BOSTON?Clowned. Owned. Embarrassed. Humiliated.
Coming into the ring at about 250 pounds and looking like he needed a Maidenform bra, pudgy James Toney never landed a single punch in his UFC 118 co-main event against 47 year old Randy ?The Natural? Couture.
On his first try, seconds after the opening bell, Couture swept a confused Toney to the mat in the octagon in front of about 17,000 TD Banknorth Garden fans including Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Celtics Shaquille O’Neal and Glen ?Big Baby? Davis.
The punch stat number for Toney was ZERO.
With Toney on the canvas and without a clue, Couture rained punches on his head. The five division boxing world champion tried to roll with the punches but with Couture sitting on him that wasn’t easy.
The fight was stopped at the 3:19 mark of the first of the scheduled three five minutes round when Couture had Toney paralyzed with an arm triangle.
Besides taking repeated blows to his noggin, Toney was also choked by the UFC Hall of Famer in this complete and utter mismatch.
If Toney did have nine months of intensive mixed martial arts training, it did not show.
Toney got paid $750,000 while Couture earned about $2 million.
Couture was a gracious winner, giving Toney credit for trying to fight under UFC rules and saying that UFC fighters love boxing and that he hopes more boxers will return the love.
Toney, at age 42, looked like a guy who is finished in both sports. Finished in boxing after an illustrious career and finished in MMA after a non-career.
I predicted a second round victory for Couture.
I was too generous to Toney.
It may be a snowy late August day before we see another boxer-UFC star matchup.
For good reason.
