UFC 74: Respect

UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture called it. Well, sort of.

“I don’t think anybody expected that” says Couture speaking of Gabriel Gonzaga’s stunning knockout of Mirko “CroCop” Filipovic April 21st at UFC 70.

But Couture, who was ringside doing television commentary for the number one contender’s match in Manchester England that night, did have Gonzaga picked to win. And for a while the fight was panning out just the way “The Natural” had said it would in his pre-fight predictions.

“I did expect him [Gonzaga] to win. I did expect him to take ‘CroCop’ down and pound him which is what he was doing before the head kick” says Couture.

Early in the first round, Gonzaga caught a kick from his dangerous Croatian opponent and took him down to the mat. From there Gonzaga used punches and elbows to pound Filipovic like few had ever done before.

But the biggest surprise was still to come. Moments after Gonzaga’s “ground and pound” was artificially and inexplicably interrupted by referee Herb Dean, and the two fighters were stood up in the center of the Octagon, Gonzaga unleashed a thundering kick to the head of “CroCop”, sending him slumping to the floor unconscious.

Suddenly Gonzaga became the next in line to challenge Couture. And though he did not expect the submission grappling expert’s win to come via head kick, Couture says he felt he would win and that he considered Gonzaga to be the better fighter from the start.

“I just felt that he was the more well-rounded fighter” says Couture of the man he will defend his heavyweight title against in August.

“He’s an aggressive guy. He’s dangerous from a whole lot of positions where as ‘Cro Cop’ is dangerous really from only one position.”

Couture figured that Gonzaga would be able to take “CroCop” down, but how does he feel “Napao’s” take downs compare to his own legendary Greco-Roman style takedowns?

“I only saw one takedown in that fight [from Gonzaga], and it was when he caught a kick. So I didn’t get to see a whole lot from that fight in terms of his takedowns. I’ll have to study a lot of tape of him. I know he’s good on the ground” Couture explains.

Despite his respect for Gonzaga’s abilities, it’s clear that Couture is confident in his own chances come fight time. Fighting since 2003, Gonzaga is much newer to the MMA game than Couture, who has competed in countless title fights in his 10 year career.

Couture cites his own experience and the fact that Gonzaga has never before fought in a five round title fight as advantages in his favor. And Couture does not plan on being the one thrown around in August.

“My experience and the fact that it will be a five round fight are important. I’m confident that I can put him on the ground. So we will see how he likes being on the bottom.”