Couture comfortable as light heavyweight

Randy Couture has spent his past few training camps trying to keep weight on.

The 46-year-old mixed martial artist will return to his more natural weight class — light heavyweight, or 205 pounds –to take on Brandon Vera in the main event of UFC 105 tonight in Manchester, England.

In the heavyweight division, he was competing at about 225 pounds, 40 pounds below the class limit. Couture often was taking on fighters who were, after rehydrating following the weigh-in, more than 50 pounds heavier than him by the time of the fight.

Couture said the process of keeping his weight up is not an easy one, especially when training hard every day.

“It sounds like that would be fun, but it’s not a lot of fun, actually,” he said during a conference call from Great Britain. “It’s more difficult than you’d think.”

After many years as a light heavyweight, including two stints as the division’s champion, Couture returned from his first retirement to capture the heavyweight crown from Tim Sylvia in March 2007. After one defense and a lengthy contract dispute, Couture lost the belt to Brock Lesnar last November.

He took this fight after a second straight defeat, this time to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in August. But Couture said he hasn’t necessarily moved down for good.

“I don’t really have any plan. (I’m) taking this one fight at a time,” said Couture, who signed a six-fight contract extension in August. “I certainly haven’t looked past Brandon Vera. We’ll see what opportunities arise after this fight and make a decision at that time.”

Couture said one aspect of fighting at light heavyweight appeals to him.

“For heavyweight fights, at least most of the ones I’ve had recently, I’ve had to bring in large guys and put myself in a worst-case scenario, which is being under the bottom (of) a guy that size and training specifically to deal with that size-disparaging difference,” he said. “Obviously with light heavyweights, there’s still training for the same situation, but I don’t have to bring in great big guys and deal with the huge size difference.

“I’m dealing with guys that are closer to my weight and closer to my size. (I always dread) the first couple of weeks at camp. I hate having those big guys laying on top of me and dealing with that, and I often wonder what the hell I’ve gotten myself into.”

Couture is a five-time champion in the UFC; Mike Swick and Dan Hardy hope to become first-time champions tonight. The winner of their welterweight bout is expected to get the next shot at Georges St. Pierre’s belt once the champion is fully healthy.

“That’s obviously something really cool to look forward to,” Swick said. “Right now, I’m focused on (this) fight. (This) is a big fight. (Without) that win and a dominant performance, nothing else is going to happen.”

Hardy, an England native, has fought each of his three previous UFC fights in Europe. Another Brit, middleweight Michael Bisping, will return home to fight after being knocked out for the first time in his career by Dan Henderson at UFC 100 in July.

“It was a tough loss. It was the first one in my career that’s ended like that,” Bisping said. “My (only) other loss was a split decision to Rashad Evans, so obviously (the knockout) didn’t sit well with me. But it surely hasn’t affected me as a fighter as some people are speculating.

“Some people (think) that perhaps I’m going to be gun shy. It couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Bisping faces Denis Kang on the card, which airs tape delayed on Spike (Cable 29) at 8 p.m.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.