Randall Duane “The Pure” Couture was one of many first high-level wrestlers to dive into blended martial arts (MMA), and his grappling expertise shortly propelled him to the highest of the meals chain. Couture was a three-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler and a three-time Olympic group alternate earlier than transitioning into blended martial arts.
Randy Couture is a type of MMA legends you possibly can study a lot from watching his combat tapes, particularly in the event you favor grappling methods over putting. This text will discover the fascinating profession of Randy Couture and the way he helped push blended martial arts to mainstream standing.
The Early Days Of Randy Couture
Born in 1963, wrestling was a lifestyle for Couture from an early age. He wrestled at his highschool and received a state championship in his senior yr. The Pure signed up with the U.S. Military in 1982 and served with the one hundred and first Airborne Division, the place he wrestled some extra and began dabbling in boxing.
Randy tried to check out for the U.S. Military freestyle wrestling group there, however a clerical error despatched his software to the Greco-Roman wrestling group as an alternative. Couture determined to float and check out for Greco-Roman wrestling regardless of not having any expertise in that type. Ready one other yr to try to get on the freestyle wrestling group wasn’t an choice for the pure.
After serving within the military, Couture went to Oklahoma State College, the place he was a three-time All-American and a two-time Division I championship runner-up. He misplaced to Mark Kerr, who was additionally one of many pioneers of MMA, each instances. He did all this whereas rocking a mullet. It was the 80s, in any case. Couture went on to grow to be a three-time Olympic wrestling group alternate in 1988, 1992, and 1996.
Transition Into Combined Martial Arts
Not like most athletes, who began their careers of their 20s, Couture spent most of his 20s serving within the navy and attending school as an older scholar. He was already 33 when he made his skilled MMA debut with the Final Preventing Championship.
When many males his age had been battling a mid-life disaster, Couture began his journey to grow to be a blended martial arts legend. Realizing most of his opponents can be considerably youthful than him didn’t deter Randy.
Couture received his UFC debut in opposition to Tony Halme at UFC 13 and the heavyweight championship a yr later. Similar to that, a brand new star was born. On condition that the expertise pool wasn’t significantly deep through the early days of MMA, Couture bounced between the heavyweight and light-heavyweight divisions, racking up victories and changing into the primary two-division champion within the Final Preventing Championship.
Couture’s preventing type was a mixture of wrestling, boxing, and insane willpower. He was recognized for his efficient “soiled boxing,” which concerned utilizing his insane wrestling power to maintain opponents clinched up with him whereas he bombarded them with punches.
Some would additionally argue that Couture is among the originators of preventing in opposition to the cage. That was usually his favourite spot since his Greco-Roman wrestling allowed him to pin opponents in opposition to the cage whereas he chipped away at them with punches and scored factors for Octagon management.
As spectacular as Couture’s accomplishments in blended martial arts are, his capacity to stay a pressure to be reckoned with properly into his 40s propelled him to legendary standing. Couture received the heavyweight title for the third time at 43.
The Final Underdog
Randy Couture was much more than a champion in his prime. He was the last word underdog heading into lots of his fights as a result of he was usually older and smaller than his opponents.
For instance, Couture was an enormous underdog going into his combat with Tim Sylvia for numerous causes. Sylvia was a 6’8″ large with a big attain benefit and far youthful. Most individuals, oddsmakers included, didn’t suppose Couture had a lot of an opportunity, however the outdated man had plans of his personal.
Randy went on to dominate Sylvia from the opening moments of the combat and have become the oldest fighter to win a championship. It was a traditional David vs. Goliath second and probably the most memorable moments of his MMA profession.
Randy set one other document throughout his subsequent outing, changing into the oldest fighter within the UFC to efficiently defend a championship by defeating Gabriel Gonzaga.
Couture’s championship run lastly ended when he squared off in opposition to Brock Lesnar at UFC 91. Brock proved too large and robust and received the combat by way of TKO.
Rivalry With Chuck Liddell
There’s no method we are able to focus on the legacy of Randy Couture with out going over his rivalry with Liddell. Chuck was a rising star within the UFC when the 2 first fought, and Couture denied his championship desires by ending him with floor strikes through the third spherical of their UFC 43 title showdown.
That was the primary and final time Couture ever defeated Liddell. Chuck’s takedown protection was noticeably improved throughout their second and third fights, and Couture was on the improper aspect of knockouts on each events. The three fights between the 2 had been a number of the best occasions within the early days of MMA, with the rubber match bringing in over 400,000 pay-per-view buys.
Life Exterior The Cage: Hollywood And Past
Couture began dabbling in Hollywood motion pictures whereas he was nonetheless an energetic fighter, and he has been in a number of blockbusters like “The Expendables,” the place he costarred with a number of the greatest names in Hollywood like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jason Statham.
Motion pictures aren’t the one issues Couture has gotten into exterior the cage. He additionally based Xtreme Couture, probably the most revered MMA gyms within the U.S. Some MMA champions affiliated with Couture’s fitness center embrace Francis Ngannou, Sean Strickland, and Aljamain Sterling.
Legacy: A Pure Phenomenon
Randy Couture has left an plain legacy within the blended martial arts world. He was the primary of 9 fighters to carry belts in a number of divisions, and he’s a member of the UFC Corridor of Fame.
An important lesson we are able to all study from that is that it’s by no means too late to chase your desires. It doesn’t matter in the event you’re 33 or 43; it’s by no means too late to dive into martial arts.
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