March 3rd, 2007 is the date that Randy “The Pure” Couture faces Tim “The Key-iac” Sylvia at UFC 68 in Columbus Ohio. Which is the date that Randy Couture would like to make Blended Martial Arts heritage. Randy Couture is no stranger to the UFC heavyweight division. He gained the heavyweight title on two different instances. But, that was in 1997 and 2001. In reality, his previous two outings in the heavyweight division, both in 2002, ended poorly for Randy. His summary at the time is that the fighters have been much too significant for him. My conclusion was “now the major men can battle”. Randy was the moment able to out skill considerably larger sized opponents, but as the talent distinctions lessened, his accomplishment did also.
Not to be held down, Randy Couture came back again, reinventing himself as a light heavyweight fighter. At the time yet again, Randy was dominant. He was now an exceptionally solid and skilled light heavyweight and seemed to be in his ingredient. With dominant victories in excess of Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz and Vitor Belfort Randy appeared unstoppable. That is right up until his initial and second rematches versus Chuck Liddell. In individuals outings, it was Chuck’s superior putting, not his measurement which brought Randy down.
The issue on March 3rd will be this. Is Tim Sylvia also major and way too robust for Randy Couture? Randy will be 43 several years old and if he comes into this struggle in good condition he’ll possible be about 215 lbs .. In distinction, Tim Silvia will be 30 several years outdated and will require to reduce some fat to match into the UFC’s heavyweight restrict of 265 kilos.
Tim Sylvia is primarily a striker, he employs his massive achieve edge (Tim is 6’8″ tall) perfectly. He stays to the outside the house and picks opponents aside with his jab and waits for 1 to appear into his selection, then throws a huge suitable. Tim also has an fantastic sprawl and his extreme top makes it difficult for even extremely excellent wrestlers, Jeff Monson bundled, to convert him more than. In his most modern combat with Jeff Monson, Tim even confirmed some respectable floor function in just about distributing Monson.
When the cage closes and the fight starts, we can anticipate the typical from Tim Sylvia. He will continue to be effectively on the outside the house, expecting Randy to shoot and prepared to defend against it. Randy is an excellent wrestler with in close proximity to Olympic credentials. We can be expecting Randy Couture to throw some long punches, attempting to get inside Tim’s variety (with no acquiring hit) to take him down.
About one moment into the struggle Randy will try his to start with shot, he will throw a two punch mix to confuse Sylvia, then get his underhooks in put. Randy will will need to be informed of Tim’s knees from this placement as his dimension drawback will depart his head in just the correct area for a devastating knee strike. If all the stars are aligned effectively, Randy will get his choose down, but it’s way too early in the combat for Randy to end Tim. Tim is just far too powerful to be submitted, floor and pounded, or kept down for very long early in the first round. Tim will both get back again up or be stood up by the ref.
Here’s wherever my crystal ball gets a tiny fuzzy. Randy will now have some self-assurance that he can preserve Silvia down and Silvia will have some confidence that he can get up if Randy does set him down. Search for Silvia to occur forward a minor far more with strikes, even seeking a head kick. Head kicks are nice, but Randy Couture is not Tra Telligman and high kicks on Randy Couture may possibly close in catastrophe for Tim Silvia. I believe Randy will get a leg on one of these makes an attempt and consider Tim down once more, this time it will be worse for Sylvia.
As the fight wears on, Tim’s absence of cardio will commence to demonstrate and Randy will grow to be extra and far more dominant.
In the closing analysis, I don’t think Tim’s punches will be coming at Randy as fast or as tough as Chuck Liddell’s. I also never imagine that Tim’s consider down defense is as fantastic as Chuck’s. I will forecast that Randy Couture will earn this battle both late in the initial or in the 2nd spherical by ref’s stoppage or submission.
Ladies and gentlemen, the new world heavyweight champion, Randy “The All-natural” Couture.