• UFC 118

Brits give Toney no chance, but Rashad disagrees

James Toney is being given little chance against Randy Couture at UFC 118 © Getty Images

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Britain's top fighters from the worlds of boxing and MMA have given their views on the upcoming Randy Couture v James Toney bout, and "The Natural" emerges as an 8-0 winner.

Couture's wrestling ability is seen to be far more important than Toney's punching power at UFC 118, making the champion boxer an overwhelming underdog on August 28.

Below the Brits provide their predictions, before UFC No. 1 light-heavyweight contender Rashad Evans throws a spanner in the works...

WBA heavyweight champion David Haye
Prediction: Couture via submission
"I admire Toney's courage, but six months of training isn't going to be enough. As a UFC fan, I know two or three years wouldn't be enough. He's delusional here. Couture isn't only going to end his UFC career inside a minute, he is most likely going to break James' arm or leg and end his boxing career too."

WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan
Prediction: Couture
"Toney has to make his punch count right away, but Couture will be watching for that. In any fight, you need a plan B and I don't think Toney has one in a UFC fight."

UFC welterweight Nick Ozipczak
Prediction: Couture
"I'm just going to say what everybody's thinking, and that's that Toney only has a puncher's chance here. That puncher's chance will only last in the opening thirty seconds of the fight, too. Unless Toney lands something significant on Couture early, he'll be taken down and it will be a definite first-round stoppage for The Natural. I can see Couture winning either via ground-and-pound or by submission but, whatever it is, it will happen early. If a miracle happens and Toney gets back to his feet at any stage, he'll then find his punches won't have much sting on them, as he hasn't developed the muscles in his arms to cope with the grappling aspect and then the punching."

Former two-weight boxing champion Ricky Hatton
Prediction: Toney within a minute or Couture
"James has a very good sense of timing, so there's a chance he will land the one shot he needs and score a win right away. But, having been ringside at Randy's fight with the much bigger Brock Lesnar, I think it is almost certain Couture will be able to maul Toney to the fence, take him down, and finish him there."

UFC lightweight Terry Etim
Prediction: Couture
"James Toney was a fantastic boxer, and one of the best to ever do it, but he's a novice mixed martial artist. That's the key in this fight and the reason why Randy Couture will dominate him. Toney probably still has one danger shot which can switch Randy's lights out, but the likelihood is he won't be in any position to land it at any stage in the fight. As soon as Randy gets a hold of him, the fight's pretty much over. Randy won't be foolish enough to stand and box with a guy like Toney, so he'll be looking for his comfort zone from the off. Randy is the worst kind of opponent for Toney, because he's a veteran guy, very experienced and knows how to execute gameplans."

UFC lightweight Paul Kelly
Prediction: Couture
"It's Randy Couture all the way for me, as I'm a massive fan of Randy and the way he goes about his work. He's been an inspiration to me for many years, and I can't see how James Toney walks into mixed martial arts and beats one of its greatest fighters. There's no doubt Toney is a great fighter in his own right, as a boxer, but he's done nothing so far as a mixed martial artist. Couture, on the other hand, has done it all and has experienced every single situation you can possibly confront in the Octagon. This sport is all new to Toney. He may have had nearly 100 boxing matches, but he hasn't had one MMA match. I see Randy taking him down and finishing him quickly and in devastating fashion."

UFC lightweight Andre Winner
Prediction: Couture
"I've been reading quotes from Toney on forums and websites, and he's saying he's going to come out in a normal boxing stance and won't change his game at all. If that's the case, unless he catches Randy very early on, he's just going to end up on his back. If he's not willing to learn or adapt, he'll get pummelled. I think he's a great boxer, but my money is on Randy, so long as he plays it smart and exposes Toney's weaknesses. If they get into a clinch, Toney will struggle with Randy's sheer strength and size. Toney's a big guy, but he never started out as a big guy, and has gradually put on a lot of weight, but it's fat weight. Randy's a decent-sized guy and has that natural grappling strength that all great wrestlers I have. I believe that will shock Toney on the night."

WEC bantamweight Brad Pickett
Prediction: Couture by TKO
"Obviously Randy Couture will win by first-round TKO. He's a wise, old dog and he won't try to prove any points on his feet. He's going to close the distance, push him against the cage and take him down, mount him and win by ground-and-pound. Now, it's a funny game and things can happen but if I was going to bet my house on it that's what I think will happen."

All-in-all, some pretty difficult reading for James Toney, but salvation arrives in the thoughts of Rashad Evans...

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans
"(Toney's) inside fighting capabilities could serve him well given Randy Couture's clinch game. Look at the Frank Mir and Shane Carwin fight - most of the damage was done to Frank Mir against the cage. But if you get a guy like James Toney who knows how to strike off the cage, and who makes a living with inside fighting … I think that could lend some promise to James Toney. It could be a short night if a guy like James Toney lands one of those shots on the inside. He's definitely the best true boxer out there in the UFC."

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