Thoughts On Couture VS. Nogueira At UFC 102

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Last night 46-year-old Randy Couture fought Minotauro Nogueira in UFC 102. After three full rounds Couture lost to an unanimous decision. Nogueira won the match – and while some moments were closer than others, I think anyone would be hard pressed to disagree with the decision.

I am writing this because I wanted to give a shout out to Couture. Couture was defeated, but he didn’t really lose. I felt Couture showed remarkable heart and toughness. He kept pressing on, escaped some perilous dominant positions against a bigger, exceptional grappler, and fought hard.

Despite the loss for Couture, this is the type of match that made me feel good and inspired. Everyone is familiar with Grantland Rice‘s famous quote:

“It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.”

For Couture VS. Nogueira, it’s the spirit of this saying that is most relevant here: the idea that when anyone competes with genuine effort and heart – they are likely to come out a winner of some sort, regardless of the outcome of the match.

Congratulations to Nogueira for a good victory – and congratulations to Couture for giving a great, authentic effort and a good fight.