It seems that former boxing champion James “Lights Out” Toney will make his UFC (Mixed Martial Arts) debut on August 28 UFC 118 at the TD Garden in Boston according to well known MMA website Sherdog.com.
Toney who will turn 42 years old on August 24, four days from his UFC debut, will take on 46 year old former UFC heavyweight and light-heavyweight champion, Randy “The Natural” Couture.
Sherdog.com reports that Randy Couture already agreed to terms and signed his contract but it’s not yet known if James Toney has signed the contract for the fight.
James Toney is currently training with Juanito Ibarra, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s former trainer, and recently according to FightHype.com Toney is also training his wrestling with Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion, King Mo Lawal.
Randy Couture was a top level collegiate wrestler and James Toney was a top level champion boxer, this will be the classic ‘Grappler vs. Striker’ match up and usually the grappler wins due to the striker having limited or no knowledge of submissions or take down defense.
James Toney’s former trainer, Freddie Roach, who is best known for his work with boxer Manny Pacquiao, also trains MMA fighters like Georges St-Pierre, Andrei Arlovski, Anderson Silva and Tito Ortiz, and doesn’t like the idea of James Toney in MMA. Roach told HDnets Inside MMA that the UFC is just using James Toney and had little confidence in Toney being victorious in MMA due to the different rule set.
Fans wonder if James Toney learned enough to defend himself against a top level MMA fighter like Randy Couture. Those questions will be answered when they meet up at UFC 118.
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