View Full Version : Team Randy Couture on UFC Retirement: “It’s a Toss-Up”
At the sprightly age of 47, UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture is old enough to be some peoples’ father, and in a few cases their grand pappy. Couture was considered “old” five years ago, however has rattled off three consecutive wins and appears to be fending off Father Time better than ever.
Regardless, the Fountain of Youth will inevitably run dry and “The Naturual” will be forced to hang up his iconic MMA gloves once and for all. If you ask his attorney Sam Spira, the odds of it happening sooner rather than later are much better than anything you could swing in Vegas.
“We’re sorting through things right now,” Spira told MMAFighting of their multitude of options.
Although Couture still has three fights remaining on his current UFC contract, with little more to prove parlayed with a budding silver screen career, it’s likely the sport’s most beloved figure could call it a day.
“It’s possible,” Spira said of Couture’s conceivable retirement. “I’d say right now it’s a toss-up. If something came up that was interesting, he would fight irrespective of whether he got a meaningful Hollywood role. But there’s other stuff for him to do that’s MMA-related.
“I think many would be surprised at some of the things we are working on. So he doesn’t have to be actively fighting in the ring to remain active. Is it possible he may not fight again? Yeah, it’s possible. I’d say it’s a toss-up.”
Couture was seen last month cruising to a 1stRound submission victory over boxing legend James Toney at UFC 118. To have that victory stand as his final Octagon appearance wouldn’t be all that bad, although it isn’t nearly as nice as seeing him hoist up another championship belt.
“I’m not sure what Randy is focused upon, whether or not he has another run at the title [in mind],” Spira added. “If they said, ‘Will you fight Shogun [Rua] for the title?’ I think he would, but the title itself is not as important as the fight he’s offered.”
Fedor Emelianenko hinted yesterday that he too might hit up the retirement home after his next fight for Strikeforce. If that’s the case, it’s possible mixed martial arts could lose its two biggest active legends within the same year. On the flipside, this could just be old hat from the old man as Couture has successfully unretired on multiple occasions.
I guess Dana has run out of bums for him to fight .
Interesting. I like to see Randy fight, but it could be time. He is finally declining just a bit in his abilities (though still impressive as shit for someone his age) and he's on a win streak. I would not hate him for calling it a career. I really would hate to see him go the Ken Shamrock route.
That sucks. I'd be more than happy to keep watching him beat up scrubs like Coleman and Toney.
New article. . .
UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture (19-10 MMA, 16-7 UFC) isn't exactly hanging up the gloves just yet, but he admits fighting is no longer his primary focus.
In fact, following his most recent cinematic role working alongside action-film luminaries Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Arnold Schwarzenegger Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis in "The Expendables," Couture says he realizes his future is brighter in Hollywood than it is in Las Vegas.
"I think [acting] is certainly what my interest is right now," Couture said on this week's edition of the "MMA:30 Radio Hour," in which MMAjunkie.com's (www.mmajunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com)) John Morgan served as a guest co-host. "I've had an amazing year, and I think it's time to start looking at that, for sure. That's probably what's going to carry me through for the next 10 or 15 years."
Of course, it's been mixed martial arts that has carried Couture through the 13 years since his 1997 debut for the UFC.
Along the way, Couture has embarked on six different championship reigns in two different weight classes and became the oldest man ever to hold a belt in the UFC when at age 43 he defeated Tim Sylvia to become heavyweight champ of the sport's biggest mixed martial arts promotion.
There were three epic clashes with fellow Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell and another trio of bouts with current middleweight contender Vitor Belfort, to name but a few of "The Natural's" most memorable outings. And while he's currently 47 years old, Couture just wrapped a 12-month period that saw him fight four times, earning three-consecutive wins along the way.
As for what's next, Couture says he's currently in a crossroads.
"I've always taken the fights one at a time," Couture said. "We'll just see what happens. [The UFC has] been keeping me pretty busy these past couple of months, ... so I know they'll probably throw something else at me, and we'll go from there.
"I don't know. I'm not sure what the UFC has in store for me. I've been working on trying to find a new movie part recently, but little success there, so we'll just kind of wait and see."
Couture's lawyer, Sam Spira, in September told MMAFighting.com he considered the likelihood of Couture's return to the cage "a toss-up."
Now Couture himself is doing little to shed light on the potential for him to complete the remaining three fights on his current UFC contract.
"I just don't know," Couture admitted. "I'm trying to honestly evaluate that now and see how many wars I've got left in me.
"There's definitely some wars in the division."
Dana must be having a hard time finding a legit bum for him to fight
Mr. IWS
10-11-2010, 02:37 PM
Frank Mir on line one..............
Couture vs Mir would actually be a pretty interesting fight.
Frank Mir on line one..............
Mir would Kill Couture .
I said a bum
MMA_scientist
10-11-2010, 02:53 PM
^ I don't see why Couture wouldn't beat him. He could take him down and GNP him. Mir wouldn't sub Randy. he has never swept anyone ever that I can recall. So I think it would be interesting for sure.
Drink the koolaid much?
Couture is completely shot , why do you think his last two fights have been Toney and Coleman?
The two fights before that he looked like complete crap against NOG and Vera .
Randy GnP Mir? Please he couldnt even takedown NOG and Vera
I criticize Mir all the time but to think Randy would beat him is just silly talk imo
I think Randy would have a shot for sure. The biggest problem wouldn't be in skills, but size, in my opinion.
With that said, it's obvious that Randy is showing his age.
"Its probably time to move on from fighting"
[youtube:wz852aav]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEDI5SOPyGk[/youtube:wz852aav]
Pretty weak if you ask me.
Pretty weak if you ask me.
What the fuck? Aren't you the one who's been saying over and over that he's old and washed up and a bum at this point? And yet, now that he says he's going to retire that's weak and not cool?
Mr. IWS
10-20-2010, 02:05 PM
He will be back........
Pretty weak if you ask me.
What the fuck? Aren't you the one who's been saying over and over that he's old and washed up and a bum at this point? And yet, now that he says he's going to retire that's weak and not cool?
Come on man . He's suppose to be the great Couture and was suppose to be making one last run at a title and his last two fights have been Coleman and a boxer .
Thats how you want to go out? Fighting a boxer that had zero MMA skills ?
Boxing has a guy named Hopkins whos almost the same age and he's fighting for a title in Dec. ,hes not fighting a basketball player in a freak show.
I like Randy but I wanted to see him fight someone good in his last fight not a boxer .If this was what he was building up to I wish he had quit after the Lesnar fight
He probably would just rather guarantee that he goes out on a high note.
He probably knows it's either that or go out with a loss to a Machida or some shit. I mean, which would you choose?
He probably would just rather guarantee that he goes out on a high note.
He probably knows it's either that or go out with a loss to a Machida or some shit. I mean, which would you choose?
Personally I'd like to see him go out fighting Forrest ,Bonnar or someone like that. Someone he can be proud to have beat .I dont expect him to fight Rua or Evans but I also didnt think his last fight would be against a boxer . I mean beating Toney isnt how I saw him ending his career
^^^ Okay, I could see him fighting some mid-level guy, just to get a win over a legit MMA fighter. Preferably not Forest or Bonnar, because I like both of those guys, but maybe someone else, like . . . I don't know. Someone who he really should beat.
^^^ Okay, I could see him fighting some mid-level guy, just to get a win over a legit MMA fighter. Preferably not Forest or Bonnar, because I like both of those guys, but maybe someone else, like . . . I don't know. Someone who he would really should beat.
Kyle Maynard?
Mr. IWS
10-21-2010, 09:06 AM
Kyle Maynard?
LOL
I got Handy via UD.
^^^ Randy by Kimura maybe leglock?
Couture:
"I think at some point, I've got to call enough, enough," he said. "I've had an amazing year. My last few fights in honesty were more novelty fights. Not to take anything away from my opponents, but that's the truth of the matter. They didn't really matter in the division, they didn't really put me any closer to a title, and I have to make a decision at some point. So I think I would entertain another novelty-type fight. I could still compete but I don't see myself making a run at the title any time soon."
I think he knows where he's at at this point in his career and doesn't want to make the same mistake that the Shamrocks of the world have made.
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