Randy Couture vs. Lyoto Machida: A Risk Worth Taking for Both

Many have been left scratching their heads following Randy Couture's loss to Brock Lesnar. We've been left to ask ourselves, "what's next for Randy Couture?" Let's discuss a path that may be one of his toughest options: If he drops down to the Light Heavyweight division, that path is Lyoto Machida.

Randy Couture put on a good performance at UFC 91. Despite some early success against the bigger man, he eventually fell victim to a straight right during the second round. About a gazillion hammer fists later, Lesnar became our new UFC heavyweight champion.

There were no excuses after the fight; a gracious Couture embraced defeat, and simply said "that's a big son-of-a-bitch."

Couture can stay in the HW picture, and take on the likes of Gonzaga, the loser of Mir/Nog, or younger prospects. However, with two fights left on his UFC contract, does he really want to stay the underdog? The bigger man finally proved supreme, and Couture's best shot at going out on a high note would be to drop back down to 205.

There are many high profile fights that can be made at 205 for Couture, but one of his toughest potential opponents would be Lyoto Machida. Lyoto Machida is facing Thiago Silva at UFC 94; if he wins, then he and Randy Couture should fight.

The reasoning for that fight is simple: Either fighter would benefit greatly from a victory.

Let's take a look at Lyoto Machida. He is 13-0-0 in his MMA career, holds victories over Rich Franklin, B.J. Penn, Tito Ortiz, and has won five in a row in the UFC. Many believe he deserves a title shot, but has been passed up due to his "displeasing" style of fighting.

With a win over Thiago Silva, Lyoto will be even more deserving of a title shot, but Thiago Silva isn't a widely recognized name as of right now. Most casual fans could not tell you who he is or who he's fought (his most notable UFC wins are TKO victories over James Irvin and Houston Alexander).

For that reason, the UFC will most likely not give him his number one contender status.

If Lyoto Machida were to beat Randy Couture however, the UFC would have to give him a title shot. Though Couture lost Saturday, he was not destroyed by Lesnar. Machida needs a win over a huge name (look at Rashad Evans) and he will be granted his shot. Randy would be a means to an end for Lyoto Machida.

Couture would also gain the benefit of a title shot with a win in this fight, should it happen. Timing is what would make this fight work. The winners of Griffin/Evans and Jackson/Silva will fight for the title, feasibly in February or March of next year.

Lyoto/Silva will take place January 31st. If Lyoto wins, then Randy and he could fight sometime in March and April. With only two fights left on Randy's contract, he would have one fight left over to challenge the champion and fulfill his contract.

Both Couture and Lyoto study their opponents and construct a game-plan to pick them apart, so this would make for a very interesting fight. With Couture's dirty boxing and clinch control, he may finally be able to solve Lyoto's defensive puzzle.

Lyoto can slip away from opponents with his sly defense. But, if Randy can clinch and put him up against the cage, Machida would lose that ability.

Lyoto could end this fight if he chose to try and KO Randy or make him submit, or would he dodge and frustrate Randy and go for a decision win?

If Lyoto really wants his title shot, he'd be wise to try and end the fight early. If you've seen his fight with Franklin, you know he poses the striking abilities to do so (see YouTube). I believe Lyoto would take this fight in a heartbeat, but could Randy do the same?

With two fights left, it would be a risky move; Couture could take two easy victories and call it a day. However, in an interview before his Lesnar fight, Randy explained that he doesn't care about belts, and he doesn't buy into the hype surrounding himself. He said he loves the competition and the challenge, and that's why he's still fighting.

If he's looking for a challenge, he should look no further then Lyoto Machida.