by Can Tran

Created on: June 02, 2007

Randy Duane Couture or Randy "The Natural" Couture was born in Lynnwood, Washington on June 22, 1963. He's currently forty-three years of age. He weights at two-hundred and twenty pounds and stands at six feet and two inches or one-hundred and eighty-eight centimeters. Couture is a Greco-Roman wrestler and UFC fighter currently holding the title of UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is also a UFC Hall of Famer.

He had played football through out his high school years. But he wrestled during both junior and senior high. Before Couture entered UFC, he enlisted in the United States Army from 1982 to 1988. After his six-year term, Couture was discharged. He would be a three-time Olympic team alternate for the '88, '92, and '96 Olympic games in Greco-Roman Wrestling. He became a semifinalist for the '00 Olympic Trials for the games at Sydney, Australia.

Couture would make his debut at the UFC on May 30, 1997 at "UFC 13: The Ultimate Force." He defeated fighters Tony Halme and Steven Graham to win the heavyweight tournament. He scored a TKO victory over Vitor "Phenom" Belfort. He would win his first heavyweight title in a 1997 match against Muay Thai kickboxer Maurice Smith. But he would be stripped due to not coming to terms of UFC's parent company.

He would sign with RINGS only to return to UFC under ownership by Zuffa, LLC in 2000. He would defeat wrestler Kevin Randleman at UFC 28 that same year and recapture the heavyweight title. Couture moved down to the 205 lb weight class after losing to Ricco Rodriguez and Josh Barnett. He would be fighting in the light-heavyweight class and take on Chuck Liddell who held the light-heavyweight champion. Couture would win the title.

He would defeat Tito Ortiz for the undisputed light-heavyweight title. Couture would be the first man at age forty to win that title. 2005, he would lose his title by KO at the hands of Chuck Liddell. He tried to win it back but lost due a knockout at Liddell.

Upon retiring from UFC, Couture would be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame joining Royce Gracie, Dan Severn, and Ken Shamrock. He know works as a broadcaster for The Fight Network at various UFC events.

But beginning of 2007, Couture returned from retirement and take the heavyweight title from Tim Silvia at UFC 68. He'll be forty-five when this contract expires. He's going to face Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 74 on August 25, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Couture is a Christian. He has three children and was married twice. His current wife is Kim Kholderman.

Asides from Wrestling, Couture displayed great skills in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His current fight record is: 15 wins (6 TKOs, 2 submits, 4 decisions) and 8 losses (2 KOs, 2 TKOs, 4 submissions). In college, he was a three-time NCAA D-1 All American and a two-time NCAA finalist. He was also one of the coaches for the first season of The Ultimate Fighter.

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