Sherdog is reporting UFC Hall of Famers Randy 'the Natural' Couture, 46, and Mark 'the Hammer' Coleman, 44, have verbally agreed to fight in a light heavyweight bout at UFC 109 on February 6, 2009 in Las Vegas. This fight will be the first time two UFC Hall of Fame members have fought each other inside the Octagon. Couture was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2006 and Coleman in 2008. This may very well mark the oldest combined age of two matched-up UFC fighters as well, with the two men sharing a combined 90 years on this planet. Coleman first fought inside the Octagon at UFC 10 in 1996, while Couture debuted three events later at UFC 13 in 1997. Both men have held the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Randy Couture and Mark Coleman were originally scheduled to fight each other way back in the day, in the heavyweight division over a decade ago, at UFC 17 in 1998. Couture suffered a training injury, and instead Coleman was matched up against up-and-comer Pete Williams. Williams scored a major upset with the infamous head kick heard 'round the world.
Randy Couture and Mark Coleman once wrestled in a freestyle match at the 1989 Olympic Festival held at Oklahoma State, with Couture winning by a point. Couture is a 3-time US Olympic team alternate (1988, 1992, 1996) and was a semi-finalist at the 2000 Olympic Trials. Coleman made the 1992 US Olympic Wrestling Team and placed seventh overall at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
Randy Couture is coming off a somewhat controversial decision win over Brandon Vera at UFC 105. Mark Coleman scored a much-less controversial, but much-more surprising, decision win over Stephan Bonnar at UFC 100. This marked Coleman's first win in nearly three and a half years. Couture, while 2 years older than Coleman, has spent those same past three and a half years winning the UFC Heavyweight Championship from Tim Sylvia and successfully defending it against Gabriel Gonzaga, not to mention the recent Vera win. Couture would seem to be the clear favorite in this prospective fight. Due to the age of the combatants and Coleman's penchant for injuries, this fight happening can never be a certainty even if it is. Once Coleman is walking down the aisle to the Octagon, then the old man fight will be on!
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