marcelt
26-08-2007, 23:30
Fountain of Youth Found in Las Vegas
By Josh Gross
http://www.cdn.sherdog.com/_images/news/2007_08/8748.jpg
Forty-four years young, facing a larger heavyweight 16 years his junior whose style appeared to mix like oil to his water, UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=166) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=166@@Randy Couture)), a perpetual underdog throughout his storied mixed martial arts career, entered his eighteenth bout in the octagon Saturday night and did exactly what he said he was going to do: dominate.
Less than two minutes into the third round of a compelling fight, Brazilian challenger Gabriel Gonzaga (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=7306) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=7306@@Gabriel Gonzaga)), who earlier this year earned his way into the title shot by brutally knocking out Mirko Filipovic (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=2326) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=2326@@Mirko Filipovic)) with a head kick, lay beaten and blooded as a crowd of 11,118 inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center eagerly cheered Couture for having just vanquished another would-be king.
"The Natural" is a patient tactician, yet in defeating Tim Sylvia (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=1061) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=1061@@Tim Sylvia)) to recapture the heavyweight crown this past March and versus Gonzaga tonight, he managed to score the first meaningful salvo nearly off the opening bell.
A snapping left hook to Gonzaga's chin had the 252-pound challenger out of Ludlow, Mass. dancing like a grade-schooler intent on avoiding cracks in the ground. The heavyweights engaged in a clinch for the first time, and Couture failed to grapple Gonzaga to the canvas. Instead, they traded punches and kicks, and Couture again landed a clean power shot with his left that seemed to hurt the 28-year-old challenger.
Against the octagon fencing, Couture hoisted Gonzaga high in the air before twisting him almost parallel to the floor and dumping him on his head. Though Gonzaga stood almost immediately, the result of an accidental clash of heads showed on his face.
"I think that's what cut his nose pretty bad," stated Couture, now 16-8-0. "When he came down our heads came together. I heard the crunch and I knew his nose was broken."
Gonzaga, now forced to breathe through his mouth, faced a rabid champion, who wailed away on the inside until the horn for round one sounded. Napao walked back to his corner with the lower half of his face covered in blood.
Early in the second, the fighters clinched and Gonzaga (8-2) looked to referee Herb Dean (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=2648) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=2648@@Herb Dean)) for help. Mouthing to the official that he could not see, Dean precariously moved in before separating the fighters and engaging in a discussion with the challenger. Soon, a Nevada State Athletic Commission ringside physician joined the pair, and the fight was allowed to continue.
Dean restarted action in the same position and Couture, a former U.S. Greco-Roman Olympic wrestling hopeful, tried right away to put Gonzaga on the mat. To avoid going down, however, Napao grabbed the fence and Dean responded by deducting a point. They remained against the chain-link and Couture unloaded with combinations on the inside.
"I just had to stay in that range," said Couture. "He's a big strong guy -- you don't want to stand on the outside."
With a dominant round and the point deduction, a case could have been made for a 10-7 score in the second period. Yet scoring held little relevance compared to time -- a significant points lead was nice, but with 15 minutes remaining in the five-round title fight it didn't appear Gonzaga, wilted against Couture's pace and pressure, would last long enough to make the judges' tally meaningful.
"I felt like if I got in his face, kept the pressure on him, and was able to frustrate him from there, that it would pay dividends as the fight went on," said Couture. "I think he just wore down."
Gonzaga unloaded whatever guns he had left to start the third, firing a high kick that grazed the champion's head before nearly connecting flush on a second. But Couture stood his ground and, after several attempts, finally had the Brazilian controlled down on canvas with a trip takedown.
In position to finish, Couture unleashed a torrent of undefended punches from half-guard that forced Dean to halt the fight at the 1:37 mark.
What's next for the champ? The UFC heavyweight division has improved greatly over what it was even a year ago and could provide the champ several intriguing options.
A clash pitting former PRIDE champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=1440) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=1440@@Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira)) and Couture could be compelling, though "Minotauro" hardly looked great in his UFC debut against Heath Herring (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=13) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=13@@Heath Herring)) in July.
The real prize -- for Couture and fans alike -- of course is Fedor Emelianenko (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=1500) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=1500@@Fedor Emelianenko)), who would provide "The Natural" a chance to make prognosticators look foolish once again. More importantly, it would give mixed martial arts fans a dream fight pitting the Ultimate competitor against the perceived best mixed martial artist on the planet.
By Josh Gross
http://www.cdn.sherdog.com/_images/news/2007_08/8748.jpg
Forty-four years young, facing a larger heavyweight 16 years his junior whose style appeared to mix like oil to his water, UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=166) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=166@@Randy Couture)), a perpetual underdog throughout his storied mixed martial arts career, entered his eighteenth bout in the octagon Saturday night and did exactly what he said he was going to do: dominate.
Less than two minutes into the third round of a compelling fight, Brazilian challenger Gabriel Gonzaga (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=7306) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=7306@@Gabriel Gonzaga)), who earlier this year earned his way into the title shot by brutally knocking out Mirko Filipovic (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=2326) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=2326@@Mirko Filipovic)) with a head kick, lay beaten and blooded as a crowd of 11,118 inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center eagerly cheered Couture for having just vanquished another would-be king.
"The Natural" is a patient tactician, yet in defeating Tim Sylvia (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=1061) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=1061@@Tim Sylvia)) to recapture the heavyweight crown this past March and versus Gonzaga tonight, he managed to score the first meaningful salvo nearly off the opening bell.
A snapping left hook to Gonzaga's chin had the 252-pound challenger out of Ludlow, Mass. dancing like a grade-schooler intent on avoiding cracks in the ground. The heavyweights engaged in a clinch for the first time, and Couture failed to grapple Gonzaga to the canvas. Instead, they traded punches and kicks, and Couture again landed a clean power shot with his left that seemed to hurt the 28-year-old challenger.
Against the octagon fencing, Couture hoisted Gonzaga high in the air before twisting him almost parallel to the floor and dumping him on his head. Though Gonzaga stood almost immediately, the result of an accidental clash of heads showed on his face.
"I think that's what cut his nose pretty bad," stated Couture, now 16-8-0. "When he came down our heads came together. I heard the crunch and I knew his nose was broken."
Gonzaga, now forced to breathe through his mouth, faced a rabid champion, who wailed away on the inside until the horn for round one sounded. Napao walked back to his corner with the lower half of his face covered in blood.
Early in the second, the fighters clinched and Gonzaga (8-2) looked to referee Herb Dean (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=2648) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=2648@@Herb Dean)) for help. Mouthing to the official that he could not see, Dean precariously moved in before separating the fighters and engaging in a discussion with the challenger. Soon, a Nevada State Athletic Commission ringside physician joined the pair, and the fight was allowed to continue.
Dean restarted action in the same position and Couture, a former U.S. Greco-Roman Olympic wrestling hopeful, tried right away to put Gonzaga on the mat. To avoid going down, however, Napao grabbed the fence and Dean responded by deducting a point. They remained against the chain-link and Couture unloaded with combinations on the inside.
"I just had to stay in that range," said Couture. "He's a big strong guy -- you don't want to stand on the outside."
With a dominant round and the point deduction, a case could have been made for a 10-7 score in the second period. Yet scoring held little relevance compared to time -- a significant points lead was nice, but with 15 minutes remaining in the five-round title fight it didn't appear Gonzaga, wilted against Couture's pace and pressure, would last long enough to make the judges' tally meaningful.
"I felt like if I got in his face, kept the pressure on him, and was able to frustrate him from there, that it would pay dividends as the fight went on," said Couture. "I think he just wore down."
Gonzaga unloaded whatever guns he had left to start the third, firing a high kick that grazed the champion's head before nearly connecting flush on a second. But Couture stood his ground and, after several attempts, finally had the Brazilian controlled down on canvas with a trip takedown.
In position to finish, Couture unleashed a torrent of undefended punches from half-guard that forced Dean to halt the fight at the 1:37 mark.
What's next for the champ? The UFC heavyweight division has improved greatly over what it was even a year ago and could provide the champ several intriguing options.
A clash pitting former PRIDE champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=1440) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=1440@@Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira)) and Couture could be compelling, though "Minotauro" hardly looked great in his UFC debut against Heath Herring (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=13) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=13@@Heath Herring)) in July.
The real prize -- for Couture and fans alike -- of course is Fedor Emelianenko (http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=1500) (Pictures (http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?f_id=1500@@Fedor Emelianenko)), who would provide "The Natural" a chance to make prognosticators look foolish once again. More importantly, it would give mixed martial arts fans a dream fight pitting the Ultimate competitor against the perceived best mixed martial artist on the planet.