zoogor
04-19-2011, 11:22 PM
Randy (The Natural) Couture plans to call it quits after UFC 129 in Toronto
By Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press – 1 hour ago
TORONTO — Almost 14 years after stepping into the cage, Randy (The) Natural Couture says it's time to close the door on his fighting career.
Couture, who turns 48 in June, confirmed Tuesday he plans to retire after facing former light-heavyweight champion Lyoto (The Dragon) Machida at UFC 129 in Toronto on April 30.
The Rogers Centre bout will be the 30th for Couture (19-10), a former three-time UFC heavyweight and two-time light-heavyweight champion. Fifteen of those have been championship fights.
"I want to go out on my own terms and decide when enough is enough," the UFC Hall of Famer told a media conference call Tuesday. "I think that time has come."
"I think it's time to focus on the other things I've got going on in my life after this fight. I've pushed it pretty far, I don't think anybody's going to probably push it as far as I have the last 14 years."
Couture made his MMA debut at UFC 13 in May 1997, fighting twice the same night en route to winning a heavyweight tournament at Augusta, Ga.
He went on to become one of the sport's first crossover stars and his trilogy of fights with Chuck (The Iceman) Liddell helped put MMA on the mainstream map.
Couture has retired before but came back in March 2007 to win the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 68 by upsetting Tim Sylvia. That retirement was triggered by a contact dispute with the UFC.
He eventually lost the title to Brock Lesnar at UFC 91 in November 2008 but has won his last three fights.
Couture said he expected his decision to retire to stand "win, lose or draw" in Toronto.
Asked for his reaction to Couture's current retirement plans, UFC president Dana White texted: "I've heard that b4."
Said Couture: "I'm sure that they're probably going to have ideas for other fights. They're going to try and entice me to coming back and fighting again."
He said his preference was to work with the UFC in other ways, from ambassador to commentator.
In recent years, he has opened a string of Xtreme Couture gyms, a clothing line and supplements brand, and had success acting — most recently with "The Expendables."
"My life is going fantastic. In fact it couldn't be going any better," he said.
Couture is slated to start filming an action film titled "Hijack" next month with Vinnie Jones and Dominic Purcell, and the sequel to "The Expendables" in August.
The Toronto fight card, a 55,000-seat sellout, has already set attendance and gate ($11 million) for the UFC.
Couture says while it will be "fun" to be part of such a historic show, its scope played no part in his decision to retire.
"The decision I made is one that's been coming for a while."
Instead, he concluded he didn't want to wait until a decision on his fighting future was taken out of his hands.
"I have a whole bunch of other things I enjoy doing in my life and I don't wait until I have that injury, have doctors telling me 'Look, you can't fight any more.' I know that's going to affect all the other things I like to do — I like to hunt, I like to ride my bike, I like to do a lot of other things. I'm healthy and I can enjoy the rest of my life right now. I don't want to wait too long."
Couture was a top amateur wrestler before moving to mixed martial arts at 33.
A three-time all-American wrestler, he was an alternate for the U.S. Olympic team four times
http://i56.tinypic.com/2qd7dd4.jpg
By Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press – 1 hour ago
TORONTO — Almost 14 years after stepping into the cage, Randy (The) Natural Couture says it's time to close the door on his fighting career.
Couture, who turns 48 in June, confirmed Tuesday he plans to retire after facing former light-heavyweight champion Lyoto (The Dragon) Machida at UFC 129 in Toronto on April 30.
The Rogers Centre bout will be the 30th for Couture (19-10), a former three-time UFC heavyweight and two-time light-heavyweight champion. Fifteen of those have been championship fights.
"I want to go out on my own terms and decide when enough is enough," the UFC Hall of Famer told a media conference call Tuesday. "I think that time has come."
"I think it's time to focus on the other things I've got going on in my life after this fight. I've pushed it pretty far, I don't think anybody's going to probably push it as far as I have the last 14 years."
Couture made his MMA debut at UFC 13 in May 1997, fighting twice the same night en route to winning a heavyweight tournament at Augusta, Ga.
He went on to become one of the sport's first crossover stars and his trilogy of fights with Chuck (The Iceman) Liddell helped put MMA on the mainstream map.
Couture has retired before but came back in March 2007 to win the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 68 by upsetting Tim Sylvia. That retirement was triggered by a contact dispute with the UFC.
He eventually lost the title to Brock Lesnar at UFC 91 in November 2008 but has won his last three fights.
Couture said he expected his decision to retire to stand "win, lose or draw" in Toronto.
Asked for his reaction to Couture's current retirement plans, UFC president Dana White texted: "I've heard that b4."
Said Couture: "I'm sure that they're probably going to have ideas for other fights. They're going to try and entice me to coming back and fighting again."
He said his preference was to work with the UFC in other ways, from ambassador to commentator.
In recent years, he has opened a string of Xtreme Couture gyms, a clothing line and supplements brand, and had success acting — most recently with "The Expendables."
"My life is going fantastic. In fact it couldn't be going any better," he said.
Couture is slated to start filming an action film titled "Hijack" next month with Vinnie Jones and Dominic Purcell, and the sequel to "The Expendables" in August.
The Toronto fight card, a 55,000-seat sellout, has already set attendance and gate ($11 million) for the UFC.
Couture says while it will be "fun" to be part of such a historic show, its scope played no part in his decision to retire.
"The decision I made is one that's been coming for a while."
Instead, he concluded he didn't want to wait until a decision on his fighting future was taken out of his hands.
"I have a whole bunch of other things I enjoy doing in my life and I don't wait until I have that injury, have doctors telling me 'Look, you can't fight any more.' I know that's going to affect all the other things I like to do — I like to hunt, I like to ride my bike, I like to do a lot of other things. I'm healthy and I can enjoy the rest of my life right now. I don't want to wait too long."
Couture was a top amateur wrestler before moving to mixed martial arts at 33.
A three-time all-American wrestler, he was an alternate for the U.S. Olympic team four times
http://i56.tinypic.com/2qd7dd4.jpg