Islam's Accomplishments vs. Randall Duane Couture

[mkt]

I keep seeing people comparing Islam to GOAT candidates who have a double-digit number of title defenses. I think Randy Couture (multi-division champ) is a better comparison.

Islam:

• Won UFC LW championship
• Defended it 4 times, breaking the record previously held by Khabib/BJ Penn/Frankie/Bendo
• Won the WW championship
• No WW title defenses yet

Randy:

• UFC 13 Tournament winner
• Won UFC HW championship 3 times
• Defended it 3 times total
• Won UFC LHW championship twice
• Never won a title defense match (vacated LHW belt the first time he won LHW belt and lost to Liddell the second time)

 

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

Randy is a legend and slept on by the Conor Noobs...

I have both Top 10-15 GOAT

 

[mkt]

Randy is a legend and slept on by the Conor Noobs...

I have both Top 10-15 GOAT

Cormier is similar. I won't bother with his stats, but he was a 2-division UFC champ with multiple defenses at LHW. And he was the Strikeforce HW tournament winner (impressive wins over prime Bigfoot and Barnett).

 

[Zebra Cheeks]

I keep seeing people comparing Islam to GOAT candidates who have a double-digit number of title defenses. I think Randy Couture (multi-division champ) is a better comparison.

Islam:

• Won UFC LW championship
• Defended it 4 times, breaking the record previously held by Khabib/BJ Penn/Frankie/Bendo
• Won the WW championship
• No WW title defenses yet

Randy:

• UFC 13 Tournament winner
• Won UFC HW championship 3 times
• Defended it 3 times total
• Won UFC LHW championship twice
• Never won a title defense match (vacated LHW belt the first time he won LHW belt and lost to Liddell the second time)

I think one of the things that made Randy’s accomplishment pretty cool was the size difference between him and his opponents. Even though he lost, that lesnar fight will always stand out to me.

In terms of value/impressiveness it’s definitely Islam because it was just a more dominant and impressive run with a lot less question marks. But the Lhw to HW jump is really tough to make,

 

[UkraineFreightTrain]

Randy is the only guy to beat (dethrone) 5 active UFC champions, I believe GSP is 2nd place with 3

 

[Fight Professor]

Couture had a 16-8 record when he fought Brock.

 

[mkt]

I think one of the things that made Randy’s accomplishment pretty cool was the size difference between him and his opponents. Even though he lost, that lesnar fight will always stand out to me.

In terms of value/impressiveness it’s definitely Islam because it was just a more dominant and impressive run with a lot less question marks. But the Lhw to HW jump is really tough to make,

It's worth noting that pretty much everyone in Randy's generation (he started in 1997) had multiple losses in their first 5 years. The sport was quickly evolving. Wrestlers got submitted until they learned better sub defense (happened a couple of times to Randy). Strikers got outwrestled or submitted until they learned more grappling (Bas Rutten is an example).

So I don't knock them as much for not having an early flawless record (or only one loss like Islam). It was very hard to get proper cross-training in those days.

 

[mkt]

I think one of the things that made Randy’s accomplishment pretty cool was the size difference between him and his opponents. Even though he lost, that lesnar fight will always stand out to me.

In terms of value/impressiveness it’s definitely Islam because it was just a more dominant and impressive run with a lot less qJuuestion marks. But the Lhw to HW jump is really tough to make,

Juiced Barnett, Ricco, Sylvia and Gonzaga were also a lot bigger than Randy.

 

[Zebra Cheeks]

Juiced Barnett, Ricco, Sylvia and Gonzaga were also a lot bigger than Randy.

Yeah, that was back in pre usada heavyweight where I think the 265 was something a lot more guys genuinely were hitting the sauna, and cutting weight to get to.

Now a days you just don’t see guys built the same. Not pointing fingers I just think the decline of HW was definitely in line with USADA.

And I do believe Randy was not one who beefed up the ways other did, if I’m remembering correctly wasn’t he at 225-240 for some of those fights? Sorry it’s been years since I’ve revisited Randy’s stuff I think it was over a decade now that from when he retired so it’s been a minute

 

[Alpha_T83]

Randy is a legend and slept on by the Conor Noobs...

I have both Top 10-15 GOAT

I will never forget watching him fight Tim Sylvia, and flooring him seconds into the fight, dominating from start to finish.

After losing to Chuck twice, no one gave him a snowball's chance in hell.

 

[Hymen Crusher]

Couture was awesome. I think this is a good comparison. If islam wants to sneak in the goat convo he will need 3 legit defenses then he is close. Usman isnt one of em. He needs to beat shav, morales, usman and one more.

 

[volcom5]

All Makhachev needs now is his own Islam JO video.

 

[mkt]

Couture was awesome. I think this is a good comparison. If islam wants to sneak in the goat convo he will need 3 legit defenses then he is close. Usman isnt one of em. He needs to beat shav, morales, usman and one more.

I agree 100% about Usman. I mean the 2nd short-notice Volk fight and Moicano were bad enough as LW title defenses.

 

[mkt]

All Makhachev needs now is his own Islam JO video.

I think that happens 10 years after retirement to get your name back in the news.

 

[bng]

randy couture followers - 600 000
islam followers - 2 000 000 000

 

[cburm]

I keep seeing people comparing Islam to GOAT candidates who have a double-digit number of title defenses. I think Randy Couture (multi-division champ) is a better comparison.

Islam:

• Won UFC LW championship
• Defended it 4 times, breaking the record previously held by Khabib/BJ Penn/Frankie/Bendo
• Won the WW championship
• No WW title defenses yet

Randy:

• UFC 13 Tournament winner
• Won UFC HW championship 3 times
• Defended it 3 times total
• Won UFC LHW championship twice
• Never won a title defense match (vacated LHW belt the first time he won LHW belt and lost to Liddell the second time)

Khabib had 3 defences after he won the belt I'm sure

 

[Thepaintbucket]

Randy was usually the older guy in a lot of those fights and the underdog. He's one of those guys you could never count out no matter what phase of his career he was in. Randy had grit. With that being said Couture got a lot of opportunities for being the poster boy

Imo Islam has the ability to stay champion in either division. Randy could never do that.

 

[cburm]

I keep seeing people comparing Islam to GOAT candidates who have a double-digit number of title defenses. I think Randy Couture (multi-division champ) is a better comparison.

Islam:

• Won UFC LW championship
• Defended it 4 times, breaking the record previously held by Khabib/BJ Penn/Frankie/Bendo
• Won the WW championship
• No WW title defenses yet

Randy:

• UFC 13 Tournament winner
• Won UFC HW championship 3 times
• Defended it 3 times total
• Won UFC LHW championship twice
• Never won a title defense match (vacated LHW belt the first time he won LHW belt and lost to Liddell the second time)

Bj penn lw ,4 defences
Ww with defence
Faught lyoto at lhw.

 

[volcom5]

Randy was usually the older guy in a lot of those fights and the underdog. With that being said Couture got a lot of opportunities for being the poster boy

Couture started his career at 33, the age where fighters are already “out of their primes” he was always going to be fighting fighters who are younger, same as Jones, youngest Champion was always going to be fighting older opponents.

 

[mkt]

Khabib had 3 defences after he won the belt I'm sure

Yep. That's why I said Khabib, BJ, Frankie and Bendo were tied with 3 defenses. Islam broke that record.