Randy Couture has named his hardest-hitting opponent.
The MMA legend won UFC titles at heavyweight and light heavyweight during an incredible career that came to an end in 2011.
Randy Couture picked up wins over former world champions Mark Coleman, Tim Sylvia, Vitor Belfort, and Tito Ortiz to cement his spot in the UFC Hall of Fame.
‘The Natural’ even beat three-weight boxing champion James Toney during his 30-fight run that also included fights with Brock Lesnar and Lyoto Machida.
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Randy Couture says nobody hit him harder than Chuck Liddell
Couture has seven knockout losses on his 19-11 record, but he insists only one man was able to put him to sleep in the Octagon and that’s Chuck Liddell.
The 61-year-old fought Liddell three times, first facing ‘The Iceman’ in 2003. Couture scored a third-round TKO against Liddell at UFC 43 but fell short during their rematch and trilogy bout, with both of them ending in quick KO wins for his rival.
Almost two decades later, Couture has recalled the moment when Liddell hit him so hard that there’s still a piece of time missing from his memory.
“I’ve only been knocked out one time, that was Chuck Liddell the second time we matched up,” Couture said when asked to name his hardest-hitting opponent during an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow’s James Sweetnam.
“I’ve been flashed a couple of times. Brock flashed me. I’ve been knocked on my keister a couple of times where the second you hit the deck you wake, and you know where you’re at.
“That second Chuck fight is the only time where I’ve been knocked unconscious, and you lose that little bit of time.
“It’s a strange experience. One second, you’re there, the next you’re like, ‘What happened? Where did everybody go?’ It was a unique one, for sure.”
Randy Couture talks MMA Mount Rushmore
The Mount Rushmore trend has seen a bunch of high-profile MMA figures pick their top four fighters, with some choosing based on their overall impact on the sport while others focused purely on ability.
Conor McGregor and Jon Jones are two men on a lot of people’s lists. However, Couture believes their antics away from the Octagon make them unworthy of being discussed as two of MMA’s greatest fighters.
He added: “You probably have to consider Conor McGregor; I’m not a fan of some of the extracurricular stuff that’s gone on with Conor.
“I’ve just met Conor last year in Riyadh at the Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou boxing match. It was the first time I’ve ever looked him in the eye and shook his hand – he was certainly nice to me.
“Everybody wants to say Jon Jones, but there are these extracurricular things that have been going on, that are public knowledge, that I think restrict that GOAT conversation because of that.
“It’s not just what you do in the cage that’s important, it’s how you carry yourself, and how you represent your sport, your family, and yourself outside of the cage as well. Those things factor in my mind when you start talking about an MMA Mount Rushmore-type situation.”
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