D. Mandel/Sherdog.com
Crisis averted: Coleman beat Igor Vovchanchyn to win the tournament title.
In Coleman’s heyday, he was not a man overly eager to face competition that had roots in his own sport of amateur wrestling. Against Dan Severn a few years prior, he “gently” applied a suffocating submission on the ground rather than turn Severn’s face into chuck patty. But the sport has changed and so have attitudes: in 2009, Coleman not only agreed to fight fellow wrestling standout Randy Couture, he requested to.
The two wrestled in amateur competition 20-odd years ago, with Coleman edging out a win on points. Their career methods have since split: Couture pursued Greco-Roman grappling, which focuses on upper-body work, while Coleman was a freestyle wrestler. Both applied themselves successfully into MMA, though it was Couture -- whose clinch work avoided some of the striking dangers faced by Coleman’s shooting in -- who remained in the public eye longer.
The fight is both threat and opportunity for Coleman, who may find his wrestling negated by Couture and will be forced to display a more wizened game. It’s not particularly a battle of wrestling vs. wrestling, but a question of whose manipulation is better suited for MMA.
What It Means: For the winner, a chance to contend for the title after May’s Lyoto Machida/Mauricio Rua rematch; for the loser, nothing beyond some fleeting disappointment.
Might Look Like: Couture’s fight with Mike Van Arsdale, an accomplished wrestler in his own right who exchanged tie-ups with Couture before succumbing to a choke.
Wild Card: Coleman’s rejuvenated mindset following the discovery of trainer Shawn Tompkins. For Coleman, a man used to training and pushing himself, that’s a game-changer.
Who Wins: Couture possesses more submission and striking acumen at this point. Coleman may hit a double or two, but if Couture can escape out from underneath Brock Lesnar, he can get this fight back to the feet and in front of a panting Coleman. Couture by decision.