Toney Vs. Couture The fight world weighs in

In one of the most anticipated fights in UFC history, future boxing Hall of Famer James “Lights Out” Toney will step into the Octagon with UFC legend Randy “The Natural” Couture Saturday night at UFC 118. With the fight just days away, 8 Countnews talked to members of both sports to get their opinions on this historic event.

Ultimate Fighter Season Six, UFC veteran Ben Saunders: Toney is in for a rude awakening. A lucky punch could win him the fight, but he would never get lucky that often It's a different sport and I can admit I would personally love to see a thai kick boxer vs. Toney just to prove that point even further.
I know Randy is all about game plans so we will see Toney on his back in under 30 seconds and TKO'ed or Submitted.

New York State Heavyweight Champion Darrel “King David” Madison :

I just hope James had a chance to work on his ground game. His stand up is second to none, really one of the best in the bussiness and I think he is going to end it with a big overhand right.

1976 Olympic Gold Medalist, 3 time world title challenger, current boxing coach for American Top Team MMA, Howard Davis Jr.:

It is not easy for a boxer to step into the cage, especially if he has been doing only one thing for so long. The ground work is not easy and there is no guarantee that the fight will be on the stand up 100% of the time. Couture is a very good wrestler. I do not like making predictions, but Toney had better be on his game.

Lightwelterweight prospect Joseph Elegele :

Well i think Randy will win because James Toney is not a one punch aggressive fighter and he's too slow on his feet. We know all James Toney, he has never been knocked out before and I don’t think an MMA fighter will do it but i think Couture will end up taking him to the ground and making him tap.

Season One Contender star, former USBA/NABO Welterweight champion Ishe Smith:

I am a huge fan of James Toney the boxer, I grew up idolizing Toney and how he fought. With that being said its going to be very tough for him to make this kind of transition in a short amount of time like this. If he can stay off the ground he will be ok, but thats a hard task. He has a punchers chance though, if he catches Couture it can be a short night for Randy. I am leaning towards Randy, but my heart is rooting for James, tough fight for him in the octagon.

Former Light welterweight World Champion and IBF #1 ranked Welterweight Randall Bailey:

I really don’t have much to say about it. James Toney is going to get killed. He has no experience on the ground at all and is fighting one of the best out there. He better tap as soon as he gets taken to the ground. That is really all I got to say about that.

Former UFC Welterweight contender Din Thomas :

I think that Toney does present a legititmate problem for Couture. Toney's power will be a factor for anybody and he will go down as one of the best boxers of our time. Not that being such a great boxer is the main issue but it will give him the ability to punch from ackward angles with pinpoint accuracy. Plus Toney is a natural fighter with a fighter's heart and has been through adversity so he won't give up easy. However, the Major edge goes to Couture based on well rounded cage experience. If this was 5 years ago, Id say Couture wins easily and early. But because throughout the years Couture may have lost some of his legs and some of his chin, it levels the playing field for Toney. So Toney wont need much but one opportunity to touch Randy. Yet while Toney may not have the speed and reflexes he used to have a few years ago, he may be able make up for it in power, toughness, and his discipline to learn the game. However, at the end of the day I don't think he will be able to catch up with Couture and will be choked out. I got Randy by submission. But like I said, if Toney gets off, it wont be pretty.

Jorge De La Noval ,MMA/boxing promoter, Mixed Fighting Alliance :

I'm a big fan of both MMA and Boxing and a respect them both , but this fight is not boxing vs mma. Toney has been training mma for the past 8 month, meaning that it is very clear to him that mma is a mixed sport and that no boxer can get in the cage and just try to will a battle. This is an event of who has got the best conditioning and more tools and if Toney does not know that by now then the UFC is going to prove a point that MMA is about having more tools. Randy has more tools and better conditioning. He is going to let it go to the 2 round and then make Toney look bad so that more boxers try the cross over and show the world boxing is boxing, and MMA is an sport full of fighting tools.

Haiti National Boxing Team member and Light middleweight prospect Wilky Campfort :

If Randy take him down it’s over for Toney. But if Randy stands up with Toney like he did when he first fight Chuck [Liddell] he is going to get knocked out. Obviously as a boxer I am going for Toney, but I am a fan of Randy’s too.

Boxing/ MMA figher Eric “Butterbean” Esch (MMA 15-7-1, Boxing:77-8-4) :

I know Toney is in way over his head. The UFC in there way, is telling boxers they don’t belong in MMA. I feel Houston Alexander would have been a good fight for toney. Moosin, the company I worked with worked the fight out with Toney and he jumped ship.

Co Host of MMA Gospel Radio, Gary Friedman :

The Randy Couture - James Toney fight comes down to one simple question: can Randy take Toney down before James lands a big shot? Of course the conventional wisdom is that there is a 50/50 chance of either happening, yet in reality there is probably a 95/5 chance that Couture will take Toney down without suffering a blow. Like shooting the side of a barn versus shooting a tin can, scoring a takedown is much simpler an act then landing a punch on the chin flush.

With this in mind I see the Couture-Toney fight being a very one sided affair. I would even predict a short fight but have to believe the ground and pound specialist Couture will want to extend the fight a bit just to punish Toney for his pre fight antics. So in the first 30 seconds Couture will score his take down and the use his Olympic level wrestling skills to essentially maul Toney until he decides to end it late in round one with a rare naked choke submission.

Hall of fame kick boxer, boxing/mma promoter Jeff Gibson :

Well I have been front row at each of these fighter’s fights and they are both very tough fighters. At this point in their career’s they are both seasoned veterans. This is going to be a clear case of the boxer vs. the grappler. In no way will Randy be able to stand toe to toe and try to strike with Toney, and Toney will not be able to out grapple Randy Couture. It is going to be who is going to get to who first.

If Randy keeps it standing, then he can be in real trouble. Toney has elite power and is a future hall of famer. He is no joke. However, there is no way Toney can out grapple Randy Couture in the short amount of time he has been training in MMA. He may be able to wrestle with some guys but Randy isn’t one of them. Seasoned wrestlers who have been training in MMA for years can’t out wrestle Couture.

Who I give the edge to though is up in the air. Like I said, it depends on the tempo of the fight. I am not so sure the fighter who wins this time would win next time. Both guys are in great shape. Toney has gone twelve rounds several times in boxing and Couture has gone twenty-five minutes a few times as well. But one thing is, it is entertaining and good for both sports. Many commissions would never approve of a fight like this because it is technically a pro debutant versus a former world champion, but Toney isn’t your normal pro debutant.