Randy Couture (left) defeated seven former UFC champions. | Photo: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
For 14 years, he embodied toughness, grit and smarts, a master strategist and ultimate warrior all wrapped up in one. He was brilliant and vicious, thoughtful and cruel. There could be no better ambassador for the sport of mixed martial arts. On April 30, the man they called “The Natural” walked off into the sunset in front of more than 55,000 fans at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Couture’s career spanned three decades and encompassed 30 professional bouts, more than half (16) of them UFC title fights. He leaves the sport with 16 wins inside the Octagon, trailing only fellow UFC hall of famer Matt Hughes (18). Couture defeated seven former UFC champions -- Vitor Belfort (twice), Maurice Smith, Kevin Randleman, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Tim Sylvia and Mark Coleman -- and remains one of only two men, B.J. Penn being the other, to win UFC titles in two weight classes.
As the 47-year-old legend turns over a new leaf in retirement, Sherdog.com staff members and contributors weigh in on their most vivid memories, reflections and appraisals of Couture’s trials, triumphs and importance to MMA.
Cameron Conaway: In the history of combat sport, no athlete has defied age as consistently or on as large a scale as Randy Couture. There has been talk of how the UFC will replace him. It won’t. There will be talk of how his record will tarnish his impact. It can’t. Like any great artist, Randy leaves behind his body of work. We owe it to ourselves and to the future of MMA to remember it, share it and continue to use it for inspiration
Todd Martin: The fight that established Couture’s legacy to me was the first bout with Chuck Liddell. Liddell was riding the long winning streak, and Couture appeared to be a spent force. When Couture turned the tables on Liddell with a shockingly dominant win, it taught the MMA world that Couture could never be counted out. That theme defined the rest of his career.
Rob Fitzpatrick: I remember the raucous laughter as we watched him control “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” taking him down several pegs with their bout at UFC 44. Randy always had such class and pride, win or lose -- a man who, at his age, didn’t have to prove anything, but did it anyway. To this day, my mother, back home in the UK, only knows Randy in MMA. “Such a nice man,” she would say, “if it wasn’t for those ears!”
Chris Nelson: Even as countless others copped his dirty-boxing, wrestle-grinding style through the years, one thing became apparent: we’ll never see another fighter quite like Randy Couture. His pure talent and physical ability, his accomplishments and particularly his longevity in the sport combined to form a career which, while never flashy or ostentatious, was nonetheless magnificent. Of the 30 fights Couture leaves us with, it’s almost impossible to isolate a single great moment, but I’ll say this: my heart has never pounded while watching one person try to hold another down for 25 minutes as it did when “The Natural” came out of retirement to beat Tim Sylvia for his third UFC heavyweight title.
Freddie DeFreitas: When I first came aboard at Sherdog.com, I had the pleasurable task of creating many of the fighter highlight videos the site had become widely been known for hosting. When it finally came time for Randy’s turn to be immortalized on the Web, Joe Rogan was busy singing the praises of our beloved “Captain America,” so naturally, we ran with it. Couture’s film was the first to feature a hand-drawn comic in the vein of the Marvel superhero -- and last to ever grace the pages of Sherdog.com.
Jason Probst: There will never be another Randy Couture, which makes his departure from the sport all the more meaningful. Randy wasn’t just a longshot entry into the game; he was a 34-year-old wrestler when he faced the then-unbeaten Vitor Belfort in 1997. He was pretty much seen as fodder and dumped that premise on its head, along with Belfort, in a great fight. In addition to popularizing the effective techniques of dirty boxing, Couture also inspired in ways that made his fights can’t-miss propositions. Throw in his masterful showings against Tim Sylvia and Gabriel Gonzaga and a very credible performance in defeat against a much bigger Brock Lesnar, and that pretty much defines Couture. Like George Foreman did in boxing, he probably will inspire a lot of people to keep going well into their 40s, though it’s doubtful a fraction can accomplish what he did.
Ryan O’Leary: I thought Couture’s coming out of retirement to fight Tim Sylvia was a bad idea, a desperate and money-grabbing opportunity for the UFC and Randy. “The Natural” did look sharp in “Pros vs. Joes” versus former high-school jocks, but coming off a knockout loss to “The Iceman” at light heavyweight didn’t seem like the proper stepping stone to a heavyweight title shot a year later. Prepared for a Couture beatdown, I have never jumped off the couch so fast or high as when Randy dropped the giant with his big right hand. When the wrestler took Sylvia’s back shortly after, it just reminded me again that there are no scripts in MMA and anything is possible, especially when “Captain America” is fighting.
Lutfi Sariahmed: Couture’s legacy is twofold. One part of this is about what he did in the cage. It’s about his stepping up as an underdog time and again. It’s about his trilogy with Liddell and beyond. But it’s also about what Couture did outside of the cage. The impact he made outside the cage has yet to be truly felt. He’s the first fighter to really march to his own drum, going so far as to challenge the UFC to become more independent as a fighter. His rise outside of the cage has helped and will only continue to help the development of fighters as individual brands, as opposed to just pieces underneath the Zuffa banner. For all Couture has done in the cage, it may be what he ends up doing outside the cage for other fighters that could be his biggest accomplishment.
Chris Foster: A 40-year-old just taking on fighters such as Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell and Vitor Belfort is amazing. Beating them is what made him a legend. Many times I picked against him in a fight, only to be proven wrong once again. He’s a genuinely great guy with a huge heart and well-respected. Legends never die.
Jack Encarnacao: Randy Couture’s win over Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 was the most dramatic one-sided fight I’ve ever seen. I watched it in a bar-stroke-arcade. People truly came unglued when Couture slugged the heavyweight champ to the mat in the first exchange and were counting down aloud the final seconds of the fight. It’s easy to forget how badly people thought Sylvia was going to hurt Couture in that fight. But just as the film “Rocky Balboa” hit theatres, Couture was Sylvester Stallone-esque in coming out of retirement to replicate his most dominant performance against Chuck Liddell in 2003. He completely silenced those who declared him shopworn, and his first post-fight remark -- “Not bad for an old man” -- is impossible to forget.
Couture always put it all on the line. | Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com
J.R. Riddell: What I find most memorable about Randy’s career is the willingness and desire he displayed in taking fights that presented him with obstacles and challenges. Many fighters claim that they want to challenge themselves, but who can argue that Randy didn’t epitomize that notion throughout his fight career? He chose to close out his career with a fight that presented him with serious challenges. He knew that Lyoto Machida was lethal, and his last battle was fueled by the desire to solve the Machida puzzle. As if his record of opponents wasn’t enough, the man has a work ethic that puts fighters half his age to shame. Finally, I would be remiss in not calling out my respect for this warrior as a fellow veteran. Before becoming known as “Captain America,” Randy spent six years as a member of the 101st Airborne Division. Bravo on a successful career as a warrior, and I’ll look forward to watching you perform your roles as an actor and fighters advocate.
Tristen Critchfield: To me, Randy Couture was mixed martial arts’ most marketable hero -- sort of a John Wayne meets Rocky Balboa come to life in the Octagon. While he didn’t always win, “The Natural” was never afraid to challenge the odds. Whether it was facing the giants (Tim Sylvia and Brock Lesnar), attempting to solve a Rubik’s Cube (Lyoto Machida) or simply sending a message (James Toney and Tito Ortiz), Couture always did what he did with dignity and professionalism. His 19-11 record isn’t the stuff of legend, but his impact on the sport transcends wins and losses. In retirement, I expect more of the same, with Couture serving as MMA’s ultimate ambassador, all while eventually making 50 look like the new 30.
Wojek Rysiewski: Randy Couture had many great moments in his 14-year career, from his upset victory over a young Vitor Belfort and five-round war with Pedro Rizzo to his memorable trilogy with Chuck Liddell. However, what impressed me the most was his 2007 heavyweight run. At 43-years old, a natural light heavyweight was able to completely dominate two Top 5 heavyweights and claim the number two spot in the world. By beating Sylvia and Gonzaga, Couture defied the casual perception that size is the essential aspect of the sport and proved that technique, speed and intelligence are equally, if not more, important.
Bobbie Clark: The most impressive thing about Randy Couture's career isn’t his longevity, masterful game plans or intense training regimen. It’s his mastery of the Jedi mind trick. Time and time again, he fooled the general public into making him the underdog. It started with Vitor Belfort at UFC 15 and ended with Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 74. Along the way, he employed this ancient art to make it seem like he was a few steps behind in fights against Pedro Rizzo, Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell and Tim Sylvia, when he was actually several steps ahead. Randy Couture is the Yoda of MMA. I only hope he has found a worthy Padawan to pass along this tremendous gift.
Joe Zigler: No one gave Couture a chance against Vitor Belfort or Tim Sylvia. Couture’s wrestling and limited experience were not going to be enough to match the natural talents and explosiveness of “The Phenom,” and he was too old and one dimensional to fight against the size and power of “The Maine-iac.” In both cases, Couture came out and did what he became known for. He proved everyone wrong. He was not supposed to get the better of Belfort on the feet boxing in the clinch, and he wasn’t supposed to drop Sylvia with his first punch. And he certainly wasn’t supposed to compete professionally until he was 47 years old. But he did all three. Couture kept us guessing, he kept us excited and he will forever stand as a legend of the sport.
Traci Ratzloff: I will never forget my first interview with Randy Couture, almost a decade ago. I was so green and very nervous. Randy took time out of his very busy schedule, on Valentine’s Day no less, to speak with me over the phone for nearly an hour. His gentle way helped a very young journalist relax and get her job done. I will forever appreciate his sincerity, as well as the level of athleticism and good sportsmanship he brought to the fight game.
Joe Ortiz: While Couture proved me wrong on a number of occasions, the only one that truly stood out as remarkable to me was his heavyweight title bout with Tim Sylvia. I remember having a couple of friends over for the event, both of them casual fans who knew who Randy was and what he had accomplished. They ultimately deferred to me when I told them he was too old and too small to stand much chance against the gigantic UFC champion. Within seconds of the opening bell, I was made to look utterly foolish, as Couture sent Sylvia crashing to the mat. My friends and I were too busy screaming our heads off to care either way. We remained awed by the performance through the entirety of the 25-minute bout and for the rest of the night, as well, as we went to the local watering hole to share drinks and reflect on what an old badass Randy Couture was.
Brian Knapp: Couture never took the easy way out. That tells you all you need to know about the man. Never was that more evident than in his final appearance, when he took on Lyoto Machida -- a brilliant former champion in his prime. At 47, Couture could have bid farewell against a far less dangerous opponent. Instead, he went out on his shield. The MMA world can ask nothing more of its heroes. The fighters who comprise the next generation would be wise to follow in Couture’s footsteps.
Daniel Archuleta: I have clear memories of Randy Couture that pop into my head when I hear the icon’s name. One came at UFC 44 against Tito Ortiz, who at the time was my favorite fighter. Late in the fifth and final round, Ortiz scrambled from underneath Randy and maneuvered for a leg lock. “Captain America” braced himself against the cage for leverage and showed the crowd and referee “Big” John McCarthy that he was in no danger by literally spanking Ortiz on the behind, much like he had done during the entire fight. The theme of the pre-fight hoopla was about the young gun Oritz, out to retire the old lion Couture. How fitting the fight ended with Couture dominating the fight and leaving Ortiz with a memory of a father putting his arrogant son in his place.
Mick Bower: At UFC 70, the boys and girls came out of the cupboard to pack the M.E.N. Arena for the UFC’s European return. A few celebs get flashed on the big screen and are greeted with a ripple of applause; then Randy’s face comes up. He is over on ambassadorial duties and suited up cageside. As one, the crowd stands and goes nuts. A wave of goodwill laps around the hall. This is by far the largest gathering of MMA fans in the UK. For years, we lived on a subsistence diet of domestic small hall offerings and traded VHS tapes. The giant tanned face of Randy beams back at his children like a benevolent god. The perfect moment is broken when a chant of “Randy! Randy!” breaks out. The sight of thousands of my countrymen yelling “randy” in unison (randy: British slang adjective meaning sexually excited or aroused) changes the mood from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Couture was an excellent game planner. | Photo: Sherdog.com
Rodolfo Roman: Randy Couture exemplifies the heart of a champion. He is the perfect role model for an upcoming mixed martial artist or Average Joe. Despite any obstacle or outcome, Couture always steps inside the Octagon ready to perform to a maximum level.
John Evans: There is temptation to recount my most vivid Randy Couture moment as occurring in the Port Columbus International Airport at 7:23 a.m. on March 4, 2007. It involved some warm Diet Rockstar, a screaming geek from Iowa still wearing his press pass and the irony of Jeff Monson’s near-saintly patience with the Continental Airlines counter staff. However, there’s a reason why Randy Couture went on from the stigma of an Olympic alternate to become arguably the most revered figure in MMA today, and that reason has a lot to do with the universally euphoric atmosphere I witnessed that March morning four years ago. The next chapter in the story of Randy Couture might not be written in the cage, but it’s going to be a good one. We’ll be doing this again.
Mike Fridley: Couture shares a legacy with an elite and far more exclusive group than his hall of fame or championship credentials are able to boast. Nolan Ryan, George Blanda, Archie Moore, George Foreman and Randy Couture: athletes that peaked professionally years after their peers had faded away from active competition. Someday, when your grandchildren see highlights of Jack Nicklaus taming Augusta in his mid-40s, don’t forget to remind those young whippersnappers that their grandpappy saw “The Natural” perform superior feats in the Octagon’s early days.
Joe Myers: When I think of Randy Couture, his nickname of “Captain America” is the first thing that comes to mind. To a lot of fans of mixed martial arts, myself included, he was just that: a larger-than-life superhero who would defy the odds time after time and prevail in the end. Couture fought at a high level long past the time when most fighters have hung up their gloves, and the best way I can sum up my feelings about “The Natural” is to take a page from Joe Rogan’s quote book: “That guy is my hero.”
Sam Genovese: In the moments before Lyoto Machida channeled his inner-Steven Seagal to flatten Randy Couture for -- hopefully -- the last time, I was nervous. But as I watched Machida’s foot turn Randy’s lights out, I felt a sense of relief. I felt relieved because the knockout was a moment I never really wanted to come, but when it did, it was not as painful as I thought it would be. I had seen Randy get knocked out before and I had seen Randy pick himself up off the canvas and continue on. I reminded myself that Randy would, once more, pick himself up off the canvas and continue on. I thought to myself, the knockout did not kill Randy. It merely sent him on his way.
TJ De Santis: Upon returning home after Couture’s UFC 49 win over Vitor Belfort, I was fortunate to do an interview with Couture -- in transit -- with my co-hosts Caleb Quinn and Mike Reilly for InsideFighting.com’s “MMA Evolution.” During the interview, we could hear sirens, but we kept going. It was clear that the driver of the car was being pulled over. I could hear the officer asking the driver questions. When we asked Randy what was the matter, he responded, “There is apparently a problem with the tint of my friend’s windows.” When he said that, the officer must have noticed that Randy was on the phone and said something along the lines of, “Sir, you need to hang up the phone.” Randy kindly responded with, “I’m sorry officer. I’m doing a radio interview.” I don’t know if the patrolman recognized Randy or if it was just the Couture smile and charm that made the difference.
Tony Loiseleur: I was folding my laundry and watching UFC 44 a few days after it happened. Hearing Mike Goldberg’s and Joe Rogan’s genuine excitement for this old guy's round-by-round domination of Tito Ortiz, a guy that my grappling teacher claimed months earlier was the most dominant and “bad ass” champion in the world, made me stop doing the laundry. The takedowns, the dirty boxing and the incredible positional dominance were one thing, but the spanking Grandpa Couture gave Ortiz in the final moments sealed it for me. By the time the fight was over, Rogan summed up my own feeling best by saying, “That guy is my hero.” And he was. Randy Couture made me care about wrestling, about cages and about MMA in a different way. For someone who now works in and studies MMA for a living, that’s no small feat.
Mike Whitman: As a youngster, I was a big pro wrestling fan. Upon watching UFC 13 for the first time, I instantly recognized the Finnish hulk standing across from Couture as Ludwig Borga -- a real mean cat from the WWF who liked to jump off the top rope and decapitate people with his tree-trunk thighs. Borga -- whose real name was Tony Halme -- dwarfed Couture. Add to this the promo that Halme cut leading up to the fight wherein he discussed pulling off each of Couture’s limbs, and I honestly wasn’t sure what would happen when “Big” John McCarthy told them to get it on. Couture hit a double-leg instantly, and it became clear that it was all over. With Halme on his back, Couture landed some ground-and-pound before calmly transitioning to the back and sinking a rear-naked choke. Maybe I like to look at it through rose-colored glass, but to this day, I still think that was the fastest double-leg I’ve ever seen. Though Couture would go on to become a five-time champion and hall of famer, his first fight is still the most special to me.
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