Randy Couture Retires: UFC Shocker
By Sean Farrell
UFC Hall of Famer and multiple-time, multi-division champion Randy “The Natural” Couture is set to fight former champ Lyoto Machida at UFC 129. There is the great possibility that this will be the last time we get to see the MMA legend in the cage.
Couture appeared on ESPN’s Podcast for the UFC to discuss his bout with Machida, he also revealed his likely plans to hang it up after this fight in order to relax and focus on other, less demanding career pursuits.”There’s a big chance this is my last fight,” Couture said. “I’m not going to be making any official announcements, I don’t think anybody would buy it – I already did that once! But I’m in terrific shape, I’m feeling confident about Lyoto and dialing into the attack and how we’re going to get our hands on him. There’s a lot of other things calling me now, and there’s a chance this is the last one. I’ve got several other movies lined up, The Expendables 2 is coming up in September, and I’ve got my other businesses like the clothing company and the extension of the gym. Frankly, I’m tired of grinding it out, it’s time to enjoy life.”
There has been talk of Couture going for another title run one last time should he defeat Machida, but “The Natural” honestly said that current champion Jonny “Bones” Jones may pose more challenges than he is willing to try to overcome in the final phase of his career as Jones is in his prime and has yet to hit his ceiling.
“He’s got a ton of great tools, he’s very very impressive to watch,” Couture said in reference to Jones. “Anytime I’m facing a guy with a wrestling background, which he has got, it makes for a much tougher fight for me. It tends to cancel out my strength, which is my own wrestling background, and then you get down to the other stuff. I don’t know if that’s the kind of battle that I need in this stage of my life, and it would definitely be a battle.”
Couture and Machida square off on April 30 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and this could be the last time we see either man as UFC President Dana White has stated if Machida loses he will be cut from the UFC, as this would be his third loss in a row.