Even before a winner has been determined in the main event of UFC 113 between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Randy Couture is already expressing an interest in fighting the winner. Couture will be on hand in Montreal this weekend to watch the fight, and he’ll be more than just an interested onlooker.
Speaking to MMAWeekly.com radio and shared his interest of fighting for the light-heavyweight title sooner rather than later.
“I think within the next six months I’d like to be in line to fight the winner of the Machida/Shogun fight. I’m going to be in Montreal to watch that fight very attentively. I think it’s going to be a great fight,” he said when asked about his title aspirations.
Couture may be eying up a future fight for the title, but his current focus must remain on his impending fight with MMA newcomer, James Toney, at UFC 118 in Boston on Aug. 28. The fight will be Couture’s third since returning to the light-heavyweight division last year. He won a unanimous decision fight over Brandon Vera, and followed that up with a submission win over fellow UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman in February.
UFC President Dana White appears to be on the same page as Couture. White has said on several occasions that he believes Couture is ranked among the upper echelon of the light-heavyweight division, and a title shot could very well be in his future.
On the surface, Couture fighting for a title makes perfect sense. He’s one of the most well-known fighters in the world, and a pay-per-view with him fighting for a title would draw huge numbers, but one would have to wonder how he would get a title shot before so many other deserving fighters.
Before Couture or anyone else gets a title shot, he needs to take care of Toney in August, and the winner of Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson at the end of the month might have a say in who gets to face the winner of Machida and Shogun.
