Couture Minimizes Retirement; Honored to Fight at UFC 129

Randy Couture (above) is walking away on his own terms. | Photo: Jeff Sherwood

During Tuesday’s UFC 129 conference call, the former five-time UFC champion asserted that his retirement was just one of the many important qualities associated with the UFC’s first trip to Ontario, unlike the circumstances under which he first announced his retirement in 2006.

“I already had [retirement] on my mind, and somebody asked me about it, and I answered the question honestly. Last time, I had a lot of personal things going on, and I kept the decision to myself because I didn't want [the event] to be about [a retirement announcement],” said Couture. “But this card is so huge that me retiring is not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. What's most important is this fight card and the amazing crowd that is coming together for this huge event in Toronto. It's an honor to be a part of this show.”

Expected to house over 55,000 fans, UFC 129 will feature Georges St. Pierre's welterweight title defense against Jake Shields, as well as Jose Aldo's UFC debut, as the featherweight king defends his strap against hometown favorite Mark Hominick. As for Couture, the UFC hall of famer squares off with another former champion in Lyoto Machida from the Rogers Centre on April 30. According to Couture, the decision to make “The Dragon” his last opponent was no accident.

“[The UFC] offered me couple of other guys, and I turned turned them down. I’ve been watching Lyoto for a couple of years now, and I’m very appreciative of the way he competes. He has such a unique style as an athlete. Those are the kinds of fights that are intriguing and interesting to me,” said Couture. “It's been an interesting camp, and I’ve certainly had to learn a few things. He has a complex style, and it's been fun to study that and try to figure out what I think what will work to get the job done. Hopefully we got the right answers, but we won't know until [April 30].”

Though Couture admits that Machida makes sense as his last fight, “Captain America” is quick to clarify that his decision to retire was primarily based on his internal feelings rather than any outside influence. According to the former two-division champion, now is simply the right time to take his final bow.

“One of the things I’ve struggled with is that my body was not a factor [in my decision to retire]. I’m as healthy as ever. I feel great, and I can compete at this level,” said Couture, who rides a three-fight winning streak heading into his showdown with Machida.

“But I just feel like I've stretched it and pushed it, and I don't want to wait until I have those [physical] issues to think about and weigh into training camps or a fight. That's part of going out on my terms. I don't want to wait until I have that [hypothetical] injury and doctors tell me that I can't fight anymore. I like to do a lot of other things [that aren't fighting]. I’m healthy, and I can enjoy the rest of my life right now. So I don't want to wait too long.”