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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
When it comes to this Saturday's UFC 118 showdown between Randy Couture and James Toney, the talking has all been coming from Toney.
As for "The Natural," he hasn't engaged in any of the back and forth, and kept his reasoning nice and succinct at this week's pre-fight press conference.
"I don't do any talking," Randy said. "It all happens in the cage, that's what matters."
For his part, Toney still believes he can handle himself inside the Octagon, and he's coming out to prove that he is the fighter he claims to be.
"People say I can't do this, and that MMA is different," he said. "It ain't no different. Once you get in the ropes, in the cage, I'm a different animal."
And though he's come out and made disparaging remarks about the sport throughout his attempts to get booked in the Octagon, he made sure to spend some time at the press conference professing some respect for the sport.
"This MMA thing is great, I love it," Toney said. "I'm a warrior, I'm a fighter. When the bell rings and the cage closes, I'll be ready to go. I'll be there."
UFC President Dana White continued to field questions about putting this fight together, and why he ultimately decided to make it, and though he has called it a freak show fight previously, he's backed off that stance somewhat days out from the fight.
"James was getting ready to break into my house," laughed White. "We talked for awhile, back and forth. I didn't think I would make it and then I just ended up doing it. James asked for a fight, and he got it.
"James has more knockouts than Randy has fights in his boxing career... he's a real guy and anything can happen in the Octagon."
The time for talking will be finished on Saturday night, and this fight will finally take place. Whether Toney can withstand the takedowns and dirty boxing from "Captain America" to land a knockout blow, or whether Couture will take "Lights Out" to the ground and finish him down there, we'll get those answers on at the TD Garden in Boston.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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