UFC 129 Video: A Look Back at the Best Moments of Randy Couture's MMA Career

Nick CaronApr 22, 2011

With UFC 129 just a week away, the fact that this may be Randy Couture’s last fight in the Octagon is beginning to set in.

From being one of the pioneers of the sport to winning the UFC championship in two weight classes, the 47-year old has done it all in the sport during his 14 year mixed martial arts career.

It actually began all the way back in the early 80’s, when he wrestled for Alderwood High School, becoming a State Champion wrestler in his senior year. Then after serving six years in the U.S. Army, where he continued his wrestling and also took up boxing, Couture went on to join the U.S. Olympic wrestling team as well as a three-time NCAA Division-I All-American.

But in 1992, just when he was getting ready for a career as a wrestling coach, Couture saw a video of an early UFC event. That video changed his life, as he decided to work to become a mixed martial artist.

Five years later, Couture made his MMA debut at UFC 13, entering the heavyweight tournament. He won the tournament that night, finishing both of his opponents in the first round. Later that year, he went on to become the UFC Heavyweight Champion when he defeated Maurice Smith at UFC Ultimate Japan.

Couture left the UFC in 1998, but later returned at UFC 28, where he won back his Heavyweight Championship by stopping Kevin Randleman in the third round of their fight.
After three title defenses, Couture finally lost his title to Josh Barnett, who would test positive for steroids and was later stripped of the title.

But it was a fight in 2003 against Chuck Liddell that many will always remember Randy Couture for. In his first fight at 205 pounds, Couture knocked “The Iceman” out to become the Interim UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

Couture would go on to defeat Tito Ortiz to become the official UFC Light Heavyweight champion before splitting fights with Vitor Belfort and finishing up the UFC’s most epic trilogy against Chuck Liddell.

The final two fights of the series with Liddell both ended in brutal knockout losses for Couture, however, and he decided to retire following the final bout at UFC 57.

All signs looked to be that Couture was content with simply becoming a coach, but when the UFC came knocking at his door to give him a UFC Heavyweight title shot against Tim Sylvia, Couture simply couldn’t say no. He ended up making his return to the cage at UFC 68, where he shocked many viewers by essentially manhandling one of the largest heavyweight fighters in the history of the organization to become the champion once again.

Couture eventually lost his UFC Heavyweight Championship to Brock Lesnar at UFC 91, but has continued to fight on, carrying a three fight winning streak into his battle next Saturday night against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Lyoto Machida.

If UFC 129 is Randy Couture’s final fight, it has been an amazing run that will never be forgotten. Now a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, he truly has nothing more to fight for other than to show himself that he can still do it.

But like he told to ESPN’s MMA Live, he wants to go out on his own terms and this will very likely be the last time we see him step in the cage as a competitor.