Archive for April, 2005

Randy Couture Sporting UFC World Light Heavyweight Belt

The Natural Raises the Bar

© Marc Wickert  www.knucklepit.com

All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges

MMA superstars Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell last had fights in the Octagon – Couture vs Belfort, and Liddell vs White – at UFC 49: Unfinished Business, on August 21, 2004. But Randy does not see the eight-month break from top-level competition as a problem.

“You know, we had to take a few months off for the Spike TV show Ultimate Fighter, so although that kinda added to the lay off, I don’t feel I’ve gotten rusty. I’ve been training very hard and doing a lot of sparring. I feel good about it, and I don’t think that’s going to be a factor at all,” says Couture.

Randy and Chuck previously locked horns at UFC 43: Meltdown, on June 6, 2003, when Couture made his first Octagon appearance as a light-heavyweight fighter. Having been the most successful heavyweight champion in UFC history, Randy felt trapped between the two weight-classes, and made the transition down to the 205-lb division.

Couture won this interim championship bout against Liddell after referee Big John McCarthy pulled the fight up in round three. Randy later won clashes with Tito Ortiz and Vitor Belfort, while Chuck also had victories over Tito and Vernon White.

Although Randy admits he has made some modifications to his fight game since last going to war with Chuck, he says these alterations haven’t been too dramatic. “I don’t know if I’d call them drastic changes. There are a few things that I’ve refined: that I’m doing a little better. I’ve learnt a couple of new techniques – skills that I’ve add to my game. I don’t know that I’d call them drastic, but I certainly feel that I’m a better fighter…a much better fighter since I last fought Chuck.”

Part of Randy’s strategy for the previous fight was to crowd Chuck, which made it impossible for Liddell to impose his game plan. Couture intends employing more of the same at UFC 52.

“I believe a similar approach will be effective. I don’t think Chuck has changed a whole lot. In the fights that he’s had since we fought, I don’t see a lot of difference in his game. I think he’s still going to try to use that loopy, left jab and set up his right hand. The only difference that I anticipate from him is his being a little more aggressive. He tends to like to sit back, give ground, draw a guy in to control the tempo, and keep a slow tempo for the fight. I’m not going to allow him to do that.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tank Abbott - the Birthday Boy

© Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com

All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges

On April 26, 2005, the original Huntington Beach Bad Boy turns 40.  But judging by his conversation, David “Tank” Abbott has bigger things on his mind at present.

“I have a fight coming up.  I took it on short notice, but sometimes you can’t look a gift horse in the mouth.  I’m fighting Cabbage again: I get the rematch. I’m going to fight him on May 7 at Rumble on the Rock (ROTR).  I wanted to fight him at UFC, but… I’m going to fight him at a different show, but same Octagon, same everything.

“I’m getting myself into a little bit of shape.  I’m taking it on relatively short notice, but if I can hold my breath for 15 minutes, I’m sure I can fight that long.  I told you I was taking 12 months off, so now my brain’s fired up and I’m ready to start kicking some arse.”

At the time of this interview, Tank is dining in a restaurant after doing some solid training.  The man who once brought the street to the Octagon, and dispelled a keg-load of myths about many feared martial arts techniques along the way, is sounding like the Tank Abbott of old.  The world’s most famous street fighter speaks with the poise of the true warrior, who only a couple of years ago terrorised NHB fighting.

“I just got done lifting weights.  I already got my boxing, wrestling and running in today.  I did boxing, wrestling submission, and went and got a run in, and chilled for a little while before I did my lifting.  I always do my lifting at the end because I’m naturally strong enough, so other things don’t suffer because I’m tired from lifting.”

Read the rest of this entry »