Couture Imposes Will on Belfort, Reclaims UFC Light-Heavyweight Title

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 21 -- It's the age-old story, and Saturday night 41-year-old Randy Couture reminded us that steady beats fast ... steady beats flash ... steady, simply, wins. In front of 12,157 people inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Couture methodically grinded away at UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort's face, forcing the physician at ringside to call a halt to the contest between the third and fourth periods, despite Belfort's protests that he could continue

Couture, who came into the fight a slight -170 favorite in the MGM sportsbook, looked calm as he made his way into the Octagon. The pro-Couture crowd roared as he entered the arena, while Belfort, despite his status as champion, heard a smattering of boos as he, and his large entourage, walked through the nearly-sold-out building.

The opening seconds were a carbon copy of Couture-Belfort II, which saw the American lunge towards his much younger opponent. But instead of Couture reaching for an injured left eye, Couture forced Belfort into the fence, encircling the short-lived champion in his arms.

Belfort, who looked softer in his midsection than at any time in recent memory, tried to compete with Couture in the clinch, exchanging knees to the thighs and chopping punches to the body and head.

It was nearly three minutes before Couture, a one-time world-class Greco Roman wrestler, secured the underhooks he so diligently worked for, planting Belfort on the canvas for the first time. There, the former heavyweight and light-heavyweight champion peppered Belfort with shots from side control.

Between periods, Belfort sat knees-to-chest with his back against the cage fencing, looking as if he was resigned to the fact that unless he did something drastic in the first minute of period two -- like catching Couture with a cut-inducing blow -- he'd be in for a long night.

The next five minutes was all Couture. After another quick clinch, he put Belfort to the mat, propping him back-first against the cage. An assortment of strikes followed, including an elbow that appeared to open a gash on the right side of Belfort's face.

At the post-fight press conference, Belfort claimed it was a headbutt that propagated a stream of blood that would pour down his face for the next round and a half. Yet, said Belfort, he didn't "want to take anything from Randy. Randy looked great tonight."

When asked if it was an elbow or clash of heads that opened the cut, Couture said he was fairly certain it was one of the many elbows he landed in round two. "I didn't notice a headbutt," he said after the fight. "He caught me a couple of times coming in. I hit him with a whole bunch of elbows. I felt like it was an elbow that cut his eye."

The cut was bad enough to prompt referee John McCarthy to call a timeout and bring Belfort over to the ringside physician. After it was cleaned up, the fighters resumed in the same position from which they were pulled, with Couture inside Belfort's open guard as the Brazilian sat against the fence.

Belfort's only offense came seconds later, when the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt almost snagged Couture's right arm. But the veteran fighter freed himself, closing out the period by punishing Belfort to the head.

The third -- and what turned out to be the final -- period saw much of the same. Couture clinched, put Belfort to the mat, pounded away with elbows and short punches while the Brazilian did little but absorb the shots as blood covered the right side of his body -- and much of Couture's shorts.

"When he gets you down on the ground," said UFC president Dana White afterwards, "you're done. There's nothing anyone can do when you're on the ground with Randy."

McCarthy asked the doctor to check the cut, and for a moment it seemed like the bout would continue. But as the referee prepared to re-start action, the doctor waived off the remainder of the bout. Belfort, 12-4-0, protested, but had the fight continued there was probably little he could have done to stem the tide.

Couture, 13-6-0, and his corner celebrated the fourth championship of his UFC career. Still in the ring, the re-crowned light heavyweight king called out PRIDE champion Vanderlei Silva, who answered by joining Couture in the ring.

"The Natural" issued a challenge to Silva, and the PRIDE king gladly excepted.

There has never been an intra-promotional bout between champions; Couture seems intent on changing that. White echoed Couture's sentiments at the post-fight press conference, calling out PRIDE officials who accompanied Silva to Las Vegas.

"I honestly believe I have four guys that can beat Vanderlei Silva -- two of them already did," said White.

Of Couture, said White: "He's a thinking fighter. He picks guys apart. He looks at how they fight. He looks at tapes and comes in with the perfect gameplan and shuts them down, stops whatever weapons they have and totally destroys them."