Never mind age and size as factors in Saturday's showdown between Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar, the key to the fight could be Couture's ability to get inside his opponent's head.
When Randy (The Natural) Couture (16-8) steps into the Octagon at UFC 91 on Saturday night, he will need to overcome a variety of physical attributes that his opponent, Brock Lesnar, has in abundance.
Lesnar (3-1) is younger, bigger and much stronger than the 45-year-old champion, so Couture's ticket to success might have to come from a trait he has mastered over his 11 years of fighting: getting into his opponent's head.
It's no secret that Lesnar has a short fuse and this is something Couture will be looking to exploit. Lesnar has consistently proven that if he is provoked, especially when being asked about Frank Mir and steroids, he tends to freak out. Couture has said that he might whisper "steroids" in Lesnar's ear right before they do battle.
There are those who believe Couture has a difficult time defeating larger opponents, but he has overcome that criticism in his past two fights by defeating Tim Sylvia and Gabriel Gonzaga. When it comes to the 285-pound Lesnar, I see Couture looking to suck the will to fight right out of Lesnar's spirit and push, prod and provoke the big man into either quitting or making a mistake on which Couture can capitalize.
Couture has proven over time that not only can he create a winning strategy against opponents, but does so with razor-sharp precision. He is patient and works methodically to push his opponents to the breaking point, a tactic he developed wrestling for the U.S. Army 20 years ago. He brought this weapon to the world of mixed martial arts; his attacks on opponents' mental psyche were in fine form when he defeated the likes of Vitor Belfort (twice), Pedro Rizzo (twice), Tito Ortiz, Kevin Randleman and Chuck (The Iceman) Liddell, in an unforgettable first fight against the eventual light-heavyweight champion.
In that first duel with Liddell, Couture came in as an underdog with almost no one giving him a chance. Those who did believe in Couture knew that he would have his work cut out for him as Liddell was on a 10-fight winning streak, destroying every opponent the UFC put before him. Couture, meanwhile, was coming off two devastating title-fight losses to Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez. Couture was seen as a knockout artist who could not be taken to the ground and critics wondered if Couture could even make the 205-pound limit in his debut at light-heavyweight.
However, the fight at UFC 43 was epic as Couture forced Liddell to endure a brutal pace and rhythm for three straight rounds. Couture was relentless in his attack and in one of the finer moments in Octagon history, Couture did the impossible: he scooped Liddell off the cage floor with a double leg takedown and, with his opponent's legs as high as the Octagon fence, slammed him onto the mat. It was at that point that it was obvious Couture had penetrated Liddell's mental barrier and it was just a matter of time before Couture would seal the deal.
It is this strategy that Couture will be looking to implement on Lesnar. In training for this bout, Couture has brought in massive wrestlers so he could put himself in what he calls "the worst-case scenarios." Endless hours have been spent with these men on top of the champ, battering down punches and elbows while keeping him at bay in all areas of the cage. Couture has been drilling scrambling escapes, transitions and reversals. Lesnar might be able to take Couture down, but if he cannot keep him there Couture will start chipping away at Lesnar's will to win.
In his three MMA fights Lesnar's chin has yet to be tested, so this is an area Couture is eager to exploit. He has been working angles and entry points to launch his right straight and left hook, and has worked on controlling and keeping his big training partners neutralized against the fence while using his dirty boxing skills to punish them. With Lesnar proving he can go for a full three rounds, Couture has been working his cardio to force the bear into the championship rounds -- rounds four and five.
Couture's legend and mystique will be elevated even higher should he win on Saturday. He knows his time is running out and his age is the big question mark in this fight, but it is nothing new to anyone who has been following his career. Critics have been questioning his age since UFC 28 in 2000, when at age 37, he defeated Randleman to regain the heavyweight championship.
I've long given up on worrying about Couture's age when it comes to any of his fights. He simply finds ways to win with his dirty boxing, relentless pace and frustrating rhythm. Once he gets into clinch range, he intensifies his assault and once he gets his opponents to the ground, his half-mount ground and pound against the cage is as ruthless as any fighter in his prime.
But the one thing great fighters like Couture possess that seems to be mapped in their DNA is the ability to get into their opponents' head and force them to break. This Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, we may just see another Couture chapter unfold as he looks to use his "mind games" to retain the heavyweight championship of the world.
