LAS VEGAS (AP) - Randy Couture keeps defying logic.
The 44-year-old defeated the bigger and younger Gabriel Gonzaga by a third-round TKO to retain his heavyweight championship at UFC 74 on Saturday night at Mandalay Bay Arena.
Couture, 24 1/2 pounds lighter than Gonzaga, never had his back on the floor, won at 1:37 and upped his record to 16-8. In the third period, Couture took the 252-pound Gonzaga down on his back and continued to punch him repeatedly before the fight was stopped.
"I kept the pressure on and frustrated him," said Couture, a favorite of the crowd of 11,118. "I didn't see any weaknesses in his game. He's a tough fighter. I felt like the turning point was the takedown."
Gonzaga's nose was broken late in the first, and Couture dominated the second round. He backed the 28-year-old Gonzaga (8-2), from Ludlow, Mass., against the fence for much of the period.
In the second biggest match of the night, Georges St-Pierre won by unanimous decision over Josh Koscheck in a welterweight bout.
"I've just been reborn now," said St-Pierre, referring to his TKO loss in the first round to Matt Serra on April 7 in Houston. "I'm better than ever. Josh is a great wrestler. My plan was to put him out of his comfort zone."
St-Pierre dominated the match, putting Koscheck on his back for much of the first period and most of the second. St-Pierre also got Koscheck on his back in the late stages of the third. Koscheck (11-2), from Fresno, Calif., only had St-Pierre on his back during the late stages of the first period.
St-Pierre, of Montreal, improved to 14-2.
Also on the main card, Roger Huerta won by TKO in the third round at 1:50 over Alberto Crane in a lightweight bout. Huerta, from Minneapolis, dominated the fight and moved his record to 21-1-1, while Crane, from Glendale, Calif., fell to 8-2.
Lightweight Joe Stevenson, from Las Vegas, won an unanimous decision over Kurt Pellegrino, from Jupiter, Fla. Middleweight Patrick Cote, from Quebec City, Canada, upset Kendall Grove, from Hawaii, by TKO in the first round at 4:45.
In the prelims, Renato Sobral defeated David Heath at 3:30 of the second round. For much of the lightweight match, Heath was on his back and bloodied by a cut on his forehead.
Sobral's decision to maintain his choke hold on Heath after he tapped out will be investigated by UFC.
Frank Mir beat Antoni Hardonk by submission during the first round in a heavyweight bout. Tales Leites got Ryan Jensen to tap out at 3:47 of the first period in a middleweight bout. Clay Guida won by decision over Marcus Aurello, 30-27 in a lightweight match.
The 44-year-old defeated the bigger and younger Gabriel Gonzaga by a third-round TKO to retain his heavyweight championship at UFC 74 on Saturday night at Mandalay Bay Arena.
Couture, 24 1/2 pounds lighter than Gonzaga, never had his back on the floor, won at 1:37 and upped his record to 16-8. In the third period, Couture took the 252-pound Gonzaga down on his back and continued to punch him repeatedly before the fight was stopped.
"I kept the pressure on and frustrated him," said Couture, a favorite of the crowd of 11,118. "I didn't see any weaknesses in his game. He's a tough fighter. I felt like the turning point was the takedown."
Gonzaga's nose was broken late in the first, and Couture dominated the second round. He backed the 28-year-old Gonzaga (8-2), from Ludlow, Mass., against the fence for much of the period.
In the second biggest match of the night, Georges St-Pierre won by unanimous decision over Josh Koscheck in a welterweight bout.
"I've just been reborn now," said St-Pierre, referring to his TKO loss in the first round to Matt Serra on April 7 in Houston. "I'm better than ever. Josh is a great wrestler. My plan was to put him out of his comfort zone."
St-Pierre dominated the match, putting Koscheck on his back for much of the first period and most of the second. St-Pierre also got Koscheck on his back in the late stages of the third. Koscheck (11-2), from Fresno, Calif., only had St-Pierre on his back during the late stages of the first period.
St-Pierre, of Montreal, improved to 14-2.
Also on the main card, Roger Huerta won by TKO in the third round at 1:50 over Alberto Crane in a lightweight bout. Huerta, from Minneapolis, dominated the fight and moved his record to 21-1-1, while Crane, from Glendale, Calif., fell to 8-2.
Lightweight Joe Stevenson, from Las Vegas, won an unanimous decision over Kurt Pellegrino, from Jupiter, Fla. Middleweight Patrick Cote, from Quebec City, Canada, upset Kendall Grove, from Hawaii, by TKO in the first round at 4:45.
In the prelims, Renato Sobral defeated David Heath at 3:30 of the second round. For much of the lightweight match, Heath was on his back and bloodied by a cut on his forehead.
Sobral's decision to maintain his choke hold on Heath after he tapped out will be investigated by UFC.
Frank Mir beat Antoni Hardonk by submission during the first round in a heavyweight bout. Tales Leites got Ryan Jensen to tap out at 3:47 of the first period in a middleweight bout. Clay Guida won by decision over Marcus Aurello, 30-27 in a lightweight match.
