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UFC News: Weight Problems Threaten Randy Couture Vs. James Toney Fight
Cage Stoker
Senior Writer Written on May 11, 2010
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3...es-toney-fight
According to this recent article, the as-yet unsigned match-up between former boxing great James "Lights Out" Toney, and former UFC cage-fighting legend Randy "The Natural" Couture has run into a roadblock of sorts.
This is merely speculation on my part, but the reported road block could very well be a 250 lb. "mountain sized" former boxer named Toney.
According to the above source, the original plan was for the fight to be a 215-pound catchweight. But as of the most recent happenings between the two sides, Toney is now requesting 220 as the final weight limit.
Being an avid boxing fan for over 30 years, none of this comes as any surprise to me.
In his previous boxing career, Toney first campaigned as a middleweight, then moved upward to the super middleweight division; all this coming to light after Toney's well documented battles to make the middleweight 160 pound weight limit.
Then, after back to back losses to Roy Jones Jr. and Montell Griffin—in 1994-95, respectively, Toney, due in part to the losses and also his ever increasing girth, eventually moved to the light heavyweight, cruiserweight and eventually the heavyweight division.
James Toney is in many ways similar to UFC fighter Roy "Big Country" Nelson—without the added ju jitsu ground game of course—in that, regarding his appearance, he is also very deceiving, he has a somewhat "rolly-polly" body planted on a short frame.
However, please don't let that fool you, the boxer nicknamed "Lights Out" is a rapid-fire style puncher, who has tremendous power in his hands; and it would be my opinion that Couture would be foolhardy to stand directly in front of him.
For example, in Oct. 2003 many experts felt that—past prime yet still dangerous former champion Evander Holyfield would demolish the chubby-looking Toney.
Instead, it was Toney who gave Holyfield a boxing lesson; pounding the former five-time heavyweight champ's body with tremendous left and right hooks, and in doing so, in the ninth round, stopped one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time.
Regarding the upcoming fight between Couture and Toney: According to the above credited source, Couture is nonplussed concerning Toney's weight issues, and seemingly could care less. Couture is said to be departing soon on an extended hunting trip.
Couture talked to fanhouse.com's Ariel Helwani: "He's been running his mouth saying he's going to knock everybody out," he said. "I'd be happy to welcome him to MMA."
Sources say Toney Vs. Couture could be signed as early as this weekend.
UFC 118 will take place at Boston's TD Garden this coming summer, tentatively set for Aug. 28
Cage Stoker
Senior Writer Written on May 11, 2010
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3...es-toney-fight
According to this recent article, the as-yet unsigned match-up between former boxing great James "Lights Out" Toney, and former UFC cage-fighting legend Randy "The Natural" Couture has run into a roadblock of sorts.
This is merely speculation on my part, but the reported road block could very well be a 250 lb. "mountain sized" former boxer named Toney.
According to the above source, the original plan was for the fight to be a 215-pound catchweight. But as of the most recent happenings between the two sides, Toney is now requesting 220 as the final weight limit.
Being an avid boxing fan for over 30 years, none of this comes as any surprise to me.
In his previous boxing career, Toney first campaigned as a middleweight, then moved upward to the super middleweight division; all this coming to light after Toney's well documented battles to make the middleweight 160 pound weight limit.
Then, after back to back losses to Roy Jones Jr. and Montell Griffin—in 1994-95, respectively, Toney, due in part to the losses and also his ever increasing girth, eventually moved to the light heavyweight, cruiserweight and eventually the heavyweight division.
James Toney is in many ways similar to UFC fighter Roy "Big Country" Nelson—without the added ju jitsu ground game of course—in that, regarding his appearance, he is also very deceiving, he has a somewhat "rolly-polly" body planted on a short frame.
However, please don't let that fool you, the boxer nicknamed "Lights Out" is a rapid-fire style puncher, who has tremendous power in his hands; and it would be my opinion that Couture would be foolhardy to stand directly in front of him.
For example, in Oct. 2003 many experts felt that—past prime yet still dangerous former champion Evander Holyfield would demolish the chubby-looking Toney.
Instead, it was Toney who gave Holyfield a boxing lesson; pounding the former five-time heavyweight champ's body with tremendous left and right hooks, and in doing so, in the ninth round, stopped one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time.
Regarding the upcoming fight between Couture and Toney: According to the above credited source, Couture is nonplussed concerning Toney's weight issues, and seemingly could care less. Couture is said to be departing soon on an extended hunting trip.
Couture talked to fanhouse.com's Ariel Helwani: "He's been running his mouth saying he's going to knock everybody out," he said. "I'd be happy to welcome him to MMA."
Sources say Toney Vs. Couture could be signed as early as this weekend.
UFC 118 will take place at Boston's TD Garden this coming summer, tentatively set for Aug. 28
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