A legendary UFC Hall of Famer announced his Octagon arrival in style on this day in 1997.
While no longer the case, the early days of the Ultimate Fighting Championship saw tournaments play out with fighters competing multiple times on one night.
The very first saw Royce Gracie make history at UFC 1 in 1993, where the Brazilian legend defeated Art Jimmerson, Ken Shamrock and Gerard Gordeau to take the crown.
One of the most memorable tournaments went down four years later at UFC 13, and it featured the debut of a man who would go on to become a six-time champion and enter the UFC Hall of Fame’s ‘Pioneer Wing’.
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Randy Couture forced 300-pound heavyweight to tap out en route to winning UFC 13 tournament
UFC 13 took place at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, Georgia, on May 30, 1997. The event is synonymous with Randy Couture’s debut.
‘The Natural’ was among four names who competed in a same-night heavyweight tournament, and the then-future star wasted little time making an impression.
In the semi-final, Couture was tasked with beating Tony Halme, a 300-pound Finnish heavyweight who had a 4-2 record in professional boxing at the time.
Despite a weight discrepancy of nearly 100 pounds, Couture comfortably dominated the man known as ‘The Viking’, quickly taking him down and submitting him with a rear-naked choke in just 60 seconds.
Couture went on to beat another sizable opponent in the final, stopping Steven Graham in just over three minutes to win the heavyweight tournament.
Joe Rogan described Randy Couture as ‘Captain America’ during UFC 34 walkout
Couture did not look back in the UFC after his debut performances. He went on to become a three-time UFC heavyweight champion, two-time UFC light heavyweight champion, and one-time interim UFC light heavyweight champion.
Among a number of accolades and records, the 61-year-old is in the history books as the first fighter to win titles in two separate weight classes in the UFC.
Couture first reached the top at heavyweight, with one of his most memorable results coming in defense of the title at UFC 34, the first event to take place after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Before knocking out Pedro Rizzo in their rematch, Couture walked out in United States colors, sparking Joe Rogan to draw comparisons to Captain America on commentary.
“Joe Rogan was on the announcing team [at UFC 34]…I’m fighting Pedro Rizzo,” Couture narrated to MMA Junkie in 2020. “It was my first time seeing my name and face on billboards and it was a huge experience. Also, that fight occurred right after 9/11 and the first show that we had after 9/11.
“They were still doing pyrotechnics for entrances at the show. I chose to wear a red, white and blue track suit when I walked out. And when I walked out, I saluted the crowd and Joe Rogan said, ‘That right there is Captain America. That guy is my hero.’ And that’s where it came from. It kind of stuck.”
However, one man evidently wasn’t a fan of the moniker…
Dana White, whose relationship with Couture frequently deteriorated, rejected Rogan’s description of the UFC star during a media scrum, insisting he was “the furthest thing from Captain America.”