A familiar song by the Rolling Stones, "Mother's Little Helper," talks about the introduction of Valium in the late '50s and how it became so popular with mothers who were housewives in those days. The majority of them stayed home and popped Valium and breezed through the day. The chorus says "What a drag it is getting older."
Well, Randy Couture is 45 and not relying on any Valium to get him through the day. Although when gazing at his next opponent, no one would blame him if he swallowed a handful before fight time. Staring at big Brocky Lesnar across the ring is enough to make a Sasquatch run for cover.
- B/R Ticket Guide
It's not only that he is so damn big, he also has great speed for a man that size. I'm as big a fan of Randy Couture as anyone, but I'm honestly afraid for the man's life in this upcoming fight.
Then I remember Gabe Gonzaga and what a mess his face was in, and how Couture manhandled the 250-pound fighter, and I start to feel better. Maybe this is all about money. Or a ploy to draw in all the wrestling fans. Who knows?
One thing is for sure: It's really going to be a challenge for Couture to solve the puzzle of Lesnar; Couture doesn't have Frank Mir's submission skills and isn't the greatest stand-up fighter in the world, either. He is a wrestler who is very good at winning when the odds are against him. Hindsight being what it is, 20/20, I remember thinking he wouldn't get far against Tim Sylvia.
Certainly he wouldn't beat Gonzaga after Gonzaga had performed the most spectacular knockout kick in UFC history over Mirko Crocop, who was thought to be the next "God of MMA."
Couture weathered both those storms, and I hope he goes back to port safe and sound after this hurricane. And soon it will be time to call it a great career (a true hall of fame career by a true warrior and pioneer of the sport of MMA.
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about 1 month ago
What a drag it is getting old
"Kids are different today,"
I hear ev'ry mother say
Mother needs something today to calm her down
And though she's not really ill
There's a little yellow pill
She goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
And it helps her on her way, gets her through her busy day
"Things are different today,"
I hear ev'ry mother say
Cooking fresh food for a husband's just a drag
So she buys an instant cake and she burns her frozen steak
And goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
And two help her on her way, get her through her busy day
about 1 month ago
Wouldn't you know it? I am allergic to Valium! And you are talking about my generation (that is a title of another song from my time.)
Good article. I want Randy to weather the storm too, and feel that "the Brock" is pretty much Dana's solution to the Kimbo fad. He tried to hire a "legitimate fighter" who has paid his dues in one sense, but in MMA is having the same credibility problem Kimbo is. They are still both fads--Dana's nitial investment for Brock was pretty excessive, considering the salaries of his other fighters.
from about 1 month ago
I get a real kick out of your articles and that you may be the only person in your demographic that loves mma, so this is by no means a personal attack.
I have seen you numerous times make the same basic comment about Brock, and him being Dana's answer to Kimbo, his "excessive" investment in him, etc and I honestly am at the point of begging you to stop.
They are both big guys, and new to the sport and that is where the comparisons stop. One has amassed one of the most impressive collegiate wrestling records (if not the most) of anyone in MMA, while the other guy fought s*@t cans on the street. Brock has had 3 fights, and only one of them was somewhat of a can, but still more respecticble then anyone Kimbo has fought. As for the investment, whether people want to admit it or not, people like Keith Jardine don't sell fights, either do the first two guys Brock fought. His involvement alone on those two cards sold probably collectively another 600,000 buys then they would have recieved.
At UFC 87, Brock drew more attention in US in almost all demographics then your boy Georges did, so I can't help agree with Dana's decision to pay him what he is, and I don't care who gives the argument what is fair and the "dues" other people have paid. At the end of the day this is still a business that needs to survive. People shouldn't forget that.
from about 1 month ago
Fortunately, or unfortunately, however a bigdog wants to look at it, I have had a stroke and am going into the hospital for tests tonight. I have been unable to write and am having trouble relating to my former enthusiasm for thr sport. The one thing I do believe is that Dana could increase the popularity of the sport by introducing more pre wrestlers into the sport on the basis of their former collegiate wrestling records (because most of the pros have them) and completely corrupt the sport by making even more of a circus out of it than Gary Shaw could. To me this would not be a wise sport's or business move. If Dana wants to run the WWE, he should lookinto that possibility and leave MMA alone. And that is my opinion.
about 1 month ago
Nobody accept some delusional fans thought Crocop is the "Next God of MMA". Crocop got beat in Pride several times and didn't avenge those losses (Hunt, Nog, Fedor, he is also 1-1 VS Randleman and turned down offers to fight Kevin again, as well as Aleks).
Lesnar-Couture is an impossible fight to call for 2 reasons:
1- Nobody knows much about Lesnar; How is his chin? (I'm willing to bet it's great because he was awake after landing on his face after flying for 18 feet) but we just don't know because punches are different impact-wise. How is his cardio? (Nobody cares how long he can run in training, once you fight, your breathing pattern becomes broken and you can gas faster than you thought possible). How is his current sub defense progress??? etc etc etc
2- Randy has been out of action for a while and may have ring rust.
looking forward to it!
p.s.
stoker, it's really not cool of you to engage in fighter bashing, and accusing people of stealing articles when there is 100% undeniable proof that the article was not stolen (as I provided on your page)
about 1 month ago
p.s.
Fighter bashing is a bannable offense on most forums and websites. How can you call names on someone who has the guts and heart to get in the ring or cage bro???
about 1 month ago
Randy has no chance at beating Brock. Look Brock is huge and he tears guys apart. He will stomp Randy. Randy might be the best wrestler in the wourld but he stands no chance against Brock. Brock will win by beating the shit out of him. Brock has no skill in MMA its all anger and aggression thats it. He is to inmuture for the sport he needs to train more and maybe he will be a MMA fighter but not know. Anyway Randy is fucked.
from about 1 month ago
No disrespect mate but to be honest I'm wondering who Brock has actually "torn apart" (when it wasn't in the script)? Some total nobody with a terrible record who's name I genuinely can't remember. Other than that he's been tapped out by Mir and managed to grind out a very dull decision over Herring.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Randy will definitely win but it seems crazy to me that a guy who's basically proved nothing seems to be the favourite over a genuine legend like Couture. Especially when the Natural has (as Stoker says in his excellent article) proven the doubters wrong so many times before
from about 1 month ago
Brock is not the favorite, I should know, because I bet on him to win.
from about 1 month ago
i happen to be a fan of brock and i got say randy is not fucked , shit dude its randy fuckin couture. maybe u should stop watchin wwe and start watching mma then make comments like that
about 1 month ago
ANTHONY ..i have chosen not to engage with you about anything ..there is an overwhelming majority of writers on this forum who would like to see you off...but im only here for fun and controversy..fighting behind keyboards is for losers ..i feel i am one of the winners..I ALSO agree with nick brock is in the ufc to replace the flair of tito ortiz..and to draw more money from the wrestling fan base...in the end its not about how big and strong brock is or how solid a chin he has..(its all about making money)..randy can make more from this fight then he ever could fighting a no name like fedor (to the average joe, fedor is unknown).thanks to all for their responses ..especially dee who is my mentor and hero..amen
about 1 month ago
You have to remember that,before his WWE career,Brock Lesnar was the NCAA heavyweight wrestling champ, and he absolutly dominated. I'm not saying that this guarentees Brock a win(his last fight demonstrated his inexperience;he should have been able to finish-off a physically inferior opponent),but,once again,his size & speed should carry him against Randy,and I would be suprised if Brock doesn't win,most likely another decision.
from about 1 month ago
But Randy was a greco-roman olympic alternate. I'll admit that I don't fully understand how your college wrestling system works over there but surely olympic level is higher?
The way I see it Brock's got size, stregnth and speed but Couture's skills are much more finely honed in every area
about 1 month ago
to be honest..im a little worried about Randy not being prepared ...I REMEMBER WHEN LENNOX LEWIS WAS MAKING THE MOVIE CALLED OCEANS 12...HE HAD A FIGHT WITH HASIM RAHMAN AND GOT KNOCKED OUT...RANDY HASNT FOUGHT SINCE GOD KNOWS WHEN ..AND THAT RUST WILL TAKE ITS TOLL ...IM A BIG COUTURE FAN BUT I FEEL THAT BROCK WILL OVER WHELM HIM ...IM PICKING BROCK ..BY DECISION..
from about 1 month ago
Stoker,
Of course you have chose not to engage, because you have accused me of stealing articles, while I gave you 100% proof that I did not (with link)
Since you have absolutely no way of opposing this fact, you now ignore the subject.
But maybe you should be a man enough and say: "I was wrong, you stole no articles"
Lots of "writers" want to see me off from here? You afraid to be on your own stoker??? Why do you bring other people into this?
Just be a man and say: "Your article is dated before the sherdog thread, and M1 version says bleacherreport.com on it, so I was wrong"
COME ON! Be a man and say it.
about 1 month ago
It's funny but I can't see the fight going past mid second round no matter who wins, I'm sure Randy knows how much abuse he would suffer going the full three against Brock. Randy is no Nog and i'm sure he knows if he gets into the second round he going to take some risks to finish it before taking too much abuse.
about 1 month ago
Wait.... did I say the full three round? I mean one of the 2 or is it 3 HW titles... so I guess that's 5 rounds. I know Randy does not want 5 rounds.... and I'm sure Kim does not want to kiss a pile of ground beef goodnight every night.
about 1 month ago
test coment
about 1 month ago
Whether I think Brock wins or not, I have to go with Randy. The man is a legend, a pioneer and the toughest and oldest fighter in MMA. I have been wrong in the past when I have chosen to go with the legend for certain fights. But I can 't choose Brock. It's just wrong. Personally, I think about it like this. If I was going to be an MMA fighter, who would I want to train me? Brock or Randy? If you say Brock, bust out those needles and start pumping those weights. He may show so good take down skills but what else? What else? Hammer strikes? People say he will win be decision because he doesn't know how to finish a fight. So I have to go with Randy all the way, before and after, win or lose.
from about 1 month ago
Why would you be suggesting that an athlete that has to cut twenty plus pounds just to make weight would be juicing? what sense would that make?
from about 1 month ago
The needles comment was more for an average person to get to the size of Lesnar. However, I personally believe (and no he has never tested positive) that he has at any given point, taken roids. Especially during his time as a pro-wrestler. Whatever the term 'pro-wrestler' means. I offer no proof. It's just what I think. I don't think he is now but I think he has.
about 1 month ago
My money is on Couture. Just wait until the odds are released. They'll be in his favor.
from about 1 month ago
Odds were released shortly after the fight was announced. They are in Couture's favor, though not as much as they were initially. A lot of early "sharp money" came in on Brock Lesnar and forced the odds-makers to adjust a little. You can still bet Lesnar at even money or better, though. Couture's payout is at -140.
from about 1 month ago
yeah I caught the early line on Lesnar. People seem to think that Randy can simply keep fighting forever. I am hearing exactly nobody saying that Brock may simply win this fight because he is 31 and Randy is 45.
about 1 month ago
.I'm always the guy betting on the dark horse..lol...I'll take Brock In the second round tko.
about 1 month ago
That being said ,....old Randy is still dangerous and cagey at 45 and very much capable of a submission;gee sounds like im sitting on the fence here.But like matt has already stated Couture is who he is (for a reason)...and i hate to count him out....but lesnar is an untamed beast .."and thats one scary dude" (Joe Rogan LOL)
about 1 month ago
What's really going to be interesting is seeing what kind of excuses people come up with if Brock beats Randy. I'm not saying he's going to do it, and in fact I am leaning Couture, but the very thought of people still pretending like he's a fake pro wrestler who is grossly overpaid despite being a proven PPV draw for UFC and having the same background as 90% of the guys in mixed martial arts (collegiate wrestling) is hilarious.
1. If you make the company a lot of money, you get paid a lot of money. Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, Rampage Jackson, Forrest Griffin, Ken Shamrock; these are all proven PPV draws. Ken Shamrock was in WWE for several years, so I guess he's never been a real fighter, either.
Brock Lesnar is one of the biggest PPV draws in the UFC right now, so he gets paid accordingly. That's how business works.
2. I feel like I'm screaming at a wall regarding Lesnar. When he graduated from college (where he was the NCAA heavyweight champion), mixed martial arts was a tiny freakshow that was banned almost everywhere. You couldn't make a living doing it. WWE offered him a lot of money, so he did it, and because of his drive and determination, he became one of the best big men wrestlers ever.
Nobody is claiming that being a good WWE worker translates to being a good fighter, and everyone knows it's fake, so please stop harping on that as though Brock's time in WWE means he's automatically "fake". It doesn't discount his NCAA title. Frank Trigg is working in wrestling right now, but that doesn't make him a faker. Ken Shamrock worked in wrestling for several years, but that doesn't mean he's a fake fighter.
If you ask MMA experts, guys who have been covering MMA for a long time, they'll tell you the same thing: that in 2 years, Lesnar is going to be incredibly tough to beat. It will probably happen sooner than that, even. The guy is a giant human being who moves like a lightweight, is incredibly strong and has fantastic wrestling and an almost-unstoppable takedown.
Yet none of that matters because he spent a few years in WWE when mixed martial arts wasn't a viable option for making a living?
about 1 month ago
I hope lesner beats the tar out of couture and sends him into his final retirement from the sport.
from about 1 month ago
Well, that probably won't happen.
about 1 month ago
Thanks Jeremy... but you're preaching to the choir here though buddy...I 've never stated that lesnar was anything but a large angry dude!His Wikipedia biography is well written and very informative.when Brock show boats after a win well....most of that is for show ..and it doesn't mean he is still trying to be like a "fake wrestler"..i feel he is just a natural showman not un-like TITO ORTIZ..who never wrestled fake a day in his life...Brock fills that void and then some....a welcomed addition ...for sure.. i've bet on him against Mir and lost and i'm a Mir fan..i'm also a Randy fan and i'm still betting on lesnar...i'm trying to start betting with my head instead of my heart...you know...all that being said though, Brock has leaped frogged over a bunch of guys who have more skill that him(rounded skills) and i don't think that is right .?/stoker
about 1 month ago
Yeah, Stoker, my comment wasn't aimed at you.
Anyone who pays attention would have heard Dana White's explanation for Brock's antics after the fight. Heath Herring complained about having to fight Lesnar, and his people were taunting Brock backstage before the fight. It was pent-up aggression and I don't expect that it'll be a regular thing. But even if it is, who really cares? Like you said, Tito Ortiz pretends to bury his opponents with an air shovel. BJ Penn LICKS THEIR BLOOD FROM HIS GLOVES.
Getting eyeballs is 50% of the game. Fighting is the other 50%. If you can do both with your fighting, then perfect, but if you can't, you have to get the fans wanting to see you. Which is why Lyoto Machida is undefeated and can't get a title shot.
Going by sport rules, Lesnar definitely does not deserve a title shot. I totally agree. But it's just not about sporting rules or rankings -- it's about business. And the Brock Lesnar business is very, very good. Frank Mir earned a title shot by beating Brock. Mir would be nowhere close to a title shot without that win, but because so many people saw him beat Lesnar, he's a name again and gets to be on Ultimate Fighter and fight for the title.
about 1 month ago
On paper this match is perfect for Brock,
Theres little chance of Couture applying any submissions,
and standing up its hard to see how Randy could overcome the sheer size of Lesnar,
There both about as pure bred a wrestler as you could possibly get
and dispite Randys ability to overcome odds i just dont see how he's going
to get over another Wrestler equally as talented as himself yet twice as powerful and faster
But I guess were all just gonna have to wait patiently to see if Captain America
can pull another rabbit out the hat
from about 1 month ago
Randy's biggest strength is not a physical tool -- it's his mind. HE has the ability to draw up perfect gameplans. It's how he beat Sylvia and how he beat Gonzaga.
The problems I see for Randy in this fight:
-- Brock Lesnar is far, far stronger than Gonzaga or Sylvia. It's not even close.
-- Randy loves to clinch against the cage. He won't be able to push Lesnar.
-- Randy loves the side mount, because he can use his superior wrestling skills to keep an opponent where he wants him. Lesnar is just as skilled as Couture in wrestling, but he's far stronger and far quicker than Couture. Couture is not going to be able to dictate where the fight goes. If Lesnar decides to take him to the ground, he's going down. Randy can't stop that double leg takedown.
-- we've only see Brock throw a few punches while standing up. 3 of them knocked down his opponents. This would lead me to believe that Lesnar has immense punching power in his hands.
But again, Randy is such a brilliant strategist, which is what makes this fight interesting. Rest assured that Randy will spot something in Brock's footage and he'll try to capitalize on it.
from about 1 month ago
Jeremy,
I agree with your post, accept the "Randy makes perfect game plans" part.
8 times he didn't make a perfect game plan :( And that's in less total fights than many people far younger than him had.
Randy's best bet is to try and catch an ankle early, or a knee, but I'm not so optimistic about this prospect. His other hope is that Lesnar gasses: you can have the best cardio in training, but once you start fighting it's different. Lesnar's mass says he should gas, but we don't know for sure.
about 1 month ago
YEAH..you are right jeremy...randy is an intelligent fighter and find a way to win ..loves a challenge and a puzzle. Lesnar poses many problems for any fighter.Im thinking that if Randy can use Brocks against him he might have a chance.BROCK LESNAR is a pressure fighter like Tyson and many others.A pressure fighter wont back up. they keep coming forward always ..always applying pressure.I feel that may be the key to victory for Randy.To somehow slow lesnar down or back him up with jabs to the face or uppercuts on the inside.
about 1 month ago
*speed
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