Randy Couture wants no part of Junior Dos Santos

[Rich Davie]

Randy Couture is a former UFC heavyweight champion © Getty Images

ESPN staff
June 6, 2012

Former UFC heavyweight champion Randy Coutureinsists he does not want to get near reigning champJunior Dos Santos after seeing him obliterate Frank Mir at UFC 146.

Couture, who won UFC gold at heavyweight and light-heavyweight, produced his most famous moment of an astonishing career when he came out of retirement to beat champion Tim Sylvia back at UFC 68.

Now 48 years of age, 'The Natural' insists there is no chance of him being tempted to try and repeat the feat against Dos Santos, who is currently dominating everybody who challenges him.

"No, he's really on fire," Couture told MMA Weigh-in courtesy of Fighters Only. "I thought Mir would have more in that fight - I actually picked Mir to win. But Dos Santos showed he's the real deal.

"He's the total package, amazingly quick hands, very sharp with his combinations, I've no illusions - I don't want any of that!"

Asked if there is anybody who can beat Dos Santos, Couture looked at next rival Cain Velasquez, who has already been beaten once by the Brazilian. Velasquez was knocked out in 64 seconds of the first meeting, but Couture wants him to force Dos Santos to wrestle.

"I looked at the Cain Velasquez that was against Bigfoot Silva, he was sharp, crisp, used his wrestling; I would love to see a rematch between Velasquez and Dos Santos.

"I think Velasquez is the total package, he's strong, good hands, good kicks, tremendous wrestling pedigree...

"We don't know what Dos Santos' grappling pedigree is. Somebody needs to put it to the test."

http://www.espn.co.uk/ufc/sport/story/154203.html

[Dirty Daley]

no suprise! i wasnt that impressed with jds. he did exactly what i knew he would. put his combos together when needed and exploited mir's holes. if mir got him down and he got out and back up then i would agree with cotoure. jds has some graet boxing and it's a piece ofcake to find his openings with these small gloves and mir's lack of defence to strikes.

[BluenoseGreig]

I took Mir to win the fight, mainly based on a hunch that he would get the fight to the ground...and yeah I was wrong big time!

On another point, is Randy considering having another fight?

[Kickass32]

Good to see Machida's kick to Randy's face didn't knock the sense out of him.

[Kimurafan]

no suprise! i wasnt that impressed with jds. he did exactly what i knew he would. put his combos together when needed and exploited mir's holes. if mir got him down and he got out and back up then i would agree with cotoure. jds has some graet boxing and it's a piece ofcake to find his openings with these small gloves and mir's lack of defence to strikes.

But Daley, isn't it just as impressive that Mir couldn't get JDS to the ground as it would have been if JDS had stood back up? I was very impressed with JDS in that fight. Granted I was pretty sure he was going to beat Mir in pretty much the exact way he did, but does that make it unimpressive? Just because he was expected to do it doesn't make it unimpressive. He smashed Mir, beat the tar out of him. Besides, we have seen JDS's wrestling get tested. Carwin got him down very briefly and he got right back up. Sure Cain is probably a better test, but it's hardly untested.

What about Cain's lack of defense of strikes? Was that easy too? I don't get the criticism to be honest.