UFC betting fans are getting excited to see the best of mixed martial arts go up against the best of boxing as Randy Couture faces James Toney at UFC 118.
Couture is heavily favored with UFC 118 odds paying -575 to Toney’s +350.
James Toney is the first top caliber professional boxer to step in the octagon and settle the MMA-boxing debate. Other boxers who have made the switch haven’t done well, but they weren’t near the caliber of Toney.
Randy Couture is one of the legends of the UFC holding both the heavyweight and the light-heavyweight titles at various times. He is the first person to simultaneously hold two UFC titles at the same time. He currently fights at light-heavyweight and is coming off of a victory over Marc Coleman at UFC 109.
When boxers talk about their superiority to MMA fighters, they talk about how they can punch harder than any MMA fighter and they can take harder punches than MMA fighters dish out. There should be no doubt that Toney will be the best striker that Couture has ever faced.
However, Couture has faced many strikers in his long MMA career. Toney has never faced a wrestler like Couture.
Toney has trained to excel within a fairly strict set of rules and he will have to be prepared to adjust his technique. His stance will have to change since his lead leg will be vulnerable to a barrage of kicks. That will no doubt affect his power.
He will need to develop strategies for when he gets pushed against the cage or if the fight goes to the ground. Toney may well develop in to a top-level MMA fighter if he wants to, but he has a lot to learn and probably not enough time to develop the skills he will need to defeat a fighter like Couture.
