UFC 109 Reflection: Dear Randy Couture, It's Time To Say Goodbye

Many MMA fans, including maybe you, think that your dominance of Mark Coleman suggests that there is still another chapter to be told in your story book career.

I hope that you realize that the Coleman fight is how the book is supposed to end.

It was clear that Coleman is no where near the great champion he was, and that as he moves through his mid-40s, he hasn’t been able to maintain the type of physical and mental strength that you have.

Beating Coleman does not mean you have found the Fountain of Youth and are ready to step into the octagon with any of the elite competitors in either the light heavyweight or heavyweight weight class. 

With all due respect sir, you are no longer in a place to compete with the bigger, stronger, younger generation of MMA athletes.

Plus, walking away now would allow you to end your splendid career on a high note.  No one will ever be able to say that you stuck around too long and tarnished your career like Willie Mays, Johnny Unitas, and, well, Mark Coleman.

Plus, what else do you have to prove?  You’re a three-time former heavyweight champion, a two-time former light heavyweight class, and probably the most popular athlete to ever step into the octagon.  You’re even already in the Hall of Fame.

Furthermore, is your long term health something worth risking?  For all the beatings you’ve dealt out over the years, you’ve taken more than your share as well.

To this point your body and, more importantly, your brain have held up.  That should be considered a blessing considering all the battles you’ve been in through the years and another reason why you should hang up your gloves now instead of later. 

It’s the quality of the rest of your life that is on the line, and no one wants to see what happened to boxing’s greatest champion happen to MMA’s greatest champion. 

What’s more, no one is asking you to step away from the sport completely.  It’s a certainty that you could have any job you want in the industry. 

Try your hand as a commentator, if Rogan can do it, why couldn’t you, train some young fighters, and corner all your friends and training partners in the industry.  Lord knows Dana White would love you have your face seen anywhere he can put it. 

Perhaps giving up the sport for good is like tapping out, something you’ve always been hesitant to do.  However, the fact is that sometimes you need to know when to say when, and for the greatest MMA champion of all-time, the most popular fighter in the history of the sport, The Natural, it’s time to say when.

Dear Randy, we love you, we’ll miss you, but it’s time to say goodbye.