Kerry Vera TKO's Kim Couture, Mauro Ranallo Cautions Patience with Kim's Growth as a Fighter

Just six days after their husbands, err, I mean husband and ex-husband fought, Kerry Vera and Kim Couture did battle at Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Bears.

Kerry Vera avenged her husband's defeat by knocking out Kim Couture in the first round (is this actually revenge or does it make Randy happy?).

One of the questions going into the bout was whether Kim Couture had improved enough as a fighter in order to be viewed as a serious prospect within the Strikeforce female division.

Kim Couture didn't look necessarily bad but it was clear that she was facing an uphill battle with regards to talent. What makes this result so troubling for Kim is that it was only Kerry's second professional MMA fight --though Vera has Muy Thai background-- and Kim was simply outclassed.

While Kim Couture was being attended to by the medical staff, Strikeforce announcer, Mauro Ranallo, attempted a preemptive strike against us 'people on the internet' saying,

It takes a long time to become a world class mixed martial artist.

...

And you know what, I want to say something right now. You know a lot of people there on the internet, what not, think that Kim Couture is riding the laurels of her last name and trying to capitalize; this is a women who has trained throughout her life [inaudible]. As you mentioned, Pat, an all-star athlete a mixed martial artists before she even met Randy.

WKR could quote Jordan Breen but then again he is one of those 'internet people' so perhaps we will let some pictures after the fight do the talking.

Oh yeah, she broke her jaw in her first fight too...

The fight video is available after the jump.