The UFC 109 main event of Randy Couture vs. Mark Coleman is a fight that would have been a lot better if it had happened 12 years ago, and the UFC doesn't shy away from that fact in its latest promotional video, noting that they were supposed to fight at UFC 17 in 1998 before Couture pulled out with a rib injury.
But most of the promotional video is looking forward, not backward, and UFC President Dana White makes an interesting statement.
"Randy Couture needs this win because he's a fierce competitor and always likes to win," White says. "But as far as livelihood and career, Mark Coleman needs this win a lot more than Randy Couture does."
I agree with White's reasoning, but I view it exactly the opposite way: Couture is the one who really needs this win.
Couture is a huge betting favorite, and everyone is expecting him to beat Coleman. In fact, most of the fans I hear from are talking about this fight like it's not even fair, like the UFC is giving Couture a soft opponent in the hopes that he'll get a big win that can propel him to a light heavyweight title shot. Coleman, on the other hand, is viewed as washed up and just hanging on. That's how he'll continue to be viewed if he loses to Couture, so he's going into this fight without much to lose.
If Couture wins, both he and Coleman will continue to be viewed pretty much the way they are now. But if Coleman wins, that will radically change fans' perceptions of where Couture is at this stage in his career. That's why Couture really needs to win.
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