You can probably say that James Toney is the first “crossover fighter” in modern-day combat sports. The three-division, multiple-time world boxing champion stepped inside the Octagon at UFC 118 in 2010 to fight two-weight champion and Hall-of-Famer Randy Couture.
The bout ended as expected, with Couture winning via first-round submission and earning his black belt from it. But according to Toney, he struck a deal with Couture for a boxing match afterward.
Now, he has some unflattering words for “The Natural” for not honoring that part of their supposed agreement.
“He was scared to fight with me.