Some matches enter the imaginations of fans as dream superfights. Wanderlei Silva-Randy Couture was without a doubt one of them. It never materialized due to the whims of fate, but for a time, they were the greatest light heavyweights in the world. Silva was the king of Pride Fighting Championships, while Couture reigned with the rival Ultimate Fighting Championship.
UFC President Dana White, along with Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, agreed to loan a UFC fighter to Pride for its 2003 middleweight grand prix. However, because Couture had just won the interim UFC light heavyweight title and was set to face reigning champion Tito Ortiz in a blockbuster unification bout, Chuck Liddell was sent to Japan instead of “The Natural.