Violence and Gold: “The Predator” Cote lives up to his name

Preview by Brady Crytzer
Photo: Chris Cozzone

One of MMA’s true “Rocky” stories, UFC middleweight contender Patrick “The Predator” Cote has shed the stigma of four straight UFC losses to become one of the game’s top contenders for Anderson Silva’s crown. Forced to learn on the job in what is known as the grandest stage in the sport, Cote has finally come into his own stopping his last three opponents in brutal fashion. A heavy handed banger with an even heavier heart, Cote appears to be one win away from developing into one of the greatest underdog stories of the new UFC generation. 

With 2004 was coming to a close, fans relished as Randy Couture had just regained his light heavyweight title from Vitor Belfort in August. Anxious for news of the October event, fans were left scratching their heads as a 205-pound bout of a different sort was announced to headline the card.

In a rematch of historic, though not entirely significant, proportions, Lion’s Den regular Guy Mezger was scheduled to battle “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz for the third time in seven long years. While fans cringed at the notion of purchasing a Pay-Per-View headlined by a fighter well past his prime, fate stepped in forcing Mezger off of the card due to an injury suffered in training. Though the card seemed doomed from the start, UFC 50 was about to enter a new level of uncertainty. The veteran superstar Ortiz had lost an opponent, and an unheralded Quebecois dubbed “The Predator” gained the opportunity of a lifetime.

A native French Canadian, Quebec City’s Cote earned his place on the undercard of UFC 50 by winning five straight in the Great White North. With four first round stoppages to his name, he appeared to offer an action fight for his originally scheduled opponent Marvin “The Beastman” Eastman. Upon the announcement of Mezger’s injury, and with the event just weeks away, the UFC top brass scrambled to find a replacement. 

On short notice, Cote was their man. 

On that cold night in Atlantic City, Cote fell short. He was beaten convincingly by the much larger former titlist but made it exciting by landing a right hand that dropped Ortiz to his knees. Though he gave it his all, he could not manufacture the victory. It would become a pattern that would shape the first half of his UFC career. 

Cote’s appearance in the main event of UFC 50 made him an instant draw on many smaller promotions, particularly Canada’s premiere MMA spectacle aptly named known as “TKO.” Racking in another impressive victory up north over the 6’6 Ricardeau Francois, Cote had punched his ticket back into the Octagon. 

Though it was apparent that Cote was not a natural light heavyweight (fellow middleweight contender Joe Riggs referred to him as “down right bosomy”) Cote found no sanctuary by dropping down to the middleweight division as he lost to fellow countryman Joe Doerksen via submission and The Ultimate Fighter star Chris Leben by decision. 

Never one to give up, Cote was given a “last chance” or sorts in the form of The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback. Comprised of UFC regulars looking for a win, Cote battled his way through some of the division’s most grizzled veterans en route to fighting in the live finale. Once again, Cote came up short being submitted by Travis Lutter in the first round. 

This loss was different for Cote. Despite the fact that it was probably the most significant bout of his career, it was most certainly the most public. 

UFC 67 was entitled All or Nothing. For Patrick Cote it couldn’t have been more appropriate. In that event against another hopeful in Scott Smith, the 27 year old clawed and scratched for what became his first official victory in the UFC Octagon. The weight had been visibly lifted, but there was something else. 

A switch had flipped. 

Cote ventured North yet again to eek out a decision win over Jason “Dooms” Day. Victory had found a home yet again and “The Predator” found his game trail. 

In his next UFC appearance at an event coincidentally called Respect, Cote sent the wildly popular Kendall Grove on a downward spiral of losses courtesy of his largely unnoticed right hand. The same went for Drew McFedries in the first UFC cable event of 2008. 

It appeared that after four long years, the fighter desperate for a win found his rhythm…and left a crumpled heap of bodies in his wake. 

Cote no longer has that boyish charm he used to possess. Fans no longer look at him and think “go get ‘em, kiddo,” or the widely used “maybe next time.” Instead, we are left with “Now that guy’s for real.” 

Cote is now a mean, nasty middleweight contender with two things on his mind-violence and gold. 

A victory at UFC 86 will put him in position to achieve his dream, but the internationally experience submission wizard Ricardo Almeida is a tall order for any middleweight. 

But, with just a 3-4 record in active UFC competition, what’s he got lose?

It’s not like he’s ever been given a chance before.