Although James Toney is one of the best to ever lace up a pair of boxing gloves, the 41-year-old isn’t getting much respect in the mixed martial arts arena. Then again, why should someone that’s never set foot inside an MMA cage and is meeting the sport’s most beloved athlete in Randy Couture get any love?
Oh yeah, did we also forget to mention Toney brought along his confident/borderline cocky boxing bravado to the Octagon with him?
“The reason why I’m doing this is because everybody is fighting in the UFC and everybody is scared to fight me in the heavyweight division,” Toney told WNST in Baltimore. “I have to come where the action is. I’m coming in to break some jaws, break some necks and everything else.”
Despite the staggering advantage Couture holds in the experience department, the boxer claims the transition to his new occupation has been a smooth one.
“I’m very comfortable on my back. I’ll be ready for anything. Once you’re a natural athlete you can adapt. Anything is possible,” Toney said. “If Randy wants to go to the floor, we can go to the floor, but it won’t be long. If it is a long time, because of that he’s going to get knocked out.”
The Gambling Gods have dubbed the MMA rookie a 3.5-to-1 underdog, while Couture checks in at -600. Toney suggests the powers that be should ask somebody because they apparently don’t know about his explosive hands.
“You talk about Anderson Silva as the best striker in the division, I’m best the striker in the MMA. Period,” Toney emphatically stated. “I’m gonna show everybody how to punch for real. I’ve been in there with the best fighters in the world. Period.
“Whatever it comes down to it, when Randy Couture sees me ready to shoot that right hand up to … I’m telling you he’s not even gonna see it coming, it’s gonna be over and he’s gonna be on his way to the hospital.”
The two will collide at “UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn II” inside the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on August 28th. Period.
Dream on Toney…you lard arse!
Jason commented on July 28, 2010 @ 6:17 am
Ill drink to that.toney will make couture the mohamad ali of the sport
pedoro commented on July 28, 2010 @ 6:58 am
couture’s supposed to win. They are fighting in couture’s house and under couture’s rules. If Toney knocks couture’s ass out, than it will only show what people with half a brain already know; mma is complete and total trash and mma fighters ain’t worth being on television let alone ppv. MMA is about half a step up from WWE and mma fans and WWE fans are one in the same in both taste and intellect. Considering both retarded fans fall for manufactured hype jobs with no talent.
Fight 'N' With heart commented on July 28, 2010 @ 7:54 am
Toney does have real power but if Randy executes his game plan within the first minuite Toney doesn’t stand a chance!
Twylights commented on July 28, 2010 @ 10:37 am
Coutoure has this one!
Twylights commented on July 28, 2010 @ 10:38 am
James Toney?? I’m sorry but did I miss something? Who did he fight that made him such a legend.
Fight ‘N’ With heart – Your an airhead who looks for forums to leave your empty and misguided comments so you can feel like somebody. I’ll bet you have skinny legs!!
Regardless of the outcome to this fight MMA is real and legitimate and will eventually take the spot light boxing once had.
KP commented on July 28, 2010 @ 10:45 am
Ill drink to that to.and farting with heart I hope u get your shit pushed in by brock lesnar
pedoro commented on July 28, 2010 @ 11:32 am
MAN, BOXERS ARE STUPID
BOXING IS BORING , JAMES TONEY WON’T HAVE HIS GIGANTIC BOXING GLOVES TO PROTECT HIM THIS TIME I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW MAYWEATHER WON THE BEST FIGHTER AWARD IF BOXING IS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO A REAL FIGHT ,
BOXERS GO FOR MORE THAN 10 ROUNDS AND STILL CAN’T KNOCK THE OTHER GUY OUT ,
BOXING WILL DISSAPEAR VERY SOON
mutant jesus commented on July 28, 2010 @ 2:02 pm
James is the real legend if you idiots think he’s fighting Randy to make fool of himself you guys are in for a shock look at what james did to holydield and Iran Barkley how about hasim. John ruis he’s always been able to back up his talk so you guys are going to be pretty pissed of the 18 th I can’t wait till he gets ahold of the walking zombie
toneys the real legend commented on July 28, 2010 @ 4:30 pm
UFC really does stand for U ..FREAKY C..NTS….. i cant understand how people can think of MMA…CAGE FIGHTING or UFC can even be spoke about in the same breath …its a steroid induced sport supposably posing as so called athletes,who are no more than pub car park fighters who have all the finess of a turd on a string.
bradz1706 commented on July 28, 2010 @ 4:53 pm
as the worlds best promoter BOB ARUM said if they were all that good why have they lost so many fights and are still classing themselves to be top of their tree and winning titles ….if toney wins which he should and he aint the best boxer in the world he will blow the myth of UFC out if the window and prove all mma ufc and cage fighters alike took up these sports because they were crap or failed boxers who couldnt make it in a proper sport thats been going for centuries this sport is just ….wrestling with a punch involved.
bradz1706 commented on July 28, 2010 @ 5:04 pm
also MUTANT JESUS as you call yourself ..or is it MUTANT NINJA TURTLE…if boxers had the little shitty mittens on mma guys wear the fight probably wouldnt last any more than a couple of rounds anyway …you are talking like a NINJA TURD…..this is from an ex boxer and now coach whos been in boxing for 30 years what have you done…not much i bet
bradz1706 commented on July 28, 2010 @ 5:11 pm
boxers are gay, those are not even real fights
mma is closer to a real fight than boxing
all you boxing lovers must be old people or stupid boxers
james is going to regret stepping into the octagon
chicken lover commented on July 28, 2010 @ 6:12 pm
Glad Toney feels comfortable on his back, as he stated, because that’s where he’s gonna be when it’s over…
sandman commented on July 28, 2010 @ 8:20 pm
okay guys you have convince me james toney is going to loose this match boxers are stupid bitches
bradz1706 commented on July 28, 2010 @ 8:43 pm
Art Jimmerson was the first boxer to fight in the UFC and he surrendered to Royce Gracie without even being hurt. He was taken down and got scared and quit. If boxers are so great why haven’t they just came into our MMA events and just cleaned house, huh? I’ll tell you why, they are afraid to fight anyone who can use different methods of fighting other than just punches. All you boxing butt buddies can’t name one legit professional boxer who used pure boxing techniques to CONSISTANTLY win in top level MMA promotions.
BigEasy commented on July 28, 2010 @ 10:17 pm
No matter what the outcome of this fight, NO QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED. In one corner you have a 41 year old boxing “great”. A guy who does have the power to knock out just about anyone. Anyone who thinks otherwise is mistaken. It’s called a punchers chance. In the other corner you have a 47 year old MMA legand. (refer back to 47 year old.) that being said Randy has the brains to execute a strong game plan and stick to it. But, he can still get caught. Moreover, Toney is fighting a 205 pounder and refuses to even meet him at a catch weight. If he is a legit HEAVYWEIGHT then why is he not fighting an MMA heavyweight. This fight answers no questions. it is all hype.
Yalldumb commented on July 29, 2010 @ 4:44 am
Yalldumb – Your comment made the most sense. This fight will not prove anything at all especially with the age and weight differences being totally out of whack. Amen!
It will still be interesting to see how the sequence of events lay out though.
KP commented on July 29, 2010 @ 9:05 am
Yalldumb-I agree totally. Toney should be fighting in the heavyweight division. Let Shane Carwin have his comeback fight against Toney. Would be a better match-up.
I’m a huge MMA fan, but don’t take anything away from boxing. It is its own sport. Now anyone who is just trying to be a hater, quit being an idiot. You can’t tell me that MMA fighters aren’t real athletes. Have you ever been in a fight? If so, chances are it was over in a minute or less and you were sucking wind afterwards. That’s a long time to fight. UFC’s worst fighter would probably kick all of our asses.
Justin commented on July 29, 2010 @ 1:29 pm
If Randy wants to go to the floor, we can go to the floor, ..
that says it all. the fag boxer already knows he cant do shit
billy commented on July 29, 2010 @ 7:46 pm
Fight ‘N’ With heart ….another idiot speaks!!
Heavy weight boxing is OVER and I used to be the #1 fan…talk about WWE all you want, but don’t use Don King as an example of being legit lmao…boxing was all about showmanship…James Toney belongs in the WWE, look who’s running their mouth like hulk hogan or someone…not couture!
terminator commented on August 1, 2010 @ 2:13 pm
cmon randy couture got beat up by a wwe wrestler what makes you think hes going to beat a boxer?
joe commented on August 9, 2010 @ 4:54 am
MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) started out as close as you can get to NO HOLDS BARRED FIGHTING (without restrictions or rules) as you can get. It has evolved into a little more restrictive style with fighters using multple discplines, opposed to when fighters used to use mostly one discpline.You could say todays fighters are more well rounded and adaptable. Toney knows this but expects to rely on his powerfull punching. I think if he doesn’t get in a fighting ending punch early and ends up on the ground he’ll be like a fish out of water.THIS IS NOT BOXING! Not WRESTLING,KARATE,JUDO, or JUJITSU etc. It is MMA and the most well rounded fighter most likely will prevail. For Toney, it’s get that punch or punches in before getting taken down into Randy’s world! For Randy, it’s don’t get hit too hard as you take him down!
Bulldawg55 commented on August 9, 2010 @ 8:31 am
Didn’t 50 yr old Ray Mercer knock out former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia with one punch a few seconds into the first round?
bababooey commented on August 10, 2010 @ 5:05 pm
i’m an mma fan who only watches boxing when it’s pacquiao fighting…and i gotta say…the hardcore purist boxing fans posting over here are retarded. if james toney wins 1 fucking fight “the UFC myth is destroyed” and “it proves that mma is garbage”??? blah blah… please bitches think with your heads. so if an mma fighter beat a boxer that would prove undeniably once and for all that boxing and boxers suck? ignorant motherfuckers! even if Toney miraculously pulls of a win over Randy it won’t mean shit! want to know why? easy…1 fight, 1 test, 1 time, 1 try, 1 venture…1 whatever don’t prove shit! it’s like walking into a park once and seeing a squirrel and fucking saying that squirrel’s are the only animals at the park. you fuckin’ retarded or what?! how the fuck are you supposed to predict patterns and create hypothesis and eventually establish fact based knowledge without continuous repitition and trial to prove anything? it’s like someone tasting apple juice for the first time and saying it’s the greatest juice ever and the only juice! tell you what you narrowminded…ignorant…boxing purist bitches…if JT can beat Randy twice, then win over Dos Santos, Nogueira, Velasquez and Lesnar…then he’s the man. if another boxer can come into another mma/ufc weight division and do the same…take out the best mma’s got with little more than their boxing experience on their side…then mma is a fucking joke…you purists are right and all us mma fans are your bitches…BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT AIN’T GOING TO HAPPEN AND THAT NONE OF YOUR “BOXERS” CAN ACTUALLY PULL IT OFF! another problem with you idiot purists is that y’all forgot UFC 1 – 25. try watching and actually learning something from it. none of you idiots bothered to watch i’m sure…for those of you too stupid to try i’ll break it down for you. early UFC taught us 3 things. 1.) in a real no holds barred any style match-up fight…the guy who doesn’t know how to fight on the ground is at a disadvantage. 2.) size, though important and a great asset in some instances does not guarantee victory…tactics and skills do! 3.) strike all you want…bring in whatever boxing record you have…this ain’t a fist fight…it’s a fight…PERIOD…elbows…knees…chokes…shoulder smashes…dirty boxing…leg kicks…muay thai attacks…greco roman take-downs…pancrase…sambo…etc, etc, etc…you better be able to adapt ‘cuz there ain’t no cryin’ to the ref…ref stops the fight when 1 fighter can no longer continue…THAT’S MMA…(bitches)
SuperDuke commented on August 12, 2010 @ 8:48 pm
one more thing…fighting isn’t 2 guys with boxing gloves slugging it out in a ring. fighting is 2 guys using whatever knowledge, skills, training or know-how they got to take the other guy out and put him away. boxing’s definition of “fighting” is so limited. take away the referee, the cage and the audience and put 2 guys in an alley…if no one stops one guy from dropping his choke hold he’s liable to choke the other guy to death…that’s winning a fight to.
SuperDuke commented on August 12, 2010 @ 9:04 pm
ray mercer is about 50 yrs old. He was a journeymen fighter, never held any titles and he knocked out former UFC heavyweight champion tim sylvia with one punch two seconds into the fight. james toney is 5′9″ natural middleweight (160 lbs) that is now an old fat guy–hardly representative of an elite boxer at this stage so if he loses it really won’t shed any light on this debate. However, if he wins it may expose the “karate master” guys as a tier below practioners of the sweet science. Can you imagine if Couture was fighting one the Klitchko bros?
bababooey commented on August 21, 2010 @ 2:50 pm
You thick idiots! James Toney wont have the big gloves to protect him. I never underestimated MMA but by fuck you certainly underestimate boxing and know fuck all about the noble art. Smaller gloves mean more punching power. Hey Mutant Prick or whatever your name is – you say boxers are stupid?! Toney is going to your sport and not the other way around. The guy that put Brock on his arse gassed out because he couldnt throw short punches and they become arm punches – you dim wits wont know what Im talking about – leverage is everything and yes you can still punch from your back – in fact harder as your whole body is planted and not just your feet.
Just remember also Toney came to your sport. Punching is an art and so is foot work – as well as avoiding blows and or mad rushes with your head down – 2 fast uppercuts – followed by a throw by Toney and then G and P all the way baby!!!
P3love commented on August 25, 2010 @ 6:53 pm
big easy asshole – that guy you mentioned was a bum – an unknown. mma ufc want to crown their walls with the heads of old over the hill boxers who have nowhere else to go. Toney is an exception – another reason is would a cricket player who makes alot of money go across to baseball for alot less? Boxing is far bigger with the elite guys making 20 million dollars – that cannot be matched by your steroid sport. That is why. And I said already that if Toney wins it proves he was the best man that night not that boxing is better than mma. Dont fucking insult my sport and I wont insult yours.
P3love commented on August 25, 2010 @ 7:04 pm
Art Jimmerson was a fifteen fight novice who knew nothing about gracie and admits it. So what?
P3love commented on August 25, 2010 @ 7:14 pm
Tony was taken down with no problem, with a single leg takedown. hmmmm, were was those fantastic short power punches that were supposed to catch Couture on the way in and knock him out?
Tony tapped out rather than going to sleepy land, via a shoulder squeeze arm triangle choke.hmmmm, thought Tony had this “no problem”.
Tony was beat by an older, and lighter opponent.
You need at LEAST two things for MMA, boxing skills and wrestling skills. You take a tough sport like boxing, and add another tough sport like wrestling, and you combine them and make it 10 times more tough.
Funny thing about MMA, you can be great at Jiu-jitsu, but suck at MMA, Yopu can be a olyimpic gold medal wrestler and get you head handed to you in MMA. You can be a reknowned boxer and get skunked.
Tony could do well with his boxing in future MMA fights, but he has to expand outside of his knowledge base, learn how to wrestle, and intergrate it with his boxing.
Im not a hater. love boxing, it’s essintial for MMA, along with wrestling. hope Tony keeps on keeping on, and trains smarter, now that he knows what the higher level of MMA can bring.
herb commented on August 29, 2010 @ 12:04 am