Congratulations Randy Couture, you are the new UFC Heavyweight Champion, you are truly at the top of the world right now, but expect great challenges to come at you.
Couture defeated Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia to win the UFC Heavyweight belt a second time in his career. Couture is the only UFC fighter to win both the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight titles in his career.
Defeating Sylvia was like literally defeating a giant. He was 6 feet 8 inches tall. It took five hard earned rounds for the Hall of Famer Couture to defeat the 31-year-old Sylvia.
But what is next for the new Heavyweight Champion. The heavyweight division is starting to regain some of that luster it had before Sylvia regained the title. The acquisitions of Mirko Cro-Crop and Heath Herring bring star power to a heavyweight division that needs it.
In an interview with NBCsports.com, shortly before his match with Sylvia, Couture mentioned how Cro-Crop was the reason for his return to the Octagon.
“That’d be an intriguing match up. He’s one of the top fighters in the world, as a fighter, you want to try and fight the best guys,” Couture told NBC Sports.
A Couture-Cro-Crop match would generate a lot of excitement in the Mixed Martial Arts industry. Two heavyweight legends going head-to-head.
Couture could face former champions Frank Mir and Andrei Arlovski. Both men are hungry for a chance to regain what was once theirs. A Couture-Arlovski bout would surely be an exciting bout between two stars of the Octagon.
Another ideal match for Couture would be against the youngster from San Diego, Brandon “The Truth” Vera. Vera is the hottest heavyweight fighter in the UFC and is currently undefeated with his 8-0 record. Had Sylvia won, Vera would have most likely been “The Maine-iac’s” opponent.
Maybe there will be a fourth bout with UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell. Couture has acknowledged that anything could happen and maybe there could be a fourth showdown between the two champions.
But let’s not forget about Sylvia. He will be back and hungrier for his chance to regain what he has fought hard to hold onto, the Heavyweight belt. Sylvia will be back and better than ever. Maybe a rematch is in the works, nobody knows at the moment, not even Couture.
No matter though, Couture’s victory over Sylvia earlier this month shows that “Captain America” still has something left in the tank.
