I won't devote an ocean of space to discussing the magnitude of Randy's championship victory (because I know that only a handful of folks who read this blog are interested in this subject matter), but I do want to explain why I found his win so exhilirating.
During the 10 years I've been watching the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, Randy Couture has emerged as my most beloved fighter. And I can sum up in one concise sentence why I and thousands of other fight fans are so amazed with this man: He has continually defied expectations and natural limitations to produce dominant performances at the highest level of competition.
Randy first established himself as a high caliber athlete in the sport of Greco-Roman wrestling. In fact, Randy was already in his mid-30s when he fought in his first MMA bout back in UFC 13. But the man known in the wrestling world as "The Natural" lived up to his moniker in the world of MMA as well. A person who lives to compete against the very best, Randy consistently signed on to fight the most talented and dangerous opponents the UFC could provide him.
In just his fourth fight, Couture won his first heavyweight belt. In his late 30s, he won it a second time. But by the time Randy was almost 40, the challengers to his title had become so much larger than him (often outweighing him by 20 or 30 pounds) that Randy failed to retain/regain his championship against such bigger, comparably skilled adversaries. By the summer of 2003, back-to-back championship losses led even the most sympathetic of fans to suspect Randy's best days were behind him. After all, it's a simple truth that middle-aged men rarely ever achieve great success in combat sports.
Tired of constantly being at a weight disadvantage but not ready to call it quits either, Randy dropped down to the 205-lb Light Heavyweight division. He immediately silenced all the doubters and naysayers by defeating then #1 contender Chuck Liddell and long-time champion Tito Ortiz in consecutive fights to become the first man to hold a belt in two different weight classes. And not only did he defeat these two elite fighters, but he did so in dominating fashion and by beating each man at his own game.
Couture's 2 year run at Light Heavyweight garned him two belts (three if you count the interim title he won by beating Liddell) and solidified him as one of the greatest fighters in the short history of MMA. However, Liddell would return to knock out Couture in their second and third fights. The first loss to Chuck cost Randy his belt; the second led him to announce his retirement in February of 2006.
Nearly a year later, Randy Couture and the UFC announced that The Natural was already set to return to action. And he would be stepping back into the title picture immediately. Yet Randy's return bout would not be in the 205-division he'd most recently competed in but rather the heavyweight division. He would challenge the two-time heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia, a 6'8," 265-lb behemoth known for his potent striking ability. On paper this match-up looked horrible for Randy. Not only was the legend now 43, but he would be giving up 50 or more pounds to the current champ AND his matches with Liddell revealed that a potent striker with a long reach is a poor style match up for Randy. Even with his extensive history of doing the seemingly impossible, it seemed to even the most loyal of Couture supporters (like myself) that Randy was most likely on his way toward receiving a brutal beatdown.
Against all odds, as the cliche goes, Randy Couture once again thrived in the role of heavy underdog and blew the minds of the UFC faithful for the umpteenth time. He absolutely dominated the much larger champion last night. So dominant was his performance that Randy won all five rounds on all three judges scorecards. The fact that Randy is one of the most likeable guys and honorable sportsmen ever to put on a pair of 4-ounce gloves makes his ongoing defiance of time and probability that much sweeter for his supporters. As you should all know by know, I have tremendous love and appreciation for Matt Hughes as a fighter, but my appreciation for Randy goes even deeper than what I have for Matt.
Congratulations to Randy "The Natural" Couture! The only competitor in the history of MMA to win a title 5 times.
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