Wow, there is a huge American bias on this forum. I'm glad there are some who have the sense to see that Couture's ranking, while nice, is no match for Silva's.
Couture lost to Valentine Overeem.
Couture has been submitted several times.
Couture has tapped out several times.
Couture has gassed out more than once.
Couture needs the fence to win most of his fights.
Couture has 4 fights at 205. And 3 wins over Vitor who is awesome but unranked and top 3 fighters in Tito and Liddell. He decisioned Tito and stopped Chuck. Silva is like 20-0 in Pride. Each promotion only has like 3 top guys at 205. UFC has Liddell, Tito, Couture and Pride has Wandy, Rampage, Arona.
I don't think tito would play a dumb game like rampage and stand with silva. He'd probably play the same game only a little smarter like the first tito vs silva and win another boring decision. As for silva vs vitor hmmm ....that's interesting will the forecity of silva actually lead him to a win this time? not sure I'm thinking he'd just bite off more then he can chew just like the first one silva still throws loopin punches and and comes straight in...belfort throws fast straight accurate ones so I'm guessin belfort would probably take it but who knows.
randy couture is an mma nobody, let him come to the olympics of mma in japan and accomplish something before we go comparing him to wanderlei the titan
Couture beat Liddel when he was ranked # 2 and some people even had liddell @ #1. Couture beat Tito when Tito was ranked # 1. Couture beat 2 of the 3 men who have beaten Vanderlei - Tito and Belfort. Couture has OWNED everyone he fought at LHW.
Vanderlei OTOH, lost to guys that Couture has beaten, has been knocked down by several guys, and was in seroius trouble against rampage.
Randy is easily #1. Vanderlei has however proven himself a strong #2. And Rampage is still #3.
UFC wants to match up with Pride. Pride is afraid to match up with UFC.
Couture as a LHW, well he beat the top guys in the class, while Silva has lost to the top guys Tito and Vitor.
The FREAK cut has to be looked at for what it was. Do you think Cro Cop gloats in his win against post-roided Barnett.
I looked up Silva's recent record: talk about a hand picked selection of easy victims, mostly tomato cans with sub .500 records.
Win Quinton Jackson KO PRIDE 28-High Octane 10/31/2004
Win Yuki Kondo KO PRIDE-Final Conflict 2004 8/15/2004
Win Ikuhisa Minowa KO (Punches) PRIDE-Bushido 2 2/15/2004
Win Quinton Jackson TKO (Strikes) PRIDE-Final Conflict 11/9/2003
Win Hidehiko Yoshida Decision (Unanimous) PRIDE-Final Conflict 11/9/2003
Win Kazushi Sakuraba KO (Punch) PRIDE-Total Elimination 2003 8/10/2003
Win Hiromitsu Kanehara TKO (Towel) PRIDE 23-Championship Chaos 2 11/24/2002
Win Tatsuya Iwasaki TKO (Strikes) PRIDE-Shockwave 8/28/2002
Draw Mirko Filipovic Draw PRIDE 20-Armed and Ready 4/28/2002
Win Kiyoshi Tamura TKO (Punch) PRIDE 19-Bad Blood 2/24/2002
Win Alexander Otsuka TKO (Doctor Stoppage) PRIDE 18-Cold Fury 2 12/23/2001
Win Kazushi Sakuraba TKO (Doctor Stoppage) PRIDE 17-Championship Chaos 11/3/2001
Win Shungo Oyama TKO (Strikes) PRIDE 14-Clash of the Titans 5/27/2001
Win Kazushi Sakuraba TKO (Strikes) PRIDE 13-Collision Course 3/25/2001
Win Dan Henderson Decision PRIDE 12-Cold Fury 12/9/2000
NC Gilbert Yvel No Contest - Yvel Kicked in Groin PRIDE 11-Battle of the Rising Sun 10/31/2000
Win Guy Mezger KO (Punches) PRIDE 10-Return of the Warriors 8/27/2000
Win Todd Medina KO (Knees) Meca 2-Meca World Vale Tudo 2 8/12/2000
Loss Tito Ortiz Decision UFC 25-Ultimate Japan 3 4/14/2000
Win Bob Schrijber Submission (Choke) PRIDE Grand Prix 2000-Opening Round 1/30/2000
Win Daijiro Matsui Decision PRIDE 8-PRIDE 8 11/21/1999
Win Carl Malenko Decision PRIDE 7-PRIDE 7 9/12/1999
Win Tony Petarra KO (Knee to the Head) UFC 20-Battle for the Gold 5/7/1999
Win Eugene Jackson Submission (Punches) IVC 10-World Class Champions 4/27/1999
Win Adrian Serrano KO (Punches and Kick) IVC 9-The Revenge 1/20/1999
Loss Vitor Belfort TKO (Strikes) UFC Brazil-Ultimate Brazil 10/16/1998
My god look at the undersized, poorly skilled opponents, not counting a worn out Rampage in their 1st match. Had the bell not sounded in round 1 last night, Rampage had the win in another 10-15 seconds, but that is the luck of the bell.
Clearly Couture is an unbelievable fighter at LHW. No one can stop his ownage, except his own age. Pride is afraid to put Silva in the ring with him. UFC has much better top fighters and the UFC is willing to put it on the line, while PRIDE loves mismatches and uses very poorly skilled fighters in order to satisfy the Japanese fanbase.