• UFC 129

Dana White not sure 'freak' Couture will retire

Randy Couture 'never gets injured' © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Machida targets Rio reward for beating Randy
  
• News: Money messed up Machida - Dana White
  
• News: White undecided on Gracie for UFC Rio
  
• News: Couture set to feature in new UFC Undisputed game
  
• News: Couture admits he wouldn't want to fight Jon Jones
  
• News: I'm better than when I beat Chuck Liddell - Couture
  
• News: Liddell inspired Couture's decision to retire
  
• Profile: Randy Couture | Lyoto Machida

For all the latest UFC talking points, including predictions for UFC 129, don't miss the latest ESPN UFC Podcast

Dana White claims nobody will realise just how good Randy Couture is until he has left the sport of MMA, but the UFC president is not convinced Lyoto Machida will be Couture's last fight.

Captain America, a five-time UFC champion who has competed in 15 title fights, has promised that he will turn his attention to other things, including his movie career, once he deals with Machida at UFC 129 this weekend.

However, White has seen Couture retire and then return to the Octagon in the past, and even at 47 years of age he believes The Natural would still not be able to turn down a big fight if he offered it to him.

"Who knows with this guy? I'm not saying it's not time for him to retire, but who knows?" said White. "I think that he's such a competitor that every time there's something out there and he says, 'You know what? I can beat this guy', I think he's going to come out and try to do it.

"I don't try talking him into anything. He was retired before. Is this the first time he's retired? No, I've heard it before. I've seen it before. What I do is, we'll be working on stuff and I say, 'This'll be a cool one for Couture'. I go, 'Hey, what do you think? Want to take this fight?' And he can't say no.

"I honestly don't know of another fight that he wants. I'm sure there's a couple of matchups out there. If the right thing happens, I think Randy would jump in there and take a fight."

White will never close the final chapter on Couture's career out of sheer respect, and he believes the light-heavyweight's freakish body will allow him to go on if he retains the desire to fight.

"The one thing about him that makes him different from every other fighter -- first of all, he's a physical freak -- he never gets injured. Look at these young guys. Even "Bones" Jones, a young guy -- he's got like a little tear in a ligament in his hand or a muscle or something. This guy is pushing 50 years old and he never gets injured. It's amazing. Nobody does that. So as long as he stays healthy and can keep competing, I think he will.

"Listen, if that guy is 62 and can still do it, I want to see it. "Right here and now, we're so used to him that we don't celebrate the incredible journey that this guy has had, and the incredible athlete that he is. I can't get on the treadmill and I'm 42; my leg hurts, my neck hurts, my back hurts. This guy's still fighting 22-year-olds.

"We're all used it and we're all numb to it -- but in 10 years we're going to look back and go 'That guy was a freak. Holy [crap], he was incredible'."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.