Posted on
8/27/2007 8:46:03 PM
UFC 74 Respect Recap
By Damon D
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All that Randy Couture wanted was a little respect. And so did Georges St. Pierre.
Couture needed to prove that his victory over Tim Silvia was no fluke, and St. Pierre wanted to show that he was indeed still champion material.
Well, respect came by the bucket load.
Georges St. Pierre, a (-280) favorite, beat Josh Koscheck (+210) by unanimous decision, taking the fight right where Koscheck thought he would win it…to the ground. Within the first minute of round one, St. Pierre took Koscheck to the mat and started a savage ground and pound that lasted most of the round. Kos turned the tide slightly towards the end, but all in all a dominating first round for the former Welterweight Champ.
Round two was more of the same, with GSP setting up takedowns with dominant punches and leg kicks. Exactly the opposite of what was assumed to be a good game plan against Josh Koscheck. GSP not only looked comfortable on the ground, but dominating the supposed best wrestler in the UFC. He almost locked in a kimura and an armbar during the fight as well but Kos hung on and the fight went to the cards, Unanimous decision Georges St. Pierre.
St. Pierre now waits for his shot at the title taking on the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 6 coaches Matt Serra and Matt Hughes.
As for Randy Couture (+100), Gonzaga’s (-130) size and Jiu-Jitsu skills were supposed to give him fits. If he took it to the mat he was going to get submitted, if he stood up he was going to get “Cro-Cop’d”. It was a no-win for the noble vet but in true Randy fashion he shocked us all by dominating Gonzaga the entire fight. Instead of standing with the 256lb Brazilian or taking it to the ground, Couture pinned him against the cage and “dirty boxed” Gonzaga until he broke his will (and nose).
After the first round Gonzaga’s nose was shredded, he couldn’t see, could barely breathe as was doing his best to avoid the barrage of inside punches and elbows Randy was throwing. The only scare Couture had were a few of the Cro-Cop annihilating head kicks that narrowly missed sending The Natural into retirement, the last of which broke his right forearm as he blocked it.
After the overwhelming beating lasted for two full rounds, Couture finished off an exhausted and clearly overwhelmed Gonzaga with a flurry of punches with referee Herb Dean calling a halt to the action at 1:37 of the third round.
At 44 years young, Couture is the champion again. So who does he fight next? The Grim Reaper?
Here’s a recap of the rest of the UFC 74 card
Roger Huerta (-350) vs Alberto Crane (+280)
After a close first round, Huerta destroyed the slippery Crane and TKO’d him in the 3rd
Result: Roger Huerta via TKO
Kurt Pellegrino (-300) vs Joe Stevenson (+220)
This was closer than most though, but Joe S. eventually overcame anything that Pellegrino had to offer and came out on top
Result: Joe Stevenson Unanimous Decision
Patrick Cote (+200) vs Kendall Grove (-260)
Grove just needed to keep this on the ground, but he didn’t and got caught
Result: Patrick Cote via TKO
Ryan Jensen (+220) Vs. Thales Leites (-300)
Leites came in a bit overweight at the weigh ins, but made weight and came out on top
Result: Thiales Leites via submission (arm bar)
Renato Sobral (-280) vs David Heath (+220)
Sobral choked out Heath in the second round after handing him a savage bloody beating, he then proceeded to ignore the tap and the ref during the choke to put an exclamation point on the win.
Result: Renato Sobral via submission (anaconda choke)
Frank Mir (-185) vs Antoni Hardonk (+145)
Mir was continuing his comeback as a sight favorite, luckily, the good mir showed up tonight.
Result: Frank Mir via submission (kimura)
Clay Guida (-140) vs Marcus Aurelio (+110)
Guida needed this victory after getting robbed against Tyson Griffin at UFC 72
Damon D is an NFL and MMA analyst who writes for many syndicated publications, including his own blog: www.thehouseofsmack.com
Check the Odds and Lines for UFC 75 – Champion vs Champion HERE!