| Randy "The Natural" Couture is returning to the | | | | Enough of the pleas to have Randy cut this return |
| Octagon on March 3, 2007 to face heavyweight | | | | short, let's take a look at how this fight breaks down. |
| champion Tim "The Mainiac" Silvia in a battle for the | | | | Starting with the stand up abilities of both fighters. It is |
| UFC heavyweight belt. There are two questions on | | | | tempting to look at this and say that Tim Silvia's reach |
| everybody's mind about this match up. First, does | | | | advantage and raw power will give him the edge in |
| Randy have a chance? More importantly, is Randy | | | | the stand up. True enough, but lets not forget that |
| risking his health? | | | | Randy has been in there with the likes of Chuck Liddell, |
| I personally thought that Randy Couture got out of the | | | | Tito Ortiz and Vitor Belfor, all good to great stand up |
| MMA fight game just in time. He left with class after a | | | | fighters in their own right. I put the stand up between |
| second consecutive loss to Chuck Liddell in the UFC | | | | Randy and Tim at dead even. |
| light heavyweight division. People respect Randy | | | | Moving on, lets talk about take downs. There is no |
| Couture, even more people like Randy Couture. Why | | | | way that Tim Silvia is going to take Randy Couture |
| on earth would he consider returning now? | | | | down, the only way Randy will end up on his back with |
| Randy says he's returning because he misses the fight | | | | Tim Silvia is if Tim knocks him down with a punch, then |
| game, because he believes that he is a better fighter | | | | jumps on him. On the other hand, Randy's strong |
| than when he last stepped into the Octagon on | | | | wrestling background will certainly give him the |
| February 4th, 2006. I think that the real reason that | | | | advantage in take downs. |
| Randy is returning is that he is likely disgusted by the | | | | What about submission wrestling, grappling, or overall |
| lackluster performance of the UFC heavyweight | | | | ground game? I have to give Randy the advantage in |
| division. I read that Randy is negotiating a multi fight | | | | this area as well, even though Tim Silvia did look good |
| contract with the UFC, this is a big mistake in my | | | | on the ground against Jeff Monson, but Randy |
| opinion. I believe that Randy might have the tools | | | | Couture is not Jeff Monson. |
| needed to defeat Tim Silvia, but there is no way I want | | | | In the area of conditioning, there isn't a better |
| to see Randy fight Mirko Cro Cop. | | | | conditioned athlete on the planet than Randy Couture, |
| Randy, if you have any sense at all, get in there, finish | | | | one look at Tim Silvia's physique tells us that he doesn't |
| Tim Silvia and retire again. You are an absolute | | | | spend the time in the gym that Randy does. Oh, I'm |
| phenom as an athlete and an inspiration to those of us | | | | sure he's at the gym, eating chicken wings and |
| in our forties, but everyone has their time and MMA | | | | watching other guys spar. Okay, the last line was just |
| isn't boxing. I've never seen you come into a fight in | | | | a joke, Tim certainly trains hard and he didn't gas |
| less than stellar condition and I've never seen you in a | | | | against Jeff Monson. He also didn't finish Monson either |
| fight that wasn't worth watching, that is the Randy | | | | when he should have been able to. I give Randy the |
| Couture I want to remember. I don't want to | | | | edge in conditioning. |
| remember Randy Couture being knocked cold by a | | | | So there you have it, Tim Silvia is stronger, Randy is |
| Mirko Cro Cop left high kick, then being taken out on a | | | | better. We'll see who comes out on top on March 3rd. |
| stretcher. | | | | My prediction, Randy Couture by decision. |