Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera

I thought the fight between Randy Couture and Minotauro Nogueira would be like watching two senior citizens argue over the last glass of prune juice in the retirement home. I was never happier to be so incredibly wrong. Those two put on a fight of the year candidate. Even in defeat, Old Randy garnered lots of praise. That's usually how it works out for him.

We can only hope Randy doesn't get derailed by Brandon Vera. There's very few people that stick around in the UFC after suffering three losses in a row. More importantly, it's unlikely a man of Randy's age would want to stay in the top MMA organization after going 0-3.

Sadly, this looks like a winnable match for Vera. It's his speed that will be his greatest weapon. Randy has never been a fast striker at any stage in his career. He is crafty. He also knows how to nullify his opponent's strengths. It just doesn't seem likely that he'll be able to get inside on Vera.

Brandon has only had trouble getting taken down by larger men. Here, he'll be on even-footing in the size department. It's also unclear how Randy can handle the weight cut. The legend goes that as you get older, it becomes harder to cut weight.

If a stand-up war ensues, you have to give Brandon the advantage. He uses his reach quite well. Plus, he has a more diverse array of strikes to offer his opponent. Randy is mostly a straight-ahead boxer. That's just as well, as he wouldn't want to get into a leg-kicking contest with Vera.

Well, it's the same old story isn't it? Randy just can't win. He's too old, etc. Well, this is often where he comes out with one more win. But...it doesn't mean you want to bet money on him either.

Having said that, if this were a contest of fan support, Randy would win hands down. So, let's all give him a hand on Saturday, as it may be our last chance to do so.

Next Fight: Michael Bisping vs. Denis Kang

Return to Upcoming Fights