Report: Randy Couture vs Brandon Vera UFC 105 main event under consideration

why is boring @ss vera still getting tv time. he is a good fighter but boring!
put him on a fightnight undercard

rashad did the same when he was supposed to fight chuck liddell after chuck got injured rashad preferred to not fight at all instead of getting a replacement

what a lil bit@h

This is such a random match up to me. Vera can KO Randy and Randy can just as easily UD Vera. Whatever…

i don’t like this match up,would of definitely preferred rashad/couture to this but w.e

Agree with Dsmith, this fight does nothing for either the fighter or the fans. Yarn!

Vera easily wins a striking match, he’s also faster with a big reach advantage! bad matchup for Randy…

The UFC are getting desperate. Seeing things like this happen makes you realize even more that everything comes down to them (the UFC) making money on names.
Randy is apparently “promised” a title shot with a win, ’cause he helped to save the show by accepting the bout, and they tried to make a MW title bout between Matt Hughes and The Spider!?

just a bunch of crap!

Roberto, I don’t want to see this matchup even though it is “a little” interesting… but to say the UFC only “comes down to making money on names”… is pretty much saying the UFC is out to give the fans what they want to see.. I don’t believe Couture is promised a title shot with a win.. they just want to give Couture a fight he’s happy with and 1 they can make $$$ off of… UFC is NOT ‘desperate’… they are feeling out the fans before ‘inking the deal’

Easy one to call. Vera by tko 1st round

I too agree with DSmith, this is just a meaningless matchup and reaks of desperation matchmaking! Every time the UFC sell tickets to a British card now they never have a main event in place, they’re always scrambling to cobble together a matchup at the last minute. This never happens in America!

The Scrambling for a main event for the last few uk cards put me off buying a ticket through FightClub pre-sale…good point A-Dog!

It might be a little desperate, but random matchups like this that are completely unexpected are welcome as far as im concerned, we usually get 2 good cards a month, whats the big deal with throwing a wild card match up in every once and a while, especially when its someone like Randy? im definately looking forward to seeing Randy drop drop and scrap Vera.

Even after the weight cut? I am not all that sure. We will see. An aging man cutting weight doesn’t sound all that promising to me at this point.

I’m thinking that that might be more than counterbalanced by Couture’s ability to come up with great strategies and the fact that vera hasn’t been impressive in ……..2…maybe 3 years?

This fight is lame! I can’t think of a more boring matchup. And it’s an insult to Couture to have to fight a chump like Vera just so the UFC can hype Vera up again and act like he matters to any weight class. I hope Randy turns down this fight. He should be fighting top guys until it’s proven that he can’t hang at that level anymore, then he should fight other past-their-prime legends. He shouldn’t have to put his legacy on the line against guys who still haven’t proven themselves. He should be fighting guys like Wandy, Andy, Machida, Rashad, Hendo, Franklin, CroCop. Personally, I don’t think anybody who’s never had a title belt around their waste or even consistently a top contender deserves to fight a 5 time world Champ who’s still in his prime.

not to mention the fact that Randy is an overwhelming powerhouse at 205. There’s really nobody at that weight that he can’t completely manhandle. If he can get inside Vera’s reach, he’ll snap him like a twig.

I don’t think this is a fight to show Vera matters at all. Since he dropped weight, he’s been…well…boring. I think this is to give Randy a nice warm up fight (w/o being too much of a gimmee) against someone with a name who they know he’ll beat.

what evidence did you prevent to show kimbo is a dumb thug

what evidence do you have suggesting he is a dumb thug?

no one in tis instance buddy, my bad.
Rampage duck Machida (title shot)
Rampage took forever to fight Forrest
Evans ducking couture (who I think he’d dominate) to fight a chump who in my opinion hasn’t lived up to his hype since coming to the UFC. I was heated zack, my bad, just sick of fighters turning fights down!

I guess he doesn’t want to risk a loss or injury because he wants to beat Rampage so bad. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt.

so what about him turning down fight with rampage after jardine fight (i think)

so kevin your saying that after rampage ko’d eastman, ko’d liddell than dominated hendo you didnt think he looked good? i agree that after that he’s been inconsitant but to say you havent been impressed just sounds ignorant

you gotta think about it like this. the rashad rampage fight has been getting built up for so long now and rashad really wants to fight rampage. say he fought randy on this card, say he tweeks something in the fight and has to take a month or so off then rampage comes in ready to fight in feb rashad wouldnt be ready and the fight would get pushed back even further

Kev- that on Rampage’s part. I want to say Page said he he needed to have jaw surgery after the Jardine fight. I remember him saying it on the Dana vlog in the locker room right after the fight.

I feel what your saying, the possible Evans- Coutoure fight would have been 100x better for the UFC and the fans than this Vera fight. Im not feeling it either bro how guys are ducking fights for whatever reason (money or otherwise)

there is nothing to clank down on Rampage for.. he’s done whatever the UFC’s wanted him to do!
I don’t really see the big deal, he’s gonna fight Rashad anyway..

I mean if they really wanted him to fight Rashad right away they wouldn’t have offered him the fight against Jardine.. then if they really wanted him to fight Lyoto they wouldn’t have offered him the season on TUF against Rashad!

Bottom line, blame the UFC if anything

This is the same thing as when the UFC had the Chuck/Rashad fight booked and then Chuck got hurt and tried to offer Rashad a fight with James Irvin. Rashad was already training for hard for Chuck and wanted that opportunity so he decided to wait for it. The same can be said here…the fight with Rampage is what he’s training for right now. He’s focused 100% on Rampage and Rampage only. To take a fight with Randy would force him to divert his focus and then risk getting injured and postponing the fight with Rampage. Remember how much steam was lsot when the Serra/Hughes fight didn’t happen until months and months after the reality show? It lost all it’s luster and the same would happen here if Rashad fought Randy. This is Rashad’s big advantage over Page right now…Page is concentrating on doing a movie…Rashad is concentrating on knocking his head into Dana’s lap.

Besides…Rashad’s hand speed and power would make the fight against Big Nog look like a tickle fight.

Rashad turned down this fight with couture, so vera’s stepping up.

nvm lol i read down more and it was posted that rashad turned down a fight against randy. Ya i hate it too, a fights a fight just take it. It would make sense. He’s moving down and quinton is out. you know i think the whole movie deals are bullshit. There not fucking actors theyre here to fight. Quit acting and get in the octagon with rashad quinton

read the article guy’s. left to right, top to bottom. take tylenol for any headaches, midol for any cramps.

And he turned down a fight with Rampage at ufc 96 i think it was. When Rampage fought Jardine.

Yep he did.

I’m actually quite happy with this main event, sure it’s strange that Vera is the one getting a crack at Randy but it’s great that both are taking a fight on a UK card on short notice. As much as I dislike Vera I have to give the guy credit for fighting Randy, whilst Couture is a legend and is the sort of name us UK fans have been crying out for. It’s an interesting fight that will show whether Couture can still hack it against top LHWs and if Vera is ever going to fulfil his potential and become a star.

Personally I think that Randy will wear Brandon down in the clinch and break him mentally, taking him down at will and controlling the fight. Vera has looked far from a deadly finisher since the Mir fight so I don’t see him stopping Randy.

I’m not going to bash Rashad for not taking this fight as it’s not his fault that Rampage decided to play Mr T instead of fighting in the main event in his hometown, so it wouldn’t make any sense for him to take a tough fight for less money when he has spent 6 weeks filming a reality show to promote his fight with Rampage.

No big surprise that Lil Nog-Cane is at 106 instead of 105, that card is a much bigger priority for the UFC and the UK card is already filled up with UK prospects and journeymen. Everyone who bashed the quality of that card must be feeling pretty silly now.

Pleased for you Dave that you’ll get to see Couture live, that’s the kind of big name we’ve been crying out for. To me though it’s a meaningless matchup as a win for either man does nothing really to advance their careers. I’d have to see Couture in a much more meaningful fight to be persuaded to buy a ticket as the rest of the card for me is so dire, so I’ll be sticking to my guns and not attending.

If some of the rumoured fights had come off and the Ufc had given this as a main card……

Couture vs Vera
Nate vs Hendo
Lil Nog vs Cane
Bizzzzzbing vs Kang
Hardy vs Kim

…..I would have had no complaints as that would have been great, and for a numbered UFC show with no title fight (which we were promised), I really dont think that’s asking a lot. But to still have Bizzzzbing (coming off a monumental KO loss) and Kang (1-1 in the UFC) as a co main event is taking the p!ss a bit.

Same here mate, if that fight card (or simialr) would of come together I would be buying a ticket now.. I could put up with seeing Bisping yet again for the strength of the top fights further up the card!

Great card.

Ditto!

Bizzzzbing coming off a massive KO in his last fight vs 1-1 Denis Kang in co main event – That is taking the piss!!!!!

Hardy vs Stun Gun – two barely top 15 WW’s – WOW!

No Cain vs Lil Nog either. If you’re getting excited about this card you’ve got problems!

lil nog/cane is confirmed for 106

lol a fight against Kristof (who vera just beat) would do more for Randy than Vera? Well you guys don’t have to worry, I got Vera by KO!

Yeah I meant it was not the case of being extremely one sided when Kristof did fight Vera but I think Couture would destroy Kristof. Sorry, stated poorly.

I think Vera vs Krzyztof was pretty one sided, reminded me of Tito/Machida only two lesser fighters..

You are right about that…

Machida owned Tito.

Enlighten me gaara. Please burn and pawn me. What do you want to discuss?

I completely agree with Adam here.The 205 division is not really overflowing with people who deserve a title shot.Regardless the winner of this fight is 1 win away from the Dragon ( and whoever it is will lose )

Yeah, gaara. You always say stuff but don’t wanna debate. You always run yopur mouth without backin’ it up. really nice.

I don’t think evans is a pussy. He’s clearly looking to fight Rampage next and I don’t believe it will be long after this year that Rampage will be ready to fight.
I agree that Hendo doesn’t deserve more money but more power to him for trying to get it.

What about the actual Englsh language you stupid septic tank.

Blur huh. And you failed to mention the Beatles, Clash and Sex Pistols? Try listening to music earlier than 1997.

And what continent are the countries Germamy and the Netherlands in? Read what you wrote homie!!

If you read above higher youd know we are just plain out calling england as “europe” since thats reall all they do, except for germany. But still now that you know the facts you act like you already knew and poorly turned it around. basically just read the whole attached conversation and let that seep in real deep in your brain.

Your the one who’s poorly turning things around pal but we’ll just leave it at that.

Santiago…Fail

you get an E for “effort” though…

I wouldn’t complain about this card if I wasn’t going to it, as the tickets were dear and I am hoping for as good a card as possible. No complaints about a Couture main event and full credit to Vera for stepping up, my main problem all along was the lack of big names and interesting fights because of all of the British fighters filling up the card, now it looks pretty decent hopefully the 12 fights will be exciting and Randy will put on another awesome fight.

I hear you David. Personally I would hope to get a little more for my money if I was going to the event also. But for those of us stateside that get this one for free, there’s little to complain about.

I’m pretty much only going because this is the first UK card since 70 to be in Manchester and 80 to be in the North so I’ll take any card at this point.

This would be a much better show if the UFC weren’t so bothered about filling the card up with British fighters, fair enough the TUF 9 alumni deserve fights in Manchester but Kelly, Taylor and Etim fight on so many UK prelims that it’s gotten ridiculous. Hardy will probabaly get found out by a superior grappler in Kim and Bisping is coming off a devastating loss so a fight with Kang is clearly not a co-main event worthy fight. If we had a better co-main event e.g. Hendo-Nate and less of the usual suspects on the prelims then this would be a much better card in my opinion and we would have nothing to complain about.

So true david!

well,metal strenght is questionable for vera yes,but physical strenght,i’ll go with vera as he is already at that weight.couture isn’t as strong as he used to be,and considering he will need to cut weight to make 205 in a matter of nine weeks,he will drain a lot of strenght.

No way Vera will be stronger, and you’re smoking meth if you think Vera’s going to make him tap.

Randy not as strong as he used to be?!? Are you nuts? Did you hot see the Lesnar fight. Randy pushed him up against the cage and held him there. He was doing quite well wrestling Lesnar before he got rocked with that punch…and Lesnar is a 285 lbs gorrilla and national champion wrestler. Nobody at 205 is gonna match strength with Couture…not even my boy Rampage.

he was against lenar, idk if u saw that fight but he was beating lesnar and brock decided to stop grappling with him and got him a lucky punch..

He wasn’t beating Lesnar in any way. He was just neutralizing the monster.

Other than UFC 75, the UK cards in particular have never had anything close to resembling a “superbowl like fight”.

UFC 70: Cro Cop-Gonzaga
UFC 72: Franklin-Okami (Northern Ireland)
UFC 75: Rampage-Henderson
UFC 80: Penn-Stevenson
UFC 85: Hughes-Alves
UFC 89: Bisping-Leben
UFC 95: Sanchez-Stevenson
UFC 105: Couture-Vera

Even the Republic of Ireland and Germany shows had superior main events, as Franklin-Henderson and Franklin-Silva were big fights between UFC and Pride legends.

Our best main events involved one star against a lesser name e.g. Cro Cop, Penn, Hughes and now Couture but some of them beggar belief, Bisping-Leben in particular was an awful main event and was originally supposed to be a last minute undercard fight at 85 before Leben got arrested. We have had some big fights promised e.g. Penn-Sanchez, Liddell-Shogun, Liddell-Evans, Silva (both)-Bisping, Couture-Evans but for one reason or another i.e. injuries, defeats, money these fights have not happened.

Admittedly some of these problems are far from the UFC’s fault as they can’t help someone being greedy, not wanting to fight abroad, losing a big fight or getting injured but it is still very frustrating at times being a UK MMA fan as we have missed out on some sick cards and huge fights, whilst being expected to pay top prices for what at times are essentially Fight Night caliber cards. Some of these shows have gone on to be very exciting e.g. 80, 95, whilst others have been awful to watch, so I’m hoping that 105 will turn out to be an exciting card live, as we have 12 fights including Couture, though I could live without seeing the same faces on every European card.

Dude, what could be a bigger super-bowlish fight than Rampage vs Hendo!!! That was a unification title bout between the reigning 205 champions of PRIDE and UFC!!! …not to mention that people had been dying to see that fight in PRIDE for years. The Japanese would’ve invaded England to get tickets to that fight.
Penn/Stevenson was a title fight. Franklin/Okami was a #1 contender fight. And CroCop/Gonzaga was 2 top-5 guys with the winner guaranteed the next title shot.

Granted, Bisping/Leben was a pathetic headliner, but Bisping’s the closest thing you’ve got to a star.

Great post dave.

Yeah great post Dave, I feel the same in my experience of the UK shows