Couture Analyzes Belfort/Fedor

“Vitor has always been tremendously talented and he’s always had a ton of gifts,” Couture told Feinman. “It’s just a matter of putting him in the right environment to let them flourish.”

While Belfort, currently a middleweight contender, would be opposing the world’s consensus top heavyweight on only 11 days’ notice, Couture feels that the time compression presents an equal liability for both. “The fact that he’s a southpaw and Fedor hasn’t prepared for a southpaw, the fact that he is very, very agile and explosive and a great boxer all lend well to him having a great performance,” Couture said. “It’s really a win-win for Vitor to fight one of the top guys in the sport, being a smaller guy stepping up on such short notice… He’s got just as good a chance as anybody. Certainly he has as good a chance as Barnett had at fighting Fedor.”

Couture, who spent much of 2007 and 2008 trying to make a fight with Emelianenko materialize, was asked if watching Belfort step in has provoked any athletic envy. “No, it’s great for him. If I get my opportunity, I get my opportunity. Things happen how they are meant to happen.”

Sacha Feinman made majority contribution to this report.