Mike Chiappetta • E-mail

LAS VEGAS - We can pretend it’s a strange thing to see Brock Lesnar fighting for a UFC championship after just three pro fights. We can say it’s an anomaly, a rarity, and some might even call it an injustice, but the fact of the matter is, we’ve seen this scenario before.

Eleven years ago, we saw the exact same storyline.

A wrestler with sterling amateur credentials but a late start in the MMA game emerged and immediately began generating buzz, and by his fourth fight, he would earn a shot at gold against a more experienced, more diverse fighter.

That wrestler’s name is Randy Couture.

And for the record, Couture won that championship matchup, defeating Maurice Smith in a close decision en route to becoming the legend that currently sits atop the heavyweight throne.

So what Lesnar is attempting to do is not unprecedented, but that does not make it any more daunting of a challenge.

Despite being younger, bigger and stronger than Couture, Lesnar is fighting a man who seems to do his best work when the odds are stacked against him.

He was an underdog in that first title match with Smith, in his first of three fights with Chuck Liddell, and in his comeback against Tim Sylvia, just to name a few. Had he lost them, he certainly would not be the legend he is considered today.

Like all supernatural trends, it is a phenomenon with no single explanation, and yet that intangible is something everyone considers a factor on fight night. Even at 45, Couture is one of the most dangerous men on the planet, largely due to his dueling physical and intellectual approach.

“One thing about Randy is you never bet against him, especially against bigger man,” says his coach, Shawn Tompkins. “He’s outwrestled and beaten many big guys, and he’ll do it with Brock, too.”

The confidence from Couture’s camp oozes from Couture on down to the fighters who call his Xtreme Couture gym home. They talk about Couture with reverence and respect, understanding they are in the presence of an all-time great. Critics who simply glance at his 16-8 career record might not be impressed, but it must be taken into account that 14 of Couture’s 18 career UFC fights are title matches, and another was a tournament final. So Couture has quite literally always taken on the best the sport had to offer.

Video   "Randy Couture is a stepping stone for Brock Lesnar." The challenger expects a battle but doesn't think Couture can control the fight. Brock wants the belt and expects to take it. NBC Sports

Still, Couture comes into this fight a slight underdog (the MGM Grand sports book lists Lesnar as the favorite at -115), which might mean he has Lesnar exactly where he wants him. Lesnar, however, isn’t buying it.

“I don’t think Randy’s old, and I wouldn’t even consider him an underdog,” he said. “He’s a tough SOB. He wasn’t an underdog against Gonzaga or Sylvia. At least I never thought he was. If he is, he’s a world-class underdog despite his age. All I can do is analyze the fights and figure out how to beat him. I think we have a good game plan to do that.”

Couture returns to action following the resolution of a contract squabble that cost him 15 months on the sidelines. At the time, Couture cited a lack of respect on the UFC’s part as well as the hope of fighting Russian star Fedor Emelianenko as reasons for ending his UFC alliance. But he says the time away from the cage will not affect him a bit.

“I’ve never been one to sit around,” he says. “I like to train and get in the gym. This whole thing about ring rust — I don’t think it’s the same in MMA as it is for boxing. Our sparring and training is just about as real as the fights, so I’m not worried about that at all.”

Tompkins, meanwhile thinks that if anything, the layoff might have actually helped his charge.

“I think you’ll see a more athletic Randy and a faster, more slicker boxer,” he says. “And that’s what it will take to win this fight. Randy being healthy, will be able to counter that weight and power Brock has and beat him with his athleticism. You’re going to see an athletic and slick boxer.”

There have been other distractions as well; some good, some bad. His son Ryan recently made his amateur MMA debut; he won by triangle choke. His wife Kim will fight on the Nov. 21 Strikeforce card. His relationship with business partner Affliction clothing, however, has taken a disturbing turn. Kim Couture recently filed for and received a temporary restraining order against Affliction owner Todd Beard, alleging threatening comments directed towards her.

Thursday night at Xtreme Couture, the champion underwent his last serious sparring session before his return bout. His practice starts at 9 p.m. so his body will adapt to the time he'll be fighting on Saturday night. And even with about 48 hours left until his fight, Couture presents the image of absolute calm and control. Whereas Lesnar feeds off emotion, Couture is at his best when he is simply following his pre-programmed fight plan.

By now, his ability to scheme for his opponents is a part of MMA lore. He physically dominates specimens, as he did with Vitor Belfort; he out-strikes strikers, as he did with Liddell; he bullies bigger men, as he did to Gabriel Gonzaga. But Lesnar has a grand total of less than 18 minutes in the cage, and so there isn’t that tape to break down. While Couture and Tompkins have watched and dissected every bit of Lesnar footage countless times, there is also this cruel trick at play: Lesnar is so young in the game that every time out, he will be different. Much the same way a child grows in surprising spurts when you only see them sporadically, the effect can be jarring.

It is clear the Couture camp doesn’t think Lesnar’s striking will present Couture with a big problem; Lesnar and co. disagree strongly.

“His wrestling is so good already, and he has a great ability to control someone on the ground, so that isn’t an issue at all,” says Lesnar’s trainer Greg Nelson. “So we’re concentrating on striking. And there’s been a huge, huge improvement.”

We will find out whose assessment is closer to the truth on Saturday. But, again, remember that Couture has been there before. He walked the same path as Lesnar, an amateur wrestler learning as he went, fighting for the championship perhaps before he was truly ready. In some ways, he may know Lesnar’s progression better than Lesnar does himself.

The champion thinks back to those early days, when he was thrown into the fire, and overwhelmed by the fans screaming his name. He knows the path he’s walked and the lessons he’s learned. Without saying it, he knows he is going back to the place that he helped make, and the place that helped make him.

“It’s a lot different now,” he says. “I think on Saturday night, it’s going to feel like I’m walking home.”