“He’s [Randy Couture] strong on the ground. He has very good jiu jitsu and excellent stamina. He’s stronger than I thought. Randy is good for this fight. He’s ready. Very good boxing. He will win.”
That’s the prediction from former PRIDE FC middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva on the upcoming UFC 74: “Respect” showdown between UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture and Gabriel Gonzaga on August 25, according to XTremeCouture.com.
The “Axe Murderer” is taking time away from the Fizogen-Xtreme Couture gym in Wellington, Florida, to help “The Natural” prepare in Las Vegas for “Napao” — who hails from Brazil just like Silva.
Traitor? Not really … Silva is a ChuteBoxe product while Gonzaga fights out of Ludlow, Massachusetts as a part of Team Link. He and Randy also appear to be training and business partners.
Whatever the details may be on their arrangement one thing is certain: It’s a fantastic partnership that brings together two experienced mixed martial arts legends who are among the most recognizable in the sport.
Here’s a snip from Couture:
“It’s great to have him in the gym. I’m anxious to pick his brain. To explore his training tactics and techniques. I’m also looking forward to building a rapport with him going forward. We had some good goes today. We were working out of half guard and the mount. He’s very tough in both positions.”
Wait until the sparring begins — Silva boasts one of the most feared and lethal stand-up repertoires on planet. There is certainly something in that aspect of his game that Couture can use to his advantage at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
For the complete UFC 74 fight card click here.
43 Comments »
WOW, Wandy helping out Couture for his fight! That is fucking awesome. Imagine if Randy just grabs Gonzaga in a Muai Thai clinch in the first round and knees his face off Rampage style. If you can combine all of Randy’s strenths and Wandy’s strengths, you may have an unbeatable fighter.
Based on those pics on XtremeCouture.com, Randy looks to have packed on some serious f’n muscle! I hope he’s staying “Natural”!
Yeah I like this a lot. I love both these guys. I think Im more happier for Wandy getting good Couture skills. Then he takes those Couture skills, takes his own skills, puts them together to form captain planet, and puts Lidell 6 feet under.
Didn’t Gonzaga use to be apart of Chute Boxe?
Captain America and the Axe Murderer..this is the MMA “Justice League”.
This is what great fighters do. They continue to seek new ways to improve their game. This is why I think Matt Hughes and Tim Sylvia have fallen off. They stay strictly Militech. The problem with that is if you’re the best in your gym at what you do, how do you learn anything? You need to branch out in this sport and you can never get to a point where you feel you know enough and don’t need extra help. That’s when you get beat!!! Go Randy!!!!!
Two of the best fighters in the world training together..OUCH !
Wandi training for Chuck with Randy is a really smart move for him. Randy has the most fights with Chuck , and is the smartest fighter in the UFC. He will give Wandi some good strategy tips for his fight with Chuck.
Im not sure if Wandi could do the same for RAndy in terms of training, and striking techniques. Wandi is an infighter, and randy being undersized should probably keep some distance standing, and Come in for takedown attempts, and ground and pound.
I cant wait to see Couture-Gonzaga, im a Gonzaga fan but shit if Randy beats him that cool too
Randy going for the clinch and knee strikes vs gonzaga would probably end worst than FRANKLIN – SILVA ..
GONZA would easily dominate him in the thai clinch.
This certainly helps his training, but like I’ve said the crisp and accurate boxing which Randy Couture was able to display against Tim Syvlia is going to be the key.
It’s great to see Randy be humble and just train with the best guys in MMA. How cool would it be if Wanderlei Silva came out and cornered Couture against Gonzaga!?
Randy going for the thai clinch and knee strikes against Gonzaga would probably end worst than Franklin vs Silva.
GONZA would easily dominate Randy in the thai clinch.
[quote comment="127070"]It’s great to see Randy be humble and just train with the best guys in MMA. How cool would it be if Wanderlei Silva came out and cornered Couture against Gonzaga!?[/quote]
Lmao…Wandy would be like:
Listen my friend, you must a strike with he…no problem…for you make good training…no problem…then for all you fans and friends you win nice fight no problem…Eh…Go Randy! You must kill he!
so is Wanderlie at Coutures strictly for Randy or is he there helping other fighters….such as Forrest, who is fighting Shogun…im one of the only guys giving forrest a chance, but if this is the case, i give him an even bigger chance, Wand knows Shoguns style more thna anyone
Randy and Wandi are going together on opening a few gyms/business ventures. Been in talks for a while…
I think Randy’s standup is overexagerated at best. Granted he stood great with Tim, but his gameplan was the constant overhand right… Anyone with any good tactician in their corner would give points after the first round to get around this. Not that Gabe’s standup is outstanding either…
This fight is gonna be on the ground, Randy’s shot is to hope he can lay and pray… and not get caught in a sub by the lankier Gabe, who will definitely have better stamina then the 40some year old Couture. But we’ll see, either of these guys have a chance… and in close fights ALWAYS BET ON THE WRESTLER!
[quote post="3040"]Wandi is an infighter, and randy being undersized should probably keep some distance standing, and Come in for takedown attempts, and ground and pound.[/quote]
It’s Randy’s striking that sets up his wrestling. When he establishes his striking, then he will be able to fake upstairs then change levels and shoot downstairs. And if you’re the smaller fighter, infighting is a good strategy, like Tyson in boxing. He’s either gotta be completely out of range of Napao’s jab and kicks, or he’s gonna have to come in close where he can let off strikes more quickly than his longer opponent.
[quote comment="127043"]WOW, Wandy helping out Couture for his fight! That is fucking awesome. Imagine if Randy just grabs Gonzaga in a Muai Thai clinch in the first round and knees his face off Rampage style. If you can combine all of Randy’s strenths and Wandy’s strengths, you may have an unbeatable fighter.[/quote]
I doubt that will happen unless they have some kind of human food blender where they can blend fighters together,Im sure Wandy will be helping Couture out with his ground game more then anything.
[quote comment="127077"]so is Wanderlie at Coutures strictly for Randy or is he there helping other fighters….such as Forrest, who is fighting Shogun…im one of the only guys giving forrest a chance, but if this is the case, i give him an even bigger chance, Wand knows Shoguns style more thna anyone[/quote]
I doubt he would be there to help Forrest,Wandi and Shogun seem to be the best of mates,I think Forrest has a real chance at winning that fight,Shogun is new to the Octagon and the rules and I have a feeling he will underestimate Forrest which would be a disaster coz Forrest has the heart of a lion and he will not quit.
Randy looks som incredibly fit, like a well oiled machine! Man at 43 or 44 this guy is a phenom, even if he’s lost many times….He looks sensational!
[quote comment="127071"]Randy going for the thai clinch and knee strikes against Gonzaga would probably end worst than Franklin vs Silva.
GONZA would easily dominate Randy in the thai clinch.[/quote]
Randy is probably one of the best clinch fighters in the game. Not really for muy thai, but for dirty boxing, and he is extremely effective with it. Watch some of his older fights if you don’t believe me. I think Gonzaga is going to have trouble dominating Randy there. GG best chance of winning is a knockout punch, possibly a submission but I doubt it.
RC just keeps adding to his already impressive talent and skill by picking the brains of the best. Not to mention I’m sure he had alot to do with bringing wandy in to fight in the UFC
[quote comment="127115"][quote comment="127077"]so is Wanderlie at Coutures strictly for Randy or is he there helping other fighters….such as Forrest, who is fighting Shogun…Wand knows Shoguns style more thna anyone[/quote]
I doubt he would be there to help Forrest,Wandi and Shogun seem to be the best of mates[/quote]
It’s not just that Wand and Shogun are mates, they’re both from Chute Boxe and you just don’t train fighters to beat men from your own academy. I believe it was Rudimar Fedrigo himself that said, while Wanderlei is the perfect vale tudo fighter, Shogun is the future of Chute Boxe. If Silva ever trained a man to beat Shogun — who has the future of his academy on his shoulders — I am sure Wand would be banished from the academy whose legacy he shares with his own.
Awesome to see 2 of the world’s best training with each other. Oh, and for nostalgia’s sake… Remember when Silva was in the Octagon with his Pride belt, hyping up a possible Silva vs Couture fight? That had me so pumped
http://www.sherdog.com/news/pictures.asp?pic_id=4719&n_id=1986&my_page=9&my_title=Miscellaneous Photos
fvfvvvvfv
[quote post="3040"]I cant wait to see Couture-Gonzaga, im a Gonzaga fan but shit if Randy beats him that cool too [/quote]
JSOPH, great insight into the fight. Keep your information posts coming! lol
[quote post="3040"]It’s great to see Randy be humble and just train with the best guys in MMA. How cool would it be if Wanderlei Silva came out and cornered Couture against Gonzaga!? [/quote]
I agree, that would be cool to SEE. But it wouldn’t be cool for Randy because he would have no clue what Wandi was SAYING.
I want to hear an Asian person with a lisp, that recently moved to the US, announce a fight between Couture and Silva. “Wandi Silva en Wandy Couture ahh set to skware off in dee ohctagon”
[quote post="3040"]so is Wanderlie at Coutures strictly for Randy or is he there helping other fighters….such as Forrest, who is fighting Shogun…im one of the only guys giving forrest a chance, but if this is the case, i give him an even bigger chance, Wand knows Shoguns style more thna anyone [/quote]
My guess would be that considering that Wandi won’t even fight Shogun because they are close friends, “like brothers”, that he wouldn’t help another fighter defeat Shogun.
[quote comment="127107"][quote post="3040"]Wandi is an infighter, and randy being undersized should probably keep some distance standing, and Come in for takedown attempts, and ground and pound.[/quote]
It’s Randy’s striking that sets up his wrestling. When he establishes his striking, then he will be able to fake upstairs then change levels and shoot downstairs. And if you’re the smaller fighter, infighting is a good strategy, like Tyson in boxing. He’s either gotta be completely out of range of Napao’s jab and kicks, or he’s gonna have to come in close where he can let off strikes more quickly than his longer opponent.[/quote]
Randy doesn’t operate like tyson. He is not built like tyson nor does he have his power. BASICALLY THIS IS NOT BOXING . Infighting with the big boys can get you killed if your at a size and strength disadvantage. INfighting i mean exchanging strikes in close range. When Randy comes in he needs to go for the takedown. Randy is a ground n pound fighter and thats going to be key in beating GONZAGA. IF he can’t take it to the mat then he can’t win.
[quote comment="127163"][quote comment="127071"]Randy going for the thai clinch and knee strikes against Gonzaga would probably end worst than Franklin vs Silva.
GONZA would easily dominate Randy in the thai clinch.[/quote]
Randy is probably one of the best clinch fighters in the game. Not really for muy thai, but for dirty boxing, and he is extremely effective with it. Watch some of his older fights if you don’t believe me. I think Gonzaga is going to have trouble dominating Randy there. GG best chance of winning is a knockout punch, possibly a submission but I doubt it.[/quote
ask yourself ONE question ?
why did randy leave the heavy weight division ?
Randy is not the same fighter he was. He is smarter now and knows he needs to dictate the distance in this fight. GONZAGA IS A SCARY GUY WITH NASTY BRUT STRENGTH .
[quote comment="127190"][quote comment="127163"][quote comment="127071"]Randy going for the thai clinch and knee strikes against Gonzaga would probably end worst than Franklin vs Silva.
GONZA would easily dominate Randy in the thai clinch.[/quote]
Randy is probably one of the best clinch fighters in the game. Not really for muy thai, but for dirty boxing, and he is extremely effective with it. Watch some of his older fights if you don’t believe me. I think Gonzaga is going to have trouble dominating Randy there. GG best chance of winning is a knockout punch, possibly a submission but I doubt it.[/quote
ask yourself ONE question ?
why did randy leave the heavy weight division ?
Randy is not the same fighter he was. He is smarter now and knows he needs to dictate the distance in this fight. GONZAGA IS A SCARY GUY WITH NASTY BRUT STRENGTH .[/quote]
Brute strength doesn’t mean he is good in the clinch. Rampage is all the evidence you need for that. Randy is one of the best fighter in the clinch in all of mma. If he doesn’t dirty box the hell out of Gonzaga from there, he’ll take him down with his superior Greco.
Listen this news is awesome and it has officially ended all speculation reguarding this fight.
Randy will definetly win…. There is absolutly no reason to discuss this topic on this forum ne more. Randy training wit wanderlei! Enough said, enough talk…. lets just sit back and watch another phenominal victory by the Legend and consumate professional….. Randy ” all Natural” Couture or as I would like to call him “The anti-sherk”
[quote post="3040"]Brute strength doesn’t mean he is good in the clinch. Rampage is all the evidence you need for that. Randy is one of the best fighter in the clinch in all of mma. If he doesn’t dirty box the hell out of Gonzaga from there, he’ll take him down with his superior Greco. [/quote]
Now THAT’S the bottom line.
I’m sorry but when have we ever seen GG dominate anyone in the CLINCH? And when have we seen Gabe get the best of a stand-up EXCHANGE? Mr. Gonzaga has had how many UFC fights? And can someone tell me against who of consequence?……I’m being extremely sarcastic if you cant tell.
I’m not saying that Gabe cant win but moving forward, how about you all agree to stop it with the Mother Goose tall tales & start talking about what we’ve actually SEEN Gabe do as opposed to what you’ve dreamed up.
When you match skill-set against skill-set, outside of a one-shot KO punch/kick, GG will not win this fight. I say that not because I prefer RC over Gabe. I say it because Randy by far brings much more to the table. At best it’ll be a close contest but unfortunately, that’s all you folks can hope for because RC is simply the better fighter.
Ok, I’ll be nice, I suppose we can say that it’s a matter of who is the better fighter on the night of the 25th. May the best man win.
Randy “HGH Cures Aging” Couture.
Has Randy Couture been drug tested recently by the UFC? If so, is that public information that can be found anywhere on the internet?
He will be tested after the fight like all of them.
Cool to see Wandi and RC. But GG is ex Chute Boxe so its alittle insight on GG’s Chute Boxe game but nothing more. I wouldnt say its a huge advantage for RC. Couture is the man but i dont care what anyone says and how many times you say it. Gonzaga while not that proven is prob gonna win this fight sorry to say. Maybe RC can nail him with a good shot and put him down thats the only way i see him winning. The closer this fight gets the more it becomes clear to me that GG will win. I like RC so much man but i just dont see him winning this even though he is so skilled and experienced. GG is just gonna be far to aggressive and overwhelming for RC to mount any successful offense. Gonzaga is strong enough to nullify RC’s superior Greco-roman wrestling and submissions aint gonna work as GG has the upper hand in that area. Striking is RC’s only hope in the end it will probably go to a Dec. And any insight Wandi gives RC may work somewhat but GG has advanced his game since he left Chute Boxe. Just How much i guess we will see the 25th. I know evryone has and is gonna say RC is gonna win he’s been the underdog before GG isnt proven and etc. Thats cool i respect that and i will be happy if RC wins.
[quote comment="127052"]Didn’t Gonzaga use to be apart of Chute Boxe?[/quote]
yep
MMZA dude: If u think wanderlei is gonna help anyone that is fighting shogun then u r crazy. Wanderlei n Shogun r like family.
All i got to say is make sure they keep a hospital bed open for forrest on Sept 22. He will look worse then he did after the 1st bonner fight. Only this time he wont be rewarded with a win.!
[quote post="3040"]…If you can combine all of Randy’s strenths and Wandy’s strengths, you may have an unbeatable fighter.[/quote]
[quote post="3040"]I doubt that will happen unless they have some kind of human food blender where they can blend fighters together,Im sure Wandy will be helping Couture out with his ground game more then anything.[/quote]
Hey MCANENA, I was speaking hypothetically. So your human food blender was exactly what I was talking about. Of course with the two of them training together for several months, Wandi isn’t going to become the same greco roman wrester that Randy is, he isn’t going to be able to be a champ thru the age of 44 like Randy…. And Randy isn’t going to become one of the most feared strikers in all of MMA from training with Wandi for several months….
I was saying that in an imaginary world, if you can take all of Randy and Wandi’s skills and put them all into one fighter in some sci-fi machine, then that fighter would be damn near unstoppable from the age of 24 to 44.
[quote comment="127501"][quote post="3040"]…If you can combine all of Randy’s strenths and Wandy’s strengths, you may have an unbeatable fighter.[/quote]
[quote post="3040"]I doubt that will happen unless they have some kind of human food blender where they can blend fighters together,Im sure Wandy will be helping Couture out with his ground game more then anything.[/quote]
Hey MCANENA, I was speaking hypothetically. So your human food blender was exactly what I was talking about.
Of course with the two of them training together for several months, Wandi isn’t going to become the same greco roman wrester that Randy is, he isn’t going to be able to be a champ thru the age of 44 like Randy…. And Randy isn’t going to become one of the most feared strikers in all of MMA from training with Wandi for several months….
I was saying that in an imaginary world, if you can take all of Randy and Wandi’s skills and put them all into one fighter in some sci-fi machine, then that fighter would be damn near unstoppable from the age of 24 to 44.[/quote]
That’s one heckuva combination.
[quote comment="127115"][quote comment="127077"]so is Wanderlie at Coutures strictly for Randy or is he there helping other fighters….such as Forrest, who is fighting Shogun…im one of the only guys giving forrest a chance, but if this is the case, i give him an even bigger chance, Wand knows Shoguns style more thna anyone[/quote]
I doubt he would be there to help Forrest,Wandi and Shogun seem to be the best of mates,I think Forrest has a real chance at winning that fight,Shogun is new to the Octagon and the rules and I have a feeling he will underestimate Forrest which would be a disaster coz Forrest has the heart of a lion and he will not quit.[/quote]
yet Forrest cried like a baby when he got KO’d by Keith Jardine. Beside that, Shogun has already shown that he has pretty good chin and knows how to boxing. According to UFC rules, Shogun can still kicking and kneeing to a standing opponent, but not the grounded opponent. So, you have a very odd logic.
so wandy is training w. randy and his boys wow you could make a real good case for wandy getting a lot better as well …holy shit is wandy living in usa now?
Good stuff this is how fighters truely develop. All of this shows Randy’s strength. He is fighting the battle before he gets in the ring.
Randy Couture “survived” against Jacare (in a subs only match) if you can do that then that proves you can neutralize the worlds best BJJ artist (worlds best grapplers Roger Gracie and Jacare). Randy hasn’t been submitted since early 2001.
So the only other fore seeable threat would be the striking which he has now brought Wand in to help him with. This is why he is so well prepared for his matches. For Sylvia he trained with 6′5″ heavy set guys, which helped him a lot obviously.
[quote comment="127940"]Good stuff this is how fighters truely develop. All of this shows Randy’s strength. He is fighting the battle before he gets in the ring.
Randy Couture “survived” against Jacare (in a subs only match) if you can do that then that proves you can neutralize the worlds best BJJ artist (worlds best grapplers Roger Gracie and Jacare). Randy hasn’t been submitted since early 2001.
So the only other fore seeable threat would be the striking which he has now brought Wand in to help him with. This is why he is so well prepared for his matches. For Sylvia he trained with 6′5″ heavy set guys, which helped him a lot obviously.[/quote]
Well if Randy tires GG could very well GnP him out. But I don’t see Randy making this mistake again. He learned his lesson about HW cardio back in the day with Barnett and Ricco.