MMA Hall of Fame: Randy "The Natural" Couture

MMA Record: 18-10

Randy “The Natural” Couture is a longtime UFC veteran whose accomplishments and contributions to the sport are plenty. The three-time former UFC Heavyweight Champion and two-time former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has built a Hall-of-Fame career over his twelve plus years as a professional mixed martial artist. After a successful amateur career as a Greco-Roman wrestler, he was one of the pioneers of that style to make the transition into the cage.

Debuting in May 1997, Couture won his first four bouts in the octagon and laid claim to the UFC 13 Tournament and UFC Heavyweight Championship with victories over Vitor Belfort, Maurice Smith, and others.

He left the organization for roughly one year to fight in Japan but returned at UFC 28 in November 2000 where he defeated Kevin Randleman via TKO to capture his second UFC Heavyweight Title. He defended his title at UFC 31 and 34 with back-to-back wins over Pedro Rizzo but lost it at UFC 36 when Josh Barnett knocked him out.

Couture showed his versatility when he dropped to Light Heavyweight and defeated Chuck Liddell at UFC 39 to become the interim Light-Heavyweight Champion. He made it official in his next bout (UFC 44) with a unanimous decision victory over Tito Ortiz to capture the official Light Heavyweight Championship. He was defeated by Vitor Belfort at UFC 46 via cut and lost his belt, however rebounded in the rematch at UFC 49 with a TKO and picked up his 205-pound gold once again.

After losing a pair of Light Heavyweight bouts to Chuck Liddell, Couture decided to take a break from the competitive fighting circuit. It was then, during his short retirement, that he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. He didn’t stay retired long; he returned at UFC 68 at the age of 43 and defeated Tim Sylvia to become the UFC’s Heavyweight Champ once again. His impressive run carried on at UFC 74 when he defended his belt with a TKO victory over Gabriel Gonzaga.

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He left the UFC for a short period of time after the fight with Gonzaga citing problems with money as well as the inability to put together a fight with Fedor Emelianenko.

His absence didn’t last long when in November of 2008 at UFC 91, he returned to fight Brock Lesnar. Lesnar was able to outlast Couture to become the new Heavyweight Champion, although Couture proved to be a tough opponent nonetheless.

Another loss against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 102 in August 2009 followed his title loss against Lesnar. The bout was hard-fought, however did spur another change for Couture when he returned to the Light Heavyweight division. At UFC 105 this past November, Couture picked up his 17th career victory when he outpointed Brandon Vera in their main event bout.

Now, at age 46, Couture still remains a viable opponent for anyone in the Light Heavyweight or Heavyweight division. Up next is another Hall-of-Famer, Mark Coleman. “Couture vs. Coleman” will headline UFC 109 – “Relentless” which is held on Super Bowl weekend. While there is no title up for grabs, it remains an intriguing bout for “The Natural,” who with a victory can begin another championship chapter in his not-yet-finished legendary career.

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer
Published February 2010

Photo courtesy of UFC