UFC Quick Quote: Randy Couture now open to Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira fight
“I’d fight Nogueira. I had other reasons to turn down that fight last year, but that was a whole different situation. He’s a tremendous fighter. I’ve watched him for years. I saw Danny [Henderson] fight him in the KOK [Rings “King of Kings” tournament in 1999]. I was heading to fight him myself in the KOK that next year.”
– Former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Randy Couture tells Sherdog.com that he would welcome a fight against the one-time interim division champion, Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira. “The Natural” balked at the opportunity while he was in a contract dispute with the promotion for most of 2008, saying the fight that he wanted most was one against WAMMA Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko. Couture and the UFC eventually reconciled and he agreed to fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 91. He lost via technical knockout. Nogueira, too, lost his belt to Frank Mir at UFC 92 in the mini heavyweight tournament that was coordinated to declare an undisputed champion. Pairing Couture against Nogueira is a fight that makes sense, but it wouldn’t happen until summer 2009 at the earliest — Couture is obligated to a six-week production schedule because of his new acting role in “The Expendables.”
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