Randy Couture vs. Minotauro Nogueira

These are two of the nicest gentlemen in the world of MMA. They’ve both achieved greatness in the heavyweight division. It would be wonderful to see either of them get one last shot at the championship. It’s just a shame that only one will have that chance.

Indeed, it’s unclear if either Randy Couture or Minotauro Nogueira has enough left to tackle the monstrous UFC heavyweight champion. It’s not like either man has something left to prove. Obviously, they both love this sport. The fact that the UFC allowed this to be the main event, shows what respect these two have earned in this sport.

Stylistically, they each have different strengths. In the clinch, Randy is great at dirty boxing. He likes to press his opponent against the fence and sap his energy. This is also where he likes to work for a takedown. He doesn’t shoot in from a mile away like a Brock Lesnar or a Matt Hughes.

Whether on top or on the bottom, Nogueira loves to be on the ground. Sometimes he’ll intentionally pull guard to get the fight to the mat. He’s got a submission ready for every possible position. Similar to Frank Mir, he uses superior technique to submit larger opponents.

In this match, neither man will have a strength advantage. They’ll be evenly-matched in the stand-up department too. Having said that, Nogueira’s striking looked terrible when he fought Mir. That was a surprise, as Mir is not known as a great striker. It could be that Nogueira’s many wars are catching up to him.

Much like Chuck Liddell, neither Couture nor Nogueira wants to leave this sport before his time. Like Liddell, they could be forced into retirement when it becomes clear they’ve suffered too much punishment.

Randy Couture is most likely to avoid this fate. He may be older than Nogueira, but he’s suffered less punishment over the years. At least, that’s how it looks now. It’s possible that Minotauro has had enough time off to have one last run at the top. However it’s more likely that he’s reached the point where he’ll never come close to how he used to be. If he loses this fight, he should seriously consider retirement.

For some reason, Randy is the only fighter that has beaten Father-Time. Of course, he will eventually lose that battle. If he’s smart, he’ll take this victory and walk away from the sport. Then again, he could have one last super-fight with another aging veteran. How about Couture vs. Liddell 4 – They Just Don’t Know When to Quit?

Next Fight: Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva

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