UFC 68: Fight Report

Fans were prepared for a blockbusting fight at UFC 68: The Uprising, but the face off between heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia and retired ex-champ Randy Couture was truly the stuff of Hollywood. Giving up size, age and strength to the young title-holder, Couture emerged from 12 month retirement to knock Sylvia off his top spot in a breathtaking display of skill and power.

Showing no fear whatsoever as he stepped into the ring, Couture dominated from the moment the bell rang, dropping the champ with a straight right only moments in. With many speculating that Couture’s best shot at a win relied on his superior wrestling skills, it was a shock to see the former champion demonstrating his ferocious striking ability. "I didn't think he'd try to strike with me," Sylvia admitted in the post-fight interview. "He kept me off balance the entire fight."

After claiming the first three stanzas, Couture was assured a victory provided he avoided submission or knock-out – but this didn’t prevent the UFC legend from playing the aggressor, continuing his assault of heavy punches and vying for takedowns wherever possible.

Couture was awarded a dominating five-round decision and once again was crowned heavyweight champion of the UFC, much to the delight of the biggest crowd in UFC history. “Not bad for an old man,” said the legend following his victory. It is likely he will now have to face the mighty Mirko Cro Cop in a title bout.

Having lost his middleweight title to Anderson Silva back in October, Rich Franklin also made a comeback at UFC 69, albeit a less startling one, winning an impressive TKO defeat over Jason McDonald. Landing a flurry of punches on the ground at the end of the second round, Franklin battered the young Canadian until he was unable to continue, and was given uproarious support by onlookers only too happy to see him back on form.

Another featured preliminary bout featured another comeback from a popular fighter: former welterweight champion Matt Hughes, fighting for the first time since losing his title to Georges St-Pierre last November. Winning a unanimous decision over Chris Lytle, Hughes admitted after the victory that he had not fight as convincingly as he had hoped, with periods of inactivity drawing boos from the crowd, although the win did bring him one step closer to a title rematch.

Head to the official UFC 68: The Uprising site for more info, including biographies, interviews and the fight card.