James Toney vs Randy Couture IS NOT a Freakshow
Posted By Anton_Gurevich UFC News

James “Lights Out” Toney will step inside the Octagon on August 28th, fighting the UFC Hall of Famer and MMA legend Randy Couture. The bout was tagged by MMA fans and experts as a “Freak Show”. More than that, UFC President Dana White declared that he will make an example of James Toney, as a proof that Boxers cannot compete in MMA just as Boxers.

Hold your horses guys. It looks like we all forgot what Mixed Martial Arts is all about. It doesn’t really mean what will be outcome of the fight between James Toney and Randy Couture. The fact that an IBA World Heavyweight Champion competes in MMA is the true embodiment of the sport we love so much.

It’s true that the modern well-rounded MMA fighter must be a good grappler, as well as a good striker. James Toney could have a lot of success if he fought back in 1993, but although this is not UFC 1: The Beginning, I am completely sure that there’s still a place for a world class striker inside the Octagon.

No one in their right mind would tip James Toney to become the next UFC Heavyweight Champion. “Lights Out” is 41-years old and may be way behind the prime of his illustrious career. But make no mistake; Toney can still send some shockwaves by knocking out the legendary Captain America.

We can speculate about the outcome of the fight as much as we want. Again, all I would say is that it doesn’t really matter if Toney KO’s Couture in 10 seconds, or if he loses via a vicious ground-and-pound. James Toney himself may not even consider Boxing as a Martial Art, but the beauty of it is that he stepped up and wants to prove his worth. MMA cage (or ring) is the only place where he can do it. This is the ultimate proving ground for fighters.

It may be highly popular to ridicule James Toney and label the UFC 118 co-main event as a “Freak Show”. But this fight is far from being a Freak Show. Think again. This fight might just remind us why we became MMA fans in the first place.