Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:45 pm EST
Randy Couture is facing the daunting task of giving up nearly 60 pounds to Brock Lesnar on fight night at UFC 91. But after dealing for more than a year with the politics of mixed martial arts it sounds like he'll take his chances in the cage against the behemoth.
Just when Couture thought he was finished in the courtroom having buried the hatchet with Dana White and the UFC, now he may have another battle on his hands with his apparel provider Affliction. The relationship soured three weeks ago when Todd Beard, one of Affliction's founders, went on Scott Ferrall's Sirius Satellite Radio show and shredded Couture (AUDIO HERE):
"Randy if you're listening right now, I hope Lesnar (expletive) kills you."
Those are strange words coming from the guy whose company manufactures and markets Couture's Xtreme Couture clothing line. Beard then went crazy suggesting that the fight was a set-up by UFC management in order to have Couture lose to Lesnar and hand over the promotion's heavyweight title to the future star.
Couture hasn't spoken much on the subject until yesterday when he spoke with Yahoo! Sports and came out firing at Beard:
"I'm not terribly surprised by anything he does at this point. He's been a bit of a loose cannon our entire relationship. Now he's pushed it over the line where it's not re-salvageable."
Couture is particularly peeved about the fact that he can't even wear his own clothing line into the cage next week. Affliction gear has been banned by the UFC since the clothing maker got into the fight promoting game. That ban was further solidified when Beard cursed out UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta during phone negotiations to bring Affliction back into the fold.
Cagewriter is an MMA blog edited by Steve Cofield. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

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88 Comments
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But nobody disrespects Captain America!!! He is one of my favorite/worshipped Americans (hehe) & the 3rd best HW in the world next only to Fedor and Big Nog.
I know Lesnar is heavily favored because of his gargantuan body, athleticism, & wrestling pedigree. But on fight night, this guy will once again prove his skills and dirty box his way to a decision win.
Me and my uncle will put our money on this guy. We've been winners of 15 straight bets (MMA and Boxing). And we're putting that streak on the line against the Steroid Hulk. ^^
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Someone's sabotaging my replies. I didn't write the 2nd one. Only the 1st, 3rd, and this one. ^^
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I do feel for you......$900.00 worth of shirts down the drain(assuming the average cost was $60.00)
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Real Mature DUDE!
Even stating that you want Brock to Flippin Kill Couture is a little over the top seriously!
Oh and Beard you best watch out before the Fertitta brothers slap you with their wallet!
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Even if this was true, Lesnar would be one of the shortest-tenured HW Champions, because Minotauro or Mir will dispose of him easily. Yes, Lesnar is fast and strong and a great wrestler, but he demonstrated against Herring that that's where it ends. He should have finished Herring by the second round at the latest. Instead he used him as a sit-and-spin for 3 rounds and then laughed at him at the end. If he tries that against Couture, Nogueira or Mir, he won't be laughing at the end.
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they're both pure wrestlers... Lesnar is basically Couture- except 15 yrs. younger, much bigger, much stronger, and much faster. Couture's only chance is IF Lesnar gets overzealous and leaves himself open to submission, and IF Randy is quick enough to capitalize on it. I don't see that happening; this might be Randy's retirement fight.
And I hate Affliction clothes, too... $40 for a f**kin' black t-shirt?!?
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I've been watching UFC 91 preview a lot these days and I can't wait for this bout. Couture has always been the 'old guy' coming to his fights, he was branded "the underdog" in many of his matches, and I always hear the phrase/statement- "That guy is gonna kill him"- every time he's up against a younger, bigger, stronger opponent.
Lesnar is scary to bet against. When he fought Mir last year, during the first minutes of the fight, me and my uncle were like "Oh my God, were gonna lose this one". Lucky for us that referee was on our side. He's so good at trampling veteran fighters that I don't mind seeing him get a title shot even if he has only two wins in his record.
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Lesnar has size and strength and a punchers chance as he displayed in the fight with HH. Couture, 1st and foremost, has experience add to that combinations and angles and Lesnar will be left frustrated and bewildered. I predict a repeat of RC v TS with some wrestling mixed in.
I do believe that Dana set that fight up to try to injure RC and, if Lesnar wins, tarnish Coutures reputation.
Lesnar does have a promising future but only if he expands his skills. I really hope UFC doesn't wants a HW champ that employs boring "sit and spin" tactics to maintain cotrol of a fight until the final bell. Not that he'll get past Nog. Not yet anyway.
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I don't think Dana set up the Couture/Lesnar fight as an attempt to injure Couture, or tarnish his reputation; though both of those results are possible. Lesnar's marketability and wwe fame prob. had a hand in the booking; but the guy is for real- he's an absolute beast. On top of that, he's way too good for only having 4 pro fights, and no previous martial arts training. Brock Lesnar is not a normal human being... he's that rare breed of Alpha Male, that just excels at everything, and isn't satisfied unless he's the top dog. He showed drastic improvment from the Mir fight when he dominated Herring; so I think it's safe to assume he'll be even better against Couture than he was against Herring. I think Nog will beat Mir, and then beat Lesnar for the undisputed HW championship.
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And just for the record, didn't Mir only have like 3 or 4 fights when he won the title?
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I see ur point about Lesnar using the same offensive strategy against both Mir and Herring. What I meant was that he didn't get overzealous against Herring and let himself get caught in a submission when he was dominating, like he did with Mir. I would also agree that he needs some work on his ground game (submissions, etc.), striking, and some formal martial arts training wouldn't hurt, either. He's definitely a raw talent. But because of that "type A" personality, he has unlimited potential... and that's the diff. Everyone has some level of potential; it's just a matter of whether or not they live up to it. By Brock's track record- he's always been one of the few that does.
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I expect a little of the same in the fight with Randy. Lesnar definitely has knock out power, but we have yet to see it. I expect a TKO in the 2nd round when Lesnar has his back and can't get a choke on him, so he just beats him with those hams he calls fists.
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