UFC 102 COUTURE vs NOGUEIRA Aug-29-2009
- Thread starter Shogun Locc
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UFC 102 headliner Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: You'll see the old me against Randy Couture
When Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira lost his interim UFC heavyweight title in December, the story of the UFC 92 fight focused on Frank Mir's revamped stand-up game and total dominance of his Brazilian opponent.
When the news arose that Nogueira was far from 100 percent for the title fight, few took notice.
But as Nogueira (31-5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) closes his training camp in preparation for next week's UFC 102 main event with Randy Couture (16-9 MMA, 13-6 UFC), the particulars of his UFC 92 ailments are getting the attention they deserve. One person taking note is Couture, who knows he'll fight a much different fighter than the one we saw in December.
As it turns out, just a few weeks before the Mir fight, Nogueira was hospitalized for nearly a week with a serious staph infection. He had just two weeks to recuperate for the bout.
Additionally, he had to fight through a fairly significant knee injury that would require surgery two months after the Mir bout.
"You know, bad fights happen," Nogueira said during a recent UFC 102 media call. "You know, it's not every fight you’re going to be 100 percent."
That's putting it mildly.
In recent years, we've seen staph infections cripple mixed-martial-arts fighters while literally eating away huge chunks of their flesh. Throw in a knee injury that severely hampered his stand-up skills and ground game, and Nogueira was in bad shape before the fight even begin.
While Nogueira discussed the limitations, he didn't want to disparage Mir's performance.
"It was very, very bad for me to fight (in that condition)," he said. "I couldn't move at all, and that day Frank caught me (with) a good left hand three times, and he made the fight. I couldn't follow his [game], his fight. I couldn't get to him. He was in a good position in the cage."
Despite what he saw at UFC 92, Couture knows he can't count on seeing the same Nogueira at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Ore., next week.
"I think that I have to prepare for the best Minotauro that we've ever seen," Couture said. "And I can't factor into the equation any of those kinds of questions (about his health). So I think he's going to be prepared. I think he's going to come to a great training camp and be ready to go as hard as he needs to go for this fight."
That's apparently a good plan. Because according to Nogueira, physically, he's in his best fighting shape since 2005, which closed out a stretch in which he went 22-2 with 17 finishes fighting primarily in PRIDE.
"I'm 33 years old, and I have a lot to do in my career still," Nogueira said. "At least, I've got to fight a couple of more years.
"I know I'm still young and feel healthy. I still feel when I fight I'm very competitive. ... I'm in the best shape since 2005. I feel very good, and I did not feel like (that) in the last four years."
That's why, despite the possibility of earning a rematch with current champ Brock Lesnar if he beats Nogueira, Couture isn't looking past his upcoming opponent.
"It would be stupid to look past this fight, to think about anything else but this fight," Couture said. "That's a surefire way to get your ass handed to you, frankly."
When Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira lost his interim UFC heavyweight title in December, the story of the UFC 92 fight focused on Frank Mir's revamped stand-up game and total dominance of his Brazilian opponent.
When the news arose that Nogueira was far from 100 percent for the title fight, few took notice.
But as Nogueira (31-5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) closes his training camp in preparation for next week's UFC 102 main event with Randy Couture (16-9 MMA, 13-6 UFC), the particulars of his UFC 92 ailments are getting the attention they deserve. One person taking note is Couture, who knows he'll fight a much different fighter than the one we saw in December.
As it turns out, just a few weeks before the Mir fight, Nogueira was hospitalized for nearly a week with a serious staph infection. He had just two weeks to recuperate for the bout.
Additionally, he had to fight through a fairly significant knee injury that would require surgery two months after the Mir bout.
"You know, bad fights happen," Nogueira said during a recent UFC 102 media call. "You know, it's not every fight you’re going to be 100 percent."
That's putting it mildly.
In recent years, we've seen staph infections cripple mixed-martial-arts fighters while literally eating away huge chunks of their flesh. Throw in a knee injury that severely hampered his stand-up skills and ground game, and Nogueira was in bad shape before the fight even begin.
While Nogueira discussed the limitations, he didn't want to disparage Mir's performance.
"It was very, very bad for me to fight (in that condition)," he said. "I couldn't move at all, and that day Frank caught me (with) a good left hand three times, and he made the fight. I couldn't follow his [game], his fight. I couldn't get to him. He was in a good position in the cage."
Despite what he saw at UFC 92, Couture knows he can't count on seeing the same Nogueira at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Ore., next week.
"I think that I have to prepare for the best Minotauro that we've ever seen," Couture said. "And I can't factor into the equation any of those kinds of questions (about his health). So I think he's going to be prepared. I think he's going to come to a great training camp and be ready to go as hard as he needs to go for this fight."
That's apparently a good plan. Because according to Nogueira, physically, he's in his best fighting shape since 2005, which closed out a stretch in which he went 22-2 with 17 finishes fighting primarily in PRIDE.
"I'm 33 years old, and I have a lot to do in my career still," Nogueira said. "At least, I've got to fight a couple of more years.
"I know I'm still young and feel healthy. I still feel when I fight I'm very competitive. ... I'm in the best shape since 2005. I feel very good, and I did not feel like (that) in the last four years."
That's why, despite the possibility of earning a rematch with current champ Brock Lesnar if he beats Nogueira, Couture isn't looking past his upcoming opponent.
"It would be stupid to look past this fight, to think about anything else but this fight," Couture said. "That's a surefire way to get your ass handed to you, frankly."
Nogueira’s coach: “Couture has no punch”
Rodrigo Minotauro’s muay thai coach and amulet, Luiz Alves went to Califórnia this week to finish the heavyweight’s training for his fight against Randy Couture, at UFC 102. With Anderson Silva, Junior dos Santos and a lot of great coaches in the camp, Alves is excited. “There are a lot of great guys from wrestling helping us too, and a coach from the US National team”, revealed Luiz, talking about the strategy for the fight.
“We think that Couture will fight standing against him, and Rodrigo thinks that too. Rodrigo is 100% prepared standing. I always said that this fight were good to Rodrigo, because Couture has no punch to knock him out, and Rodrigo boxes better than him… Rodrigo is prepared in the ground too and will work to submit, because Rodrigo has everything to submit him”, explained the coach. “Our strategy is stay away from the fence”.
Rogério Nogueira in the UFC?
The rumors about Rogério “Minotouro” Nogueira’s signing with the UFC were strong in the last days, and Luiz Alves revealed that it’s finished yet. “Rogério didn’t sign with the UFC yet. He’s in negociation, it’s almost done. We hope he’ll debut there until the end of the year”, said Alves, confirming Nogueira at Bitetti Combat’s card. “When I left Brazil, everything was OK. HE’s still in Rio, I’ll wait him to come here to know more about it”.
Rodrigo Minotauro’s muay thai coach and amulet, Luiz Alves went to Califórnia this week to finish the heavyweight’s training for his fight against Randy Couture, at UFC 102. With Anderson Silva, Junior dos Santos and a lot of great coaches in the camp, Alves is excited. “There are a lot of great guys from wrestling helping us too, and a coach from the US National team”, revealed Luiz, talking about the strategy for the fight.
“We think that Couture will fight standing against him, and Rodrigo thinks that too. Rodrigo is 100% prepared standing. I always said that this fight were good to Rodrigo, because Couture has no punch to knock him out, and Rodrigo boxes better than him… Rodrigo is prepared in the ground too and will work to submit, because Rodrigo has everything to submit him”, explained the coach. “Our strategy is stay away from the fence”.
Rogério Nogueira in the UFC?
The rumors about Rogério “Minotouro” Nogueira’s signing with the UFC were strong in the last days, and Luiz Alves revealed that it’s finished yet. “Rogério didn’t sign with the UFC yet. He’s in negociation, it’s almost done. We hope he’ll debut there until the end of the year”, said Alves, confirming Nogueira at Bitetti Combat’s card. “When I left Brazil, everything was OK. HE’s still in Rio, I’ll wait him to come here to know more about it”.
COUTURE READY TO FACE THE BEST NOGUEIRA
Five-time UFC champion Randy Couture can empathize with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira when critics say the former Pride and UFC champ is past his prime.
At 46, he’s made a career of bucking the trend, performing at peak ability long past the usual shelf life for combatants. At 33, Nogueira is battling his first crisis of confidence after years of come-from-behind fighting and a lackluster performance in December against Frank Mir.
Couture has been there, done that.
“Those questions have been asked of me for quite a while, and they’re being asked of him now after his last couple of performances, and not looking as sharp or as stellar as he used to look,” Couture told MMAWeekly.com. “The Mir fight has raised more permanent questions of, has he been in too many battles, is he slowing down; he doesn’t look as impressive. We obviously know he can take some punishment and stay in there and find ways to win. He’s a very impressive fighter. People are going to ask those questions, especially after you’ve had a loss.”
Couture believes it would be a mistake to buy into to that thinking.
“I have to prepare myself for the Nogueira that we all know, because that’s the potential that could be there,” he said. “I can’t count on any of this other speculation. It doesn’t make any sense.”
Couture twice turned down the opportunity to face Nogueira; first, in November of 2007, when UFC president Dana White offered the match-up a month after he resigned from the promotion; then in March, when the promotion was pinched for a main event worthy bout for UFC 96 in Columbus, Ohio. At the time, Couture’s elbow had been a nagging problem, and his role in the Sylvester Stallone-helmed movie “The Expendables” got in the way. Back in Pride days, there was talk of a match-up between the two that never came to fruition.
As such, fans have labeled this fight as a day late and a dollar short, a concession for the years the two circled each other as figureheads of rival organizations. The heavyweight tournament sold upon Couture’s return – Lesnar vs. Couture at UFC 91 and Nogueira vs. Mir at UFC 92 – is long over. The two are battling as much for legacy as another title shot.
Consider how many match-ups between former Pride and UFC stars did not get made, and things look a little better.
Couture shrugs at the timing of the bout and says his elbow is 100 percent.
“I took the fight because it was an intriguing match-up,” he said. “Nogueira poses a lot of interesting problems as a fighter, and that’s what I love about fighting: figuring out how to solve those problems.
“He still has the spirit and willingness to get out there and fight, that makes him a formidable opponent. His experience is one more thing to consider.”
Nogueira has 38 fights on his resume; many of them are case studies in resiliency. The Brazilian made his name on heart and the ability to capitalize on mistakes to win the day. His last victory, an interim title fight against Tim Sylvia at UFC 81, served as the most recent example of his toughness. It’s also the thing that’s dogging him coming into the fight.
Couture does not expect to be the second person to put “Big Nog” away.
“You never think you’re going to finish anybody,” said Couture. “You have to give respect to each and every guy you fight, that they’re prepared, that they’re not going to make a mistake, and it’s going to be a war. And never has that been truer than going into this fight.”
Mir was an early candidate for Couture’s training camp, but Neil Melanson ended up doing the bulk of coaching for the grappling side of preparation. For stand-up training, Couture called in Muay Thai specialist Quinton Chong and worked with in-house coaches Gil Martinez, Shawn Thompkins, and Ron Frazier.
Couture says he’ll try to keep Nogueira from taking him down, and if a takedown does occur, he’ll work to be on top. Despite the fact that both are ground experts, a stand-up war has been predicted.
“He’s a pretty big guy, and he’s pretty good at the crazy trips and things that he does,” said Couture. “He’s going to have trouble doing his body lock trip that he tries to do to everyone else.”
Nogueira’s coach, Luiz Alves, has said Couture doesn’t have knockout power.
“His stand-up’s decent,” said Couture. “It’s more than adequate.”
It’s the transitions where Couture sees the advantage.
“It’s an area I certainly feel comfortable in, finding ways through the transition to land shots and tie guys up and limit their abilities to return fire,” he continued. “I can’t get careless, but I think that’s an area I feel comfortable in, and you obviously want to try and put the fight in the areas where you feel best.”
As usual, Couture is taking his career one fight at a time, sidestepping questions of his retirement for the challenge ahead. Whichever Nogueira he faces, he’ll be ready.
“This guy is a top-notch fighter, he’s a warrior, and I have to assume that he’s going to bring everything he has and try to find a way to win this fight, just like he has every other time he’s stepped out there,” he said. “Those other questions don’t concern me.”
Five-time UFC champion Randy Couture can empathize with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira when critics say the former Pride and UFC champ is past his prime.
At 46, he’s made a career of bucking the trend, performing at peak ability long past the usual shelf life for combatants. At 33, Nogueira is battling his first crisis of confidence after years of come-from-behind fighting and a lackluster performance in December against Frank Mir.
Couture has been there, done that.
“Those questions have been asked of me for quite a while, and they’re being asked of him now after his last couple of performances, and not looking as sharp or as stellar as he used to look,” Couture told MMAWeekly.com. “The Mir fight has raised more permanent questions of, has he been in too many battles, is he slowing down; he doesn’t look as impressive. We obviously know he can take some punishment and stay in there and find ways to win. He’s a very impressive fighter. People are going to ask those questions, especially after you’ve had a loss.”
Couture believes it would be a mistake to buy into to that thinking.
“I have to prepare myself for the Nogueira that we all know, because that’s the potential that could be there,” he said. “I can’t count on any of this other speculation. It doesn’t make any sense.”
Couture twice turned down the opportunity to face Nogueira; first, in November of 2007, when UFC president Dana White offered the match-up a month after he resigned from the promotion; then in March, when the promotion was pinched for a main event worthy bout for UFC 96 in Columbus, Ohio. At the time, Couture’s elbow had been a nagging problem, and his role in the Sylvester Stallone-helmed movie “The Expendables” got in the way. Back in Pride days, there was talk of a match-up between the two that never came to fruition.
As such, fans have labeled this fight as a day late and a dollar short, a concession for the years the two circled each other as figureheads of rival organizations. The heavyweight tournament sold upon Couture’s return – Lesnar vs. Couture at UFC 91 and Nogueira vs. Mir at UFC 92 – is long over. The two are battling as much for legacy as another title shot.
Consider how many match-ups between former Pride and UFC stars did not get made, and things look a little better.
Couture shrugs at the timing of the bout and says his elbow is 100 percent.
“I took the fight because it was an intriguing match-up,” he said. “Nogueira poses a lot of interesting problems as a fighter, and that’s what I love about fighting: figuring out how to solve those problems.
“He still has the spirit and willingness to get out there and fight, that makes him a formidable opponent. His experience is one more thing to consider.”
Nogueira has 38 fights on his resume; many of them are case studies in resiliency. The Brazilian made his name on heart and the ability to capitalize on mistakes to win the day. His last victory, an interim title fight against Tim Sylvia at UFC 81, served as the most recent example of his toughness. It’s also the thing that’s dogging him coming into the fight.
Couture does not expect to be the second person to put “Big Nog” away.
“You never think you’re going to finish anybody,” said Couture. “You have to give respect to each and every guy you fight, that they’re prepared, that they’re not going to make a mistake, and it’s going to be a war. And never has that been truer than going into this fight.”
Mir was an early candidate for Couture’s training camp, but Neil Melanson ended up doing the bulk of coaching for the grappling side of preparation. For stand-up training, Couture called in Muay Thai specialist Quinton Chong and worked with in-house coaches Gil Martinez, Shawn Thompkins, and Ron Frazier.
Couture says he’ll try to keep Nogueira from taking him down, and if a takedown does occur, he’ll work to be on top. Despite the fact that both are ground experts, a stand-up war has been predicted.
“He’s a pretty big guy, and he’s pretty good at the crazy trips and things that he does,” said Couture. “He’s going to have trouble doing his body lock trip that he tries to do to everyone else.”
Nogueira’s coach, Luiz Alves, has said Couture doesn’t have knockout power.
“His stand-up’s decent,” said Couture. “It’s more than adequate.”
It’s the transitions where Couture sees the advantage.
“It’s an area I certainly feel comfortable in, finding ways through the transition to land shots and tie guys up and limit their abilities to return fire,” he continued. “I can’t get careless, but I think that’s an area I feel comfortable in, and you obviously want to try and put the fight in the areas where you feel best.”
As usual, Couture is taking his career one fight at a time, sidestepping questions of his retirement for the challenge ahead. Whichever Nogueira he faces, he’ll be ready.
“This guy is a top-notch fighter, he’s a warrior, and I have to assume that he’s going to bring everything he has and try to find a way to win this fight, just like he has every other time he’s stepped out there,” he said. “Those other questions don’t concern me.”
NOGUEIRA MAKES A MOVE PREPARING FOR COUTURE
With all the talk about the punishment that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has taken over the course his career, you’d think that he was the elder man entering his main event bout with Randy Couture at this Saturday’s UFC 102 in Portland, Ore.
At 33 years of age, he is actually 13 years the junior to Couture. But he knows that following a disappointing loss at the hands of Frank Mir at UFC 92 – the first time the Brazilian has been stopped in his 37-fight career – the questions abound about him.
Nogueira is preparing like never before to rebut the doubters. He even moved his main training camp from his home in Brazil to the U.S.
“I took three months off (from) Brazil, (it’s) better for me to concentrate here,” he told MMAWeekly.com. “I wanted to get outside hometown, see no friends, nothing, just wake up every day morning do my yoga, do my jiu-jitsu training, do my Muay Thai, do my wrestling, just thinking about fighting.”
Not only has the move allowed him to refine his focus, it also has allowed him to work with a stronger stable of wrestlers than he had available in Brazil. With Couture being a former Olympic-caliber wrestler, it’s a portion of his game that he couldn’t afford to slack on.
“I have to take the wrestling seriously in my training because of the style of opponent. When you fight some wrestler guy, for sure you have to train with some wrestlers to avoid the game.”
He feels like he has prepared well with the increased caliber of wrestlers in his camp, and Nogueira does not fear going to the mat with Couture.
“If I go to the ground, I’m a jiu-jitsu fighter, I can play on the ground even on the bottom, too. I’m very good guard in the bottom. We’re gonna have exciting match. I’m pretty much ready for everything.”
With all the talk about the punishment that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has taken over the course his career, you’d think that he was the elder man entering his main event bout with Randy Couture at this Saturday’s UFC 102 in Portland, Ore.
At 33 years of age, he is actually 13 years the junior to Couture. But he knows that following a disappointing loss at the hands of Frank Mir at UFC 92 – the first time the Brazilian has been stopped in his 37-fight career – the questions abound about him.
Nogueira is preparing like never before to rebut the doubters. He even moved his main training camp from his home in Brazil to the U.S.
“I took three months off (from) Brazil, (it’s) better for me to concentrate here,” he told MMAWeekly.com. “I wanted to get outside hometown, see no friends, nothing, just wake up every day morning do my yoga, do my jiu-jitsu training, do my Muay Thai, do my wrestling, just thinking about fighting.”
Not only has the move allowed him to refine his focus, it also has allowed him to work with a stronger stable of wrestlers than he had available in Brazil. With Couture being a former Olympic-caliber wrestler, it’s a portion of his game that he couldn’t afford to slack on.
“I have to take the wrestling seriously in my training because of the style of opponent. When you fight some wrestler guy, for sure you have to train with some wrestlers to avoid the game.”
He feels like he has prepared well with the increased caliber of wrestlers in his camp, and Nogueira does not fear going to the mat with Couture.
“If I go to the ground, I’m a jiu-jitsu fighter, I can play on the ground even on the bottom, too. I’m very good guard in the bottom. We’re gonna have exciting match. I’m pretty much ready for everything.”
Lighter, Healthier Nogueira Ready for Couture
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Lighter-Healthier-Nogueira-Ready-for-Couture-2047
Former UFC and PRIDE FC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is set to match skills with fellow MMA icon Randy Couture at UFC 102 Saturday night in Portland, Ore.
Sherdog.com was on hand at Nogueira’s Black House training camp in Los Angeles to discuss his return from an upset loss at the hands of Frank Mir and his chance to get back into the heavyweight title picture with a win.
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Lighter-Healthier-Nogueira-Ready-for-Couture-2047
Former UFC and PRIDE FC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is set to match skills with fellow MMA icon Randy Couture at UFC 102 Saturday night in Portland, Ore.
Sherdog.com was on hand at Nogueira’s Black House training camp in Los Angeles to discuss his return from an upset loss at the hands of Frank Mir and his chance to get back into the heavyweight title picture with a win.
Muay Thai coach Quentin Chong helping Randy Couture hone skills, ignore Father Time
The questions are all about the age. And they've been all about the age for so long that old man Randy Couture can't remember anything else. The "Natural" is so old that even other fighters get asked about his age.
And age will certainly be a factor Saturday after UFC 102 in Portland when fans will either declare the 46-year-old former heavyweight champion washed up or a miracle of nature.
"He seems 21 to me," Quentin Chong told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "He does not have an old body."
Chong is part of the reason Couture seems to defy the crawl of time. The two-time Muay Thai world champion was flown in from South Africa to help Couture train for 33-year-old Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and is part of Couture's eternal quest to find a strategic edge. Chong has trained a few MMA fighters, but he fails to grasp why Couture's age should be an issue.
"He has taken great care of his body, and he has a lot of other skills," Chong said. "But he is like a machine. He doesn't complain. When he makes a mistake, he corrects it."
A three-time Olympics wrestling alternate and originator of the "ground-and-pound" style of MMA, Couture seems about as far from a Muay Thai fighter as he does from 21. He rarely kicks and only elbows from the clinch or on the mat.
But Chong has turned novice children into champions. To his eyes, Couture is clay.
The pair met while Couture was filming "The Scorpion King 2" in South Africa. Chong actually began coaching Kim Couture but predictably began instructing the six-time UFC champ.
"When I started working with him, his hips were stiff," the Hong Kong native said. "His hips were so bad that he couldn't kick at all. I have helped him with stretching. In just two months, I have noticed a major difference."
But don't expect to see Couture attempting any roundhouse kicks at "Minotauro" on Saturday.
"He doesn't kick, but by stretching the hips, he has better balance," Chong said. "He is quicker and faster. Also, by loosening his hips, he can throw better elbows."
Chong then flashes some sharp elbow lightning as if to emphasize the point. The thrust is so fast that it blurs in the light.
"And he won't do this."
Chong – who has appeared in two low-budget films – then goes into a comical rubber-legged dance as if had been dazed by a punch.
"When the judges see guys lose their legs, it could be the difference in a decision," he said.
Against Nogueira, the prevailing wisdom is that Couture will need his legs. In the clinch, he holds an advantage over just about anyone. Nogueira has a grappling advantage, but he may not be able to take Couture down.
The crowd will also be almost unanimously pro-Couture, sure to invigorate his spirit. He coached at a local high school, coached at Oregon State about an hour to the south and helped found Team Quest in east Portland.
"I know I will be the bad guy," Nogueira said. "I expect to be booed."
The irony of Couture-Nogueira is that the age difference is not visually discernible. Couture looks fit, lean and healthy. Minotauro, on the other hand, might be held together by duct tape. Years of epic battles have left his toes gnarled with grey and black nails. He grimaced frequently while rolling with Anderson Silva for reporters.
Nogueira, a former PRIDE heavyweight champion and interim UFC champion, may be the younger man, but Couture seems fresh. Couture has fought only once in two years (a loss to Brock Lesnar at UFC 91) and hopes to regain championship form.
"He wants to do it and he's doing it for the right reasons," Chong said. "He's ready when he has to go, and he just does it."
The questions are all about the age. And they've been all about the age for so long that old man Randy Couture can't remember anything else. The "Natural" is so old that even other fighters get asked about his age.
And age will certainly be a factor Saturday after UFC 102 in Portland when fans will either declare the 46-year-old former heavyweight champion washed up or a miracle of nature.
"He seems 21 to me," Quentin Chong told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "He does not have an old body."
Chong is part of the reason Couture seems to defy the crawl of time. The two-time Muay Thai world champion was flown in from South Africa to help Couture train for 33-year-old Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and is part of Couture's eternal quest to find a strategic edge. Chong has trained a few MMA fighters, but he fails to grasp why Couture's age should be an issue.
"He has taken great care of his body, and he has a lot of other skills," Chong said. "But he is like a machine. He doesn't complain. When he makes a mistake, he corrects it."
A three-time Olympics wrestling alternate and originator of the "ground-and-pound" style of MMA, Couture seems about as far from a Muay Thai fighter as he does from 21. He rarely kicks and only elbows from the clinch or on the mat.
But Chong has turned novice children into champions. To his eyes, Couture is clay.
The pair met while Couture was filming "The Scorpion King 2" in South Africa. Chong actually began coaching Kim Couture but predictably began instructing the six-time UFC champ.
"When I started working with him, his hips were stiff," the Hong Kong native said. "His hips were so bad that he couldn't kick at all. I have helped him with stretching. In just two months, I have noticed a major difference."
But don't expect to see Couture attempting any roundhouse kicks at "Minotauro" on Saturday.
"He doesn't kick, but by stretching the hips, he has better balance," Chong said. "He is quicker and faster. Also, by loosening his hips, he can throw better elbows."
Chong then flashes some sharp elbow lightning as if to emphasize the point. The thrust is so fast that it blurs in the light.
"And he won't do this."
Chong – who has appeared in two low-budget films – then goes into a comical rubber-legged dance as if had been dazed by a punch.
"When the judges see guys lose their legs, it could be the difference in a decision," he said.
Against Nogueira, the prevailing wisdom is that Couture will need his legs. In the clinch, he holds an advantage over just about anyone. Nogueira has a grappling advantage, but he may not be able to take Couture down.
The crowd will also be almost unanimously pro-Couture, sure to invigorate his spirit. He coached at a local high school, coached at Oregon State about an hour to the south and helped found Team Quest in east Portland.
"I know I will be the bad guy," Nogueira said. "I expect to be booed."
The irony of Couture-Nogueira is that the age difference is not visually discernible. Couture looks fit, lean and healthy. Minotauro, on the other hand, might be held together by duct tape. Years of epic battles have left his toes gnarled with grey and black nails. He grimaced frequently while rolling with Anderson Silva for reporters.
Nogueira, a former PRIDE heavyweight champion and interim UFC champion, may be the younger man, but Couture seems fresh. Couture has fought only once in two years (a loss to Brock Lesnar at UFC 91) and hopes to regain championship form.
"He wants to do it and he's doing it for the right reasons," Chong said. "He's ready when he has to go, and he just does it."
