Randy Couture goes by a few nicknames: The main two, “The Natural” and “Captain America,” are well-placed nicknames. Any fan who has been watching Couture for any period of time knows he could easily go by another nickname as well: “The Magician.”
That’s because Couture has pulled a rabbit out of his hat so many times we’re starting to lose count. Whether it was his early UFC fights with Vitor Belfort and Maurice Smith, his drop to light-heavyweight, his return to heavyweight or his recent resurgence, Couture has always managed to shock the world. During this seven-part series leading to his fight with former light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida at UFC 129, we’ll take a look at all those times Couture has pulled the rabbit out of his hat while becoming one of the most beloved fighters in the history of the sport and ask if he can do it again as he enters yet another fight as a heavy underdog coming up in less than two weeks at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
During this series, which begins Tuesday exclusively here on BloodyElbow.com, we’ll take a look back at the moments that have shaped Couture’s Hall of Fame career:
- His first UFC run, winning the heavyweight title
- His second run
- Drop to light-heavyweight
- Retirement and return to glory
- Contract dispute with Zuffa, his return
- Recent resurgence
- Does he have one more trick up his sleeve?
So don’t forget to join us here at Bloody Elbow starting tomorrow for “The Magic of Randy Couture, Part One”
Randy Couture – Breakthrough performance