Will Randy Couture Fight Again? His Lawyer Casts Doubt

In the midst of a three-match win streak as well as a Hollywood career that is quickly generating momentum, multi-time UFC champion Randy Couture could soon be faced with a decision between his two professional worlds.

The legend's enviable future dilemma was best exhibited during the month of August. On the 13th, Couture helped open Sylvester Stallone's "The Expendables" to the No. 1 spot in the US box office. To date, the film has made over $100 million domestically and around a quarter-billion dollars worldwide. Then, on the 28th, he moved back to the realm that made him famous, and submitted boxer-turned-mixed martial artist James Toney in a bout that received major mainstream media buzz.

So what's next for the 47-year-old Couture? Though no firm offers have been made and nothing has been set in stone, both the UFC and Hollywood remain viable options.

"We're sorting through things right now," Couture's lawyer Sam Spira told MMA Fighting.

Couture -- who has three fights left on his current UFC deal -- remains open to possibilities in both film and sport, but another possibility exists for fight fans: that they may have seen the last of the legend in the octagon.

"It's possible," Spira said. "I'd say right now it's a toss-up. If something came up that was interesting, he would fight irrespective of whether he got a meaningful Hollywood role. But there's other stuff for him to do that's MMA-related. I think many would be surprised at some of the things we are working on. So he doesn't have to be actively fighting in the ring to remain active. Is it possible he may not fight again? Yeah, it's possible. I'd say it's a toss-up."

By all accounts, Couture's body is holding up well enough to continue on with his MMA career, but he may soon be forced with a difficult decision about his fight life based on other considerations. Rarely a day goes by without some commitment, and his show business opportunities continue to grow.

If he does return to the cage, it may be a while. Couture in recent months has noted that he was most likely to entertain offers for "interesting" fights.

That approach has been exemplified in his recent fight history. After losing the heavyweight championship to Brock Lesnar in Nov. 2008, he stayed in the division to face Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Then he moved to light heavyweight to face Brandon Vera and later Mark Coleman, before lobbying for the match with Toney in what was predestined to be a major gate attraction. That fight was originally designed at a catch weight before being officially sanctioned as a heavyweight tilt.

"I'm not sure that Randy is focused upon whether or not he has another run at the title," Spira said. "If they said, 'Will you fight Shogun [Rua] for the title?' I think he would, but the title itself is not as important as the fight he's offered."

Amateur matchmakers have tried to figure out Couture's next move based upon current UFC conditions, but many of the current top contenders -- fighters that would probably most stoke Couture's competitive fires -- are already locked into fights.

Division champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will be facing Rashad Evans upon his return from injury. Lyoto Machida and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will square off in Detroit in November. Rich Franklin remains on the shelf while rehabilitating an injury.

Because of that, along with rapidly filling cards, it seems unlikely that Couture will return to the Octagon in 2010, despite coming out of his UFC 118 match with little damage.

But another, more remote possibility exists, the possibility that the ageless wonder may have finally seen his last battle in the Octagon.


http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/09/29/will-randy-couture-fight-again-lawyer-sam-spira-right-now-it/?a_dgi=aolshare_twitter

I know in the past I said that he should hang them up, but i'd like to see him fight one last time before he calls it quits.
Like a legends fight or something like that.

killerofchicken wrote:

I know in the past I said that he should hang them up, but i'd like to see him fight one last time before he calls it quits.
Like a legends fight or something like that.

He did beat Coleman in a kind of "Legends match". He did the world a favor and shut up Toney. I'd rather him walk away now then return and get KO'd.

CC please.

Wolfgangsta wrote:

CC please.

I'd rather Randy fight Tito.

i would love a cc vs randy fight, i mean it is about 5 years late but still

Like Cro Cop brings anything for Randy at this point. Frank Fucking Mir just clinchfucked him against the cage six times and stalled him out for 14 minutes that way. You think Randy wouldn't rape Cro Cop the same way right now? When Cro Cop proves he can still pull the trigger against anyone he didn't just poke in the eye or that is too idol-struck to really fight back then I'll concede he brings something Couture should be worried about even at 47 years of age.

The way Mir was clinching makes this somewhat more interesting, yes. Now it means CC has a chance of losing instead of the no-chance in hell of losing as it was before.


Mir just KO'd CC, all bets are off.

I don't know that I'd be worried about Cro Cop getting knocked out by Couture, except maybe by a dirty boxing punches in bunches type scenario. Randy has never had a pension for throwing knees all muay thai style after just getting hit the way Mir ended the fight. I definitely can see Randy closing the distance just as many times as Mir did and raping Mirko in the clinch against the fence for fifteen minutes.

Problem is without the threat of what Randy is throwing, CC will open up and Randy can't take those kind of blows.

He can't open up if he's getting held against the cage.

CC wouldn't be against the cage like that for an entire fight. Cemetery.

Forget the title run Randy, make movies and participate in legend fights.

Randy has proved so much, I wont be disappointed to see him go, but if he stays, Im cool with that to. He's loved so much its hard for ppl to say "beat it" No matter what, he has earned every mma fan's respect

What dream fights would you guys like to see Randy involved in before he goes ??

Couture vs Cro Cop obviously.

Couture vs Franklin

Couture vs Lil Nog

I say see if Randy feels like retiring Mir. I think he could do it at this point.

I don't understand how he has any film offers honestly

At this point I don't really care if he retires either. I stopped caring a while back

http://www.cagepotato.com/randy-couture-its-probab

Quote :

The UFC Hall-of-Famer and the promotion's former heavyweight and light heavyweight champ spoke with John O'Regan from Fighters Only over the weekend while in London to corner Mike Pyle for his UFC 121 fight with John Hathaway and he said that it's likely that his days of fighting are behind him.

“I don’t know what is gonna happen on the fight front. I have had my wars, done my thing. I’ve been having fun, I can still fight, but I am not sure I want to make another run at the title or anything like that," Couture explained. “I enjoy the sport, I enjoy fighting, but its probably time to move on."

Sounds like we may have seen the last of the Natural. I wouldn't expect him back unless its a winnable big name matchup and I don't even know who that would be

Update

Quote :

"I think at some point, I've got to call enough, enough. I've had an amazing year. My last few fights in honesty were more novelty fights. Not to take anything away from my opponents, but that's the truth of the matter. They didn't really matter in the division, they didn't really put me any closer to a title, and I have to make a decision at some point. So I think I would entertain another novelty-type fight. I could still compete but I don't see myself making a run at the title any time soon."

kinda cool, says the last few fights were gimmes basically, understands that a tittle shot is unlikely

killerofchicken wrote:

kinda cool, says the last few fights were gimmes basically, understands that a tittle shot is unlikely

Not, "gimmies". Remember he lost to Nog. But he knows they aren't contender type fights.

OU wrote:

killerofchicken wrote:

kinda cool, says the last few fights were gimmes basically, understands that a tittle shot is unlikely

Not, "gimmies". Remember he lost to Nog. But he knows they aren't contender type fights.

i was actually referring to Vera and Coleman

Well Chuck would be the logical novelty fight for him then.

GDPofDRC wrote:

Well Chuck would be the logical novelty fight for him then.

fuck that, chuck would hurt him with the right. and i dont mean just hurt, i mean fuck his head up