Why do people consider Randy Couture great?

Five time UFC champion... Three at heavy, where he gives up a huge size difference, and twice at light-heavy. If that's not great then I don't know what is.

 

MMA is not boxing. It's not a big dent on a career to have some losses along the way.

 

I agree he is a tad overrated and not the father of MMA. He is however a great fighter in two weight classes.

 

I lol'd

good post, would read again +++

 

Dan Henderson isnt great ? Christ dude do you think him and Couture got the resumes they have because they had about 12 flukes each in there careers ? Fedor is the most dominant doesnt mean hes the only great. Michael Jordan was the most dominant player in the NBA in the 1990s by far does this mean Shaq, Hakeem, Gary Payton, Stockton, Malone and so on where not great players ? Not many people think Randy can beat Fedor but how many people think Lesnar or Mir or Barnett (highest ranked he has not fought) can beat Fedor ? Noboddy working with a full deck thinks that. So ok lets punish the guy because he isnt the best.

 

Like when ?

 

4. Ground and Pound

5. Cardio

6. Tactics

 

Someone is usually considered great when they have beaten many other top notch fighters, as well as being a champion in two different divisions multiple times.

Do you consider Evander Holyfield a great heavyweight?

 

I was wondering that too. I am guessing that he is talking about from the time that Couture beat Belfort in their 3rd fight... until the time that he beat Tim Sylvia (which was actually 2 1/2 years. However.... I think that he might be forgetting that little part about Couture retiring for slightly over a year during that time span.

 

Yeah where I come from a few years is 3 years and it was 2 and a half years like you mentioned between major wins and as for being an active fighter it was only a year and half with the retirement. I thought maybe he means from the time of beating Gonzaga to Vera which was alittle over 2 years but agian thats not a few years and he had a year long contract dispute.

 

To me hes just outside of top 10 ATG

 

But thats still a great fighter in your eyes ? Or is he just a really nice guy with no talent as ive heard in this thread ?

 

I love Randy. I have him ahead of Chuck. He will come down as the greatest over 40 fighter in history. I cant see anyone over 40 come close to what Randy has done.

 

He's a great fighter but definitely a bit overrated. He has some great wins and his ability to outhink his opponent and devise a winning game plan is excellent. I think the 2 weight classes helps his ranking a lot. However, even in mma your losses have to count for something. I think his losses hold him back and they definitely prevent me from ranking him near the top. I think in a young fledgling sport he's definitely an atg. Will he be considered an atg in 50 years maybe not.....who knows?

 

SRR had losses; he isn't great then either?

Randy fights all comers, doesn't duck anyone and has one of the most respected win/loss resumes in MMA, beat a prime Liddell once and at 44 clearly held his own against the much bigger, much younger Lesnar until he was caught so no shame in that.

Randy is great. Fedor is a legend and that is the difference