Denying The Critics (Randy Couture vs Chuck Liddell I)

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The line ended in the early evening at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada with former UFC heavyweight champion, Randy Couture (10-5), as the moderate underdog at +170 against the (12-1) 33 year old knockout star, Chuck Liddell. Couture nearing 40 years of age, chose to fight in the 205 pound division for the first time in his career. The match was billed as the future vs the past, with Liddell winning his last none matches and Couture losing his last two. The "Ice Man", as Liddell was aptly nicknames, had won IFC World Light Heavyweight Championship back in 2000, but this was his first major championship, and it was for the UFC Interm Light-heavyweight title. Couture had previously held gold, as he won the UFC Heavyweight championship against Kevin Randleman at UFC 28.

The title match was held at the Thomas and Mack Center on June 6, 2003. UFC 43. During the course of the evening's event, prime superstar, Vitor Belfort, also at light-heavyweight, had just scored a technical knockout of Marvin Eastman who sported one of the worst head injuries in the history of MMA with a wide gash from Belfort's knee, that went straight down across the forehead to the left eye. Liddell came out to a very "humorous" opening promo by Baz from the TAPOUT Crew. The crowd was absolutely electric as both men were fan favorites. But many had thought Liddell would just simply be too much for the aging Couture. Hardly anyone gave Couture a chance, which was exactly what Couture had anticipated when he once fought a similar opponent at UFC 15, in the undefeated Vitor Belfort.

Finally, here it was, the chance to meet the knockout star. Couture would defeat the odds at Mandalay Bay and serve up one of the greatest upsets at the time, and set the stage for what will be one of the single greatest trilogies in UFC history. Couture would become the first MMA fighter to win championships in two different weight classes at age 39. It wouldn't be the last time he would deny the critics and Las Vegas odds.

Randy Couture vs Chuck Liddell UFC 43

 
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Chuck didn't have the Hawaiian Kempo Eye Poke going for that fight.
"Chuck Liddell was mockingly called 'The Eyesman' after thumbing Vernon White, Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture within four fights."
- Jack Slack, Bleacher Report, Oct 8th 2013

 
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The line ended in the early evening at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada with former UFC heavyweight champion, Randy Couture (10-5), as the moderate underdog at +170 against the (12-1) 33 year old knockout star, Chuck Liddell. Couture nearing 40 years of age, chose to fight in the 205 pound division for the first time in his career. The match was billed as the future vs the past, with Liddell winning his last none matches and Couture losing his last two. The "Ice Man", as Liddell was aptly nicknames, had won IFC World Light Heavyweight Championship back in 2000, but this was his first major championship, and it was for the UFC Interm Light-heavyweight title. Couture had previously held gold, as he won the UFC Heavyweight championship against Kevin Randleman at UFC 28.

The title match was held at the Thomas and Mack Center on June 6, 2003. UFC 43. During the course of the evening's event, prime superstar, Vitor Belfort, also at light-heavyweight, had just scored a technical knockout of Marvin Eastman who sported one of the worst head injuries in the history of MMA with a wide gash from Belfort's knee, that went straight down across the forehead to the left eye. Liddell came out to a very "humorous" opening promo by Baz from the TAPOUT Crew. The crowd was absolutely electric as both men were fan favorites. But many had thought Liddell would just simply be too much for the aging Couture. Hardly anyone gave Couture a chance, which was exactly what Couture had anticipated when he once fought a similar opponent at UFC 15, in the undefeated Vitor Belfort.

Finally, here it was, the chance to meet the knockout star. Couture would defeat the odds at Mandalay Bay and serve up one of the greatest upsets at the time, and set the stage for what will be one of the single greatest trilogies in UFC history. Couture would become the first MMA fighter to win championships in two different weight classes at age 39. It wouldn't be the last time he would deny the critics and Las Vegas odds.

Randy Couture vs Chuck Liddell UFC 43


Honest to God I picked randy to win but not by tko.
 
I had not known this, thank you for the tidbit. Who would you have taken if that would have been the case?

Arlovski was still a bit green having got finished by Ricco and Rizzo around that time in his first 2 UFC fights or maybe first 3 or so and wasn't quite into that beast mode yet. I don't remember who I had thought would win at the time probably Randy but I remember thinking It might have been it for Randy after the Ricco or Barnett fights age wise which made his performance vs Chuck that much more spectacular. I did favor Randy over Sylvia though when very few agreed, just a good fight for him stylistically.
 
I think part of it is that Randy as ever scouted Chuck very well in the first fight.

He saw that Chuck liked to back up a lot for defence and when that happened Randy exploited it rushing after him and taking him down when he was off balance.

I think that is actually what resulted in Chuck shifting his style around 04-05, he became less mobile and focused more on keeping a strong base for takedown defence and on looking for big shots fast. It worked against Randy in the rematches and did ok vs Tito and Babalu but even then I think you saw the weakness of it defensively, Chuck became VERY hittable standing then when he started to face dangerous strikers it really caught up with him.
 
That whole event was great from the prelims on to the main event, that was a great era there when they only had 5-6 PPV's and literally all 8-9 fights were either major contender matches, or a feature bout with some future HOF prospect, or a dream match, you recognized and knew every name on the card if you were into MMA back then it was a great era.
 
I think part of it is that Randy as ever scouted Chuck very well in the first fight.

He saw that Chuck liked to back up a lot for defence and when that happened Randy exploited it rushing after him and taking him down when he was off balance.

I think that is actually what resulted in Chuck shifting his style around 04-05, he became less mobile and focused more on keeping a strong base for takedown defence and on looking for big shots fast. It worked against Randy in the rematches and did ok vs Tito and Babalu but even then I think you saw the weakness of it defensively, Chuck became VERY hittable standing then when he started to face dangerous strikers it really caught up with him.

This is actually a very sound process and it sure did change Liddell's fighting style to an extent. Couture i think is exceptional when fighting against orthodox strikers, Belfort, Rizzo, Liddell and engages them with close engagement where he can use his "dirty" boxing style against the fence and by applying pressure which slows down these types of opponents.
 
That whole event was great from the prelims on to the main event, that was a great era there when they only had 5-6 PPV's and literally all 8-9 fights were either major contender matches, or a feature bout with some future HOF prospect, or a dream match, you recognized and knew every name on the card if you were into MMA back then it was a great era.

Which made for great cards all around. Today, we are saturated with weekly events and very "watered" down cards.
 
I was more shocked by the rematch, because Randy had eaten Tito, Chuck, and Victor’s lunch, only to run into a punch (iirc). It was like…that was it? We waited all this time for a destruction. It added to Chuck’s career, though, and he was way more marketable overall.

It sucks Randy has been kicked out of the UFC. He’s one of the hall of famers that could really play the role DC currently plays (maybe not when it comes to in-ring interviews though).
 
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