Randy Couture is considered one of the best MMA fighters of all time and has more than enough titles to defend this claim. He has participated in a record 16 title fights during his MMA career and holds the record for the most victories in fights in the UFC Heavyweight Championship. He fought 24 times in the UFC, the tenth highest number of fights in the UFC. Couture is the only person to have won a UFC championship fight at the age of over 40, the only athlete in UFC history to have won a championship after being inducted into the Hall of Famer, and is the oldest title holder ever in the UFC and MMA.
Randy is widely recognized as a clinch and ground-pound fighter whose wrestling skills give him an advantage over his opponents, which he usually gains by executing takedowns, taking top positions, and hitting his opponent down one after the other. He has also shown a variety of skills in boxing, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Here is a comprehensive profile of the 6′ 2? (187 cm) fighter.
Randy Couture Biography
The heavyweight champion, Randy Duane Couture, was born on June 22, 1963, in Everett, Washington, USA, as the son of Sharan Amelia (née King) and Edward Lewis “Ed” Couture. He has a mixed ethnic background of French Canadian, German, distant Dutch, and English and is fluent in German. He started wrestling very early in his life after developing an interest in the sport and would continue his academic career and beyond. Randy attended Alderwood Middle School in Lynwood, Washington, and then Lynwood High School, where he became a state wrestling champion in his senior year. His nickname is The Natural or Captain America.
He graduated with a degree in Foreign Language Literature from the University of Oklahoma. During his studies, he became All-American of NCAA Division I three times and runner-up of NCAA Division I twice (1991 and 1992). Prior to his college career, however, he served in the U.S. Army for six years (1982-1988) and earned the rank of sergeant in the 101st Airborne. He applied for trial training with the U.S. Army Freestyle Wrestling Team, although due to a spelling mistake he was supposed to compete on the Greco-Roman team instead.
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Randy Couture became a substitute for the U.S. team at three consecutive Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1996) and was a semi-finalist in the 2000 Olympic trials. The Natural debuted in May 1997 at his MMA debut in the UFC 13 and defeated two major opponents, making him a serious contender and leading him into other areas of combat. He was an assistant coach for wrestling and strength training at Oregon State University, coached Centennial High School in Gresham, Oregon in 2004, and was a student of Muay Thai World Champion Quentin Chong.
While fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), he was the first of the few fighters to win two UFC championship titles in two different divisions. The titles include three-time UFC Heavyweight Champion, two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, interim UFC Lightweight Champion, and the winner of the UFC 13 Heavyweight Tournament. He owns an extensive chain of fitness centers in Las Vegas known as Xtreme Couture. He has also teamed up with Bas Rutten to open Legends Gym in Hollywood, California.
Randy Couture was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on June 24, 2006, as the fourth inductee and is a founding member to be inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. He retired from fighting in 2011 at the age of 47 after finishing his last match with Lyoto Machida in a fight without a title bout. On the screen, he no longer appears as a fighter, but rather as an actor. His acting credits include The Expendables, Redbelt, Ambushed, The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior, Hijacked, Setup beside 50 Cent, and Bruce Wills, and he also appeared in the 19th season of Dancing with the Stars.
The Natural was formerly married to Sharon, Tricia, and Kim Couture (née Borrego) and is currently in a relationship with the model and actress Mindy Robinson. He has three children: sons Ryan (a professional MMA fighter) and Caden and daughter Aimee.
What Happened to His Ear?
Randy Couture is famous for its cauliflower ear, which is not unknown to martial artists anyway. It is a product of repeated punches, bumps, and hits that cause the blood vessels in the ear to rupture and then hematoma, causing blood to collect under the perichondrium (the connective tissue surrounding the ear cartilage). This can be very painful and must be drained, otherwise, it will remain hardened and deformed. To prevent cauliflower ear from forming, you can wear headgear, as it can spare you the complications resulting from the disease.
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The complications include hearing impairment, sleep disorders, headaches, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), blurred vision, cosmetic deformation, general pain in the ear.
The treatment involves making an incision in the ear through which accumulated blood or fluid is drained. A compression bandage must also be applied to layer the two sides of the skin against the cartilage. Antibiotics are also recommended to ward off infections.
Net Worth
The exceptional fighter has numerous titles, which, in connection with his flourishing acting career, put him on the list as one of the highest-paid athletes. His net worth is estimated at 17 million dollars.