for UFC 91: COUTURE vs. LESNAR will be announced shortly.

UFC 91: COUTURE vs. LESNAR will be available live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

A UFC Hall of Famer whose name is synonymous with mixed martial arts, Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture (16-8) is the only fighter in history to win the UFC world heavyweight title three times, and that’s not even mentioning his two UFC light heavyweight titles. Owner of heavyweight wins over the likes of Maurice Smith, Vitor Belfort, Kevin Randleman, and Pedro Rizzo (twice), the 45-year old Las Vegas resident turned back the clock in 2007 with a stirring win over Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 that netted him his third heavyweight crown. Couture defended his title for the first time at UFC 74 with a third round TKO of number one contender Gabriel Gonzaga, and now the man often referred to as “Captain America” will look to prove once again that he should never be counted out in a fight when he takes on Brock Lesnar.

“I have a lot of respect for Brock as an athlete and a collegiate wrestler, but I know exactly where he’s at, he’s trying to make the transition from a wrestler to mixed martial arts,” said Couture. “I’ve been there, done that, and I know what the pitfalls are. This will be an interesting matchup, and it will be very nice to be home in the Octagon for this fight.”

A physically gifted athlete with the size, speed, and power to impose his will on any opponent, Brock Lesnar (2-1) made an immediate impact in the UFC when he debuted here in February of 2008, and he has his sights set on shocking the world on November 15th. A four-time All-American, two-time Big Ten Champion, and 2000 NCAA Division I National Champion in wrestling, Lesnar made a name for himself internationally after college as a professional wrestler, but he soon found his true love in mixed martial arts in 2006. After a 69 second win in his pro debut a year later, Lesnar entered the UFC and made a positive impression in a loss to former heavyweight champion Frank Mir at UFC 81, but at UFC 87 in August, the Minneapolis-St. Paul resident showed why he is rapidly becoming one of the most feared fighters in the sport today and an immediate threat to the heavyweight throne.

“It’s an honor to fight Randy Couture, he’s a legend in this sport, and to get the chance to test myself against him is a gift,” said Lesnar. “A lot guys would love to have this opportunity, Randy is the UFC heavyweight champion. There is one goal that I’ve had since I started training in MMA and that is to capture the title. Now that I’m getting the chance, nothing is going to stop me. I’m walking out of the Octagon with the belt around my waist.”

mmafrenzy.com

[AsPhYxxx]

mukang dehado si couture ah pero legendary na siya kaya gogogogo! si lesnar malakas na din ngayun sh*t..

[Master Dave]

nagbabalik si scorpion king.. hehe.. Couture pa rin ako jan.. ibang klase diskarte nya sa octagon.. 

[rAvEnShAwNâ„¢]

Couture pa rin ako. Si Lesnar yung round 1 sa first match niya sa octagon tap-out na siya. tignan natin ngayon kung fit na siya sa UFC world 

[twitch]

di ko gusto si lesnar dahil nayabangan ako sa kanya sa mga pinakita niyang antics pagkatapos ng laban nila ni heath. new comer pero kala mo veteran na. kahit alam kong dehado si captain america dito, sana yung gameplan at experience niya ang magpapanalo sa kanya. last fight na e, dapat lang manalo na siya.halatang di palalabasin ni white si couture sa ufc ng madali ang itatapat. tsk tsk! go couture!

[steampunk]

Randy Couture, longing to resume his fight career and wearying of the drain his legal battle with the Ultimate Fighting Championship was having on his bank account, settled all outstanding lawsuits with the company Tuesday and agreed to defend his heavyweight championship on Nov. 15 against Brock Lesnar as the main event of UFC 91 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

The 45-year-old Couture, who submitted his resignation to the UFC on Oct. 11 in a bid to force a fight with ex-PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, said he was satisfied with the legal resolution.

It was a resounding victory for the UFC and its outspoken president, Dana White, who got Couture to extend his deal from two to three fights without guaranteeing Couture a fight with Emelianenko.

White said Tuesday that the fight will be in Las Vegas instead of Portland, Ore., as had been planned for UFC 91, because he felt the fight was so big that there wouldn’t be sufficient rooms and flights to Portland to accommodate the demand.

Couture was seated next to White in the UFC president’s Las Vegas office as they spoke Tuesday on a media conference call to announce the settlement. He said he was satisfied that his concerns – that prompted him to say at the time of his resignation that he was “swimming upstream” in his battles against UFC management – had been resolved.

“We’ve cleared the air and we’ve addressed a lot of those issues,” Couture said. “We’re both at a different place and both the company and myself are trying to move forward. I think we understand each other and, certainly, I would much rather fight in the octagon than anywhere else.”

Among the issues that led to Couture’s resignation was a dispute over his ancillary rights and the UFC’s demand that it own his image in perpetuity.

White declined to specify how the deal was reached and instead took a celebratory tact. He said the Couture-Lesnar bout will be for the heavyweight title, with the winner of the Dec. 27 fight between interim champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Frank Mir to face the Couture-Lesnar winner for the outright belt sometime in 2009.

“It will be champion vs. champion,” White said.

After Couture’s resignation, the UFC sanctioned a bout between Nogueira and Tim Sylvia at February’s UFC 81 for the interim title. Nogueira won on a third-round submission.

Couture wouldn’t have the chance to fight Emelianenko at the earliest until at least the mid-point of 2009, if not later.

Complicating a potential Emelianenko match is that the Russian is signed to two contracts. His primary promoter is M-1, led by his manager, Vadim Finkelstein. But he has two more fights on a contract with Affliction Entertainment for any bout in the United States.

Affliction Entertainment vice president Tom Atencio said Tuesday he is finalizing an extension that would bind Emelianenko to Affliction through 2012.

“Randy has had a lot of problems with the UFC, but I’m happy there is light at the end of the tunnel and it appears he’s going to fight again before long,” Atencio said.

Atencio said he had no issue with a co-promotion with the UFC for a Couture-Emelianenko main event, but said he doubted the UFC would be interested in such a proposition.

White suggested on the conference call that Affliction is on the verge of collapse and intimated that there might be a way that a Couture-Emelianenko fight could be made in the UFC. Atencio hotly denied that and said he expects to turn a profit, or at the worst break even, after two more fight cards.

Lesnar, who was largely ignored for much of the 70-minute call, got irritated at the steady stream of questions regarding Emelianenko and lashed out at the media.

“I’m hearing all this talk about Fedor Emelianenko, but who gives a (expletive) about Fedor?” said Lesnar, who gets the title shot in just his fourth pro mixed martial arts match. “I don’t care. I’m fighting Randy Couture and that’s what this press conference is about. I don’t give a damn about Fedor. I’m tired of hearing about (expletive) Fedor. All right? Randy Couture is fighting Brock Lesnar Nov. 15. His No. 1 concern should be Brock Lesnar. And Dana White could care less about Fedor.”

White agreed, saying he had been frequently critical of Emelianenko publicly because of what he said was the Russian’s failure to face top competition.

He said he harbored no hard feelings toward Couture and would try to make a fight with Emelianenko if Emelianenko becomes a free agent. He stressed that the UFC would not get involved with Emelianenko until he was free and clear.

But he also said Emelianenko is a larger-than-life figure primarily because of the media. “Fedor is completely (expletive) irrelevant,” White said. “Completely.”

Couture, though, is suddenly relevant again, and he could make $3 million if the fight does one million pay-per-view buys, as White suggests is possible. White said after the call he projects the fight to sell between 1.2 million and 1.5 million.

Couture, whose three heavyweight title reigns and two stints as light heavyweight champ make him the only five-time kingpin in UFC history, said he was relieved to finally concentrate on fighting and not legal issues.

“It feels pretty damn good,” Couture said. “I feel like I’ve been walking around under a black cloud for the last year. To kind of have the clouds dissipate and see a little sunshine for a change is pretty nice.”

Lesnar, who was largely ignored for much of the 70-minute call, got irritated at the steady stream of questions regarding Emelianenko and lashed out at the media.

“I’m hearing all this talk about Fedor Emelianenko, but who gives a (expletive) about Fedor?” said Lesnar, who gets the title shot in just his fourth pro mixed martial arts match. “I don’t care. I’m fighting Randy Couture and that’s what this press conference is about. I don’t give a damn about Fedor. I’m tired of hearing about (expletive) Fedor. All right? Randy Couture is fighting Brock Lesnar Nov. 15. His No. 1 concern should be Brock Lesnar. And Dana White could care less about Fedor.”

dumb ass. walang respeto.

[dweizz]

press con ng ufc 91 yun... main event couture at lesnar... tapos ang topic si fedor ?! wtf? hindi ka rin kaya mapikon nun? ilagay mo sarili mo sa lugar ni lesnar... ikaw pa nasa main event tapos hindi ka pinapansin...

[Legsman]

I agree with steampunk 

lesnar should've keep his emotions to himself..instead of lashing out his arrogant thoughts to the media..his new to the sport..talking about respect  dumbass

i think lesnar is very arrogant..lumaki na ulo nya simula ng manalo sya kay herring..sna manalo si couture sa laban nila at sana basag basag ang mukha ni lesnar! 

[gh0st]

I think this fight is for the MONEY! Sayang yung mga sinagasaan ni Brock sa waiting list sa championship... I think Big Nog and Werdum should have been given priority instead of Brock... parang WWE hehehe

[al_capone]

Randy Couture ako dito, kaso masyado yatang malakas si Brock Lesnar para kay Couture...

[steampunk]

@dwe

press con ng ufc 91 yun... main event couture at lesnar... tapos ang topic si fedor ?! wtf? hindi ka rin kaya mapikon nun? ilagay mo sarili mo sa lugar ni lesnar... ikaw pa nasa main event tapos hindi ka pinapansin...

you have to earn the respect of people first dude. and you earn them not by being arrogant. like GSP, and Anderson Silva, who even kneels and bows to their opponents feet after a fight, now that respect.

hindi naman niya kailangan murahin yung pangalan ni Fedor, his a legend in the sport, just like the guy his fighting. nagka-taon lang na after Affliction: Banned everybody is expecting a Couture vs. Fedor fight, it would be a fight of the century kung nangyari.

I think this fight is for the MONEY! Sayang yung mga sinagasaan ni Brock sa waiting list sa championship... I think Big Nog and Werdum should have been given priority instead of Brock... parang WWE hehehe

yeah i agree with you there.. pinipili ni Dana White na laban yung bebenta ng tickets. di ba nga sinacrifice nila yung pagtaas ng weightclass ni Anderson Silva at laban niya kay Irving para lang i-sabotage yung Affliction Banned. Pinalabas nila yun sa free TV at hindi payperview para mas madami manood sa UFC even na yun kaysa sa Affliction.

Randy Couture ako dito, kaso masyado yatang malakas si Brock Lesnar para kay Couture...

tama ka dude. pero there are times na na-prove ni couture that age and size didn't matter. example: Tim Sylvia and Gabriel Gonzaga.
Sana nga manalo si Couture.

[zaraki kenpachi]

i think lesnar's gonna take this one...

though hindi ako approve sa shot nya sa heavyweight championship kaagad... mas may iba pang deserving...

kaya lang naman sya binigyan ng chance dahil sa popular sya at kilala dahil sa WWE stint nya...

couture is too old, at si Lesnar ay nag eevolve pa... i don't think na maga ground ang pound ni couture si Lesnar...

Lesnar will be too much for couture...

saka ayaw ko na si couture din... masyadong hypocrite...lagi nya sinasabing "respect" daw, pero hindi nya nirespeto ang kontrata nya sa UFC...

[aktibista]

masydong namang maaga para bigyan ng title shot si brock. kawawa naman yung mas deserving sa kanya (nog, werdum) na matagal ng maynapatunayan na sa cage

[Madarame Ikkaku]

Boss Randy... spank Brock's dumb ass.. please

[jootz2005]

parang sobrang aga ngang magkaroon ni broc ng title shot. he only has 2 fights in the octagon, one is a humiliating lost to frank mir. madami pang mas deserving kesa sa kanya.

but in this fight i think couture is the under-dog, as always...

sana magkaroon, BROC LESNAR VS. KIMBO SLICE!!!   

[Arigo]

brock lesnar is a monster..but randy couture always find ways to win..i dont know how but couture will beat lesnar..great publicity for UFC.

[griffin]

wala akong gusto sa kanila,,,,basta kay FEDOR pa rin ako,,,,,

[emokiddo]

ako the natural pa rin.. brock is an animal.. heath is not  little guy but  brock manhandled the texas crazy horse.. in fact brocxk only manifested his wrestling skills on that fight.. but remember couture is COUTURE, he manhandled tim sylvia and gonzaga. gonzaga is much more dangerous than brock.. couture is like a genius when it comes to game plan and startegy.. though this could be a wrestling match but i can see couture imposing his  boxing and greco roman wrestling skills.. were as he will just clinch and pummel brock in the fences.. nevertheless this is going to be an exciting fight!!

I just can't believe that brock got the title shot but "big Nog" noguiera did not..

[agentorange1980]

Dapat si kimbo slice nalang. Bkt ba dmi na duduwag kalabanin si kimbo porket laht kalaban nya basag ulo o muka hehe!

[Boy Yakap]

I wonder how much money they're getting for this fight? 

[Vhemvhol]

lolo vs apo!! 

[Paprika]

Sus di nga matalo ni Brock si Hornswoggle sa WWE si Couture pa hahahaha

[steampunk]

Sus di nga matalo ni Brock si Hornswoggle sa WWE si Couture pa hahahaha

LOL!!

[Legsman]

Dapat si kimbo slice nalang. Bkt ba dmi na duduwag kalabanin si kimbo porket laht kalaban nya basag ulo o muka hehe!

eto nanaman si agentorange a.k.a. barbero..
cno naman ang nagsabi sayo na lahat ay naduduwag kay kimbo??? i think wla pa akong nababalitaang ganito..

[MasterChief63]

lets just hoe Randy will have a better "performance" than how he did in SCORPION KING 2