Not sure how many UFC fans are here, but this is HUGE!

On November 15th, the champ is back.

Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White today announced that after a year away from the game, UFC heavyweight champion Randy "The Natural" Couture will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon to defend his title against rising star Brock Lesnar in a clash of titans destined to shake the foundations of the sport. This championship bout, the biggest heavyweight title fight in years, will headline UFC 91: COUTURE vs. LESNAR, live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008.

"I am happy to announce that UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture will be returning to action in the Octagon," said Dana White, UFC President. "He's a legend in the UFC, and one of the fighters that helped build this sport. I have always said that wrestling is one of the best bases you can have in MMA and not only is Randy a top level wrestler but his opponent is as well. Brock Lesnar showed the MMA world that he is for real in his last fight, dismantling the far more experienced Heath Herring. His combination of speed and power was absolutely devastating. It is a fascinating matchup: the crafty, multiple-time heavyweight champion versus the younger, bigger, and stronger challenger. This is one that will go down in the history books."

Ticket information for UFC 91: COUTURE vs. LESNAR will be announced shortly.

UFC 91: COUTURE vs. LESNAR will be available live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

A UFC Hall of Famer whose name is synonymous with mixed martial arts, Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture (16- is the only fighter in history to win the UFC world heavyweight title three times, and that’s not even mentioning his two UFC light heavyweight titles. Owner of heavyweight wins over the likes of Maurice Smith, Vitor Belfort, Kevin Randleman, and Pedro Rizzo (twice), the 45-year old Las Vegas resident turned back the clock in 2007 with a stirring win over Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 that netted him his third heavyweight crown. Couture defended his title for the first time at UFC 74 with a third round TKO of number one contender Gabriel Gonzaga, and now the man often referred to as “Captain America” will look to prove once again that he should never be counted out in a fight when he takes on Brock Lesnar.

“I have a lot of respect for Brock as an athlete and a collegiate wrestler, but I know exactly where he’s at, he’s trying to make the transition from a wrestler to mixed martial arts,” said Couture. “I’ve been there, done that, and I know what the pitfalls are. This will be an interesting matchup, and it will be very nice to be home in the Octagon for this fight.”

A physically gifted athlete with the size, speed, and power to impose his will on any opponent, Brock Lesnar (2-1) made an immediate impact in the UFC when he debuted here in February of 2008, and he has his sights set on shocking the world on November 15th. A four-time All-American, two-time Big Ten Champion, and 2000 NCAA Division I National Champion in wrestling, Lesnar made a name for himself internationally after college as a professional wrestler, but he soon found his true love in mixed martial

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arts in 2006. After a 69 second win in his pro debut a year later, Lesnar entered the UFC and made a positive impression in a loss to former heavyweight champion Frank Mir at UFC 81, but at UFC 87 in August, the Minneapolis-St. Paul resident showed why he is rapidly becoming one of the most feared fighters in the sport today and an immediate threat to the heavyweight throne.

"It's an honor to fight Randy Couture, he's a legend in this sport, and to get the chance to test myself against him is a gift," said Lesnar. "A lot guys would love to have this opportunity, Randy is the UFC heavyweight champion. There is one goal that I've had since I started training in MMA and that is to capture the title. Now that I'm getting the chance, nothing is going to stop me. I'm walking out of the Octagon with the belt around my waist."

About The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC produces over twelve live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including iNDEMAND Networks, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN Entertainment, Shaw Pay-Per-View, Bell ExpressVU, Viewers Choice, SaskTel Max and via the Internet worldwide on Yahoo! Sports, and commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. In addition to its North American distribution, UFC programming is distributed in over 100 countries and territories throughout the world. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or ufcespanol.com.



Arttie

Makes me wish I had television...

Yeah, I heard about this rumor a while back. It's terrible, if you ask me. Lesnar is complete crap. He's huge and a great wrestler, but he has NO fighting skill. When he just fought Heath Herring, he basically just laid on him all night, dropping punches and grazing elbows and whatnot. But he did nothing else. Even when he had dominant positions, he gave them up because he didn't know what to do. I mean, he had a full rear-mount with the hooks in at one point and gave up the position. HELLO? Rear-naked choke?

Terrible. And Couture is great but ridiculously overrated at this point. So he beat Tim Sylvia. Well, Sylvia sucks. Then he beat Gonzaga, but that guy was nothing special. Sure, it was shocking that the old-ass Couture won, but it got blown out of proportion.

And then Couture got a big head and crapped all over his fans, accusing the UFC of ripping him off and not paying him what he deserves! Pffft! The dude signed a four-fight contract and got paid every dime (which equaled about $6 million for two fights in a year). He got himself a Hollywood agent and thought he was the man! Why? Because he was old and beat two young fighters that everyone thought would beat him? Pffffffffffft! Go read the reviews of Scorpion King 2 and you'll have no misconceptions on why he's now returning to the UFC.

I think Lesnar is crap, but I hope he destroys Couture.

I think Lesnar is the future of the UFC heavyweight division, personally.




Arttie

Aren't they rushing Lesnar a bit?

tohostudios wrote:

Aren't they rushing Lesnar a bit?

They are, but that's how MMA works. Fans don't have the patience to watch a fighter groomed over the years by fighting turds and getting gift decisions like boxing fans are. MMA is just too inconsistent, in that champions hardly ever reign for long periods of time. This is real fighting. Not that boxing isn't real, but it's so much more structured—the act of boxing and the business of it—that it's easier to remain a champ for years and years. In MMA, amazing fighters and always getting beat by the lesser man because it's far more primal. Fighting skill has less to do with winning.

So fighters get shot to the top quick. Lesnar's a big name, he thinks he's the man, so Dana White tells him to prove it. If he doesn't, he'll fade away. MMA is about the fights, not the fighters.

And I don't think Lesnar is the future of the UFC at all. The first fighter with power in his punch that can negate Lesnar's size advantage will knock him out in epic fashion. That'll be the end of Lesnar. He'll never be the same after that. His size is his only advantage.

Didn't Dana White slam EliteXC for putting Kimbo Slice in a main event so soon on their first NBC telecast? Seems like he's doing the same thing.

BTW, I just saw where Slice will be facing Ken Shamrock next. If it's not fixed, Shamrock should own him.

BTW Eyesore, that avatar is hilarious!

No skill? Like Couture years ago he is a great wrestler who needs to learn a little more MMA. I think part of the reason they are doing this is because of Couture's age. And Lesnar was killing Mir.

tohostudios wrote:

Didn't Dana White slam EliteXC for putting Kimbo Slice in a main event so soon on their first NBC telecast? Seems like he's doing the same thing.

BTW, I just saw where Slice will be facing Ken Shamrock next. If it's not fixed, Shamrock should own him.

But Lesnar is a world class wrestler and somewhat of a superstar in his own right. Kimbo Slice is a turd and "YouTube legend." I'd say there's a huge difference. Haha.

Ken Shamrock should get knocked out very quick.

As for Lesnar I am one of the biggest MMA fans out there. Personally I think this is way too rushed and Lesnar doesn't deserve a shot at all. This is all about publicity and money if you ask me. There have been fighters in the MMA who deserve a shot at Couture over Lesnar, say Mir who beat Lesnar.

I thought that Kongo and Lesnar would be the next fight but i was wrong.

I actually hope Fedor comes over to the UFC and destroys everyone there that thinks they are great heavyweights.