Maybe you're like me. You know that when Randy Couture takes on Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 102, it will be in a non-championship, three round bout. That's your logical side. However, you're subconscious keeps putting him in a championship encounter. You have to keep reminding yourself that he's going to be fighting three rounds, not five. If that's you, here's why.
Simply put, 15 of Couture's last 16 UFC fights have all been for a championship (the lone exception was against Mike Van Arsdale at UFC 54). Amazing, no? This is a guy that has seen pressure while fighting in the UFC. It makes that 16-9 overall MMA record of his look a lot better than what the face value tells you. That said, at UFC 102 Couture will be in somewhat uncharted territory. Rather than having five rounds to work his opponent into bits, he'll only have three. Will that hurt a guy that relies on breaking his opponent? Especially when he takes on a man in Nogueira that has proven so hard to break in the past?
We'll see. Regardless, you have to give it to Couture. He simply hasn't competed in fights of little consequence.
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