• UFC 129

Not even Fedor can persuade Couture to keep fighting

ESPN staff
April 20, 2011
Randy Couture has had 15 title fights © UFC
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Randy Couture has announced his decision to retire after his UFC 129 clash with Lyoto Machida, and he insists no amount of persuading from the UFC will change his mind.

Couture fights Machida, an opponent 15 years his junior, on April 30 in yet another bout that sees the odds stacked against him. Such a scenario has defined The Natural's career though, and he believes Machida is "worried" ahead of their Toronto showdown.

As a former five-time UFC champion, Couture has competed in 15 title fights, yet never will he have come close to fighting in front of 55,000 fans, as he will at UFC 129. The recent Strikeforce takeover means future battles with the likes of Fedor Emelianenko could be an option to Couture, who has emerged from retirement in the past, but he is adamant Machida will be his last.

"I believe this is my last fight," said Captain America. "I know the UFC is probably going to have other ideas, especially with acquiring Strikeforce and all that. They're probably going to try to draw me into another fight but I don't think that's going to happen. I want to stick to my guns and this is the last one.

"I will miss the competition immensely but I want to go out on my terms I want to go out when I think it's time to go out and not because I lost this fight or lost that fight or because I had an injury that precludes me from training the way I want to train.

"I want to make the decision on my own."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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