The 5 best UFC fighters from the USA

#4 Randy Couture

Randy Couture won UFC titles on five occasions

The first man to win UFC titles in two different weight classes, ‘Captain America’ was undoubtedly helped by being in the right place at the right time on a couple of occasions.

Despite that though, you can’t really argue with some of his accomplishments – he beat much bigger men at Heavyweight to win and defend the title there, and then took out two of the greatest 205lbers of all time to capture the title in that weight class as well. The most impressive part? His best accomplishments came after he’d turned 40.

Debuting in the UFC as basically a pure wrestler back at UFC 15, Couture first won the Heavyweight title by defeating kickboxer Maurice Smith at the promotion’s first show in Japan. A contract dispute forced him to relinquish his title, but he returned at UFC 28 to recapture it from the younger Kevin Randleman.

Two successful defences against Pedro Rizzo followed, but losses to Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez – as well as the fact that he was in his late 30’s – seemed to suggest he was coming to the end of his career. Not so.

When Light-Heavyweight champ Tito Ortiz decided to step back and refused to fight top contender Chuck Liddell, in stepped Randy to upset ‘The Iceman’ in a match for an Interim title. Ortiz then returned, but found himself on the wrong end of a beatdown from Couture as well, as Randy captured his third full UFC crown.

This title run was spoiled by a fluke loss to Vitor Belfort, but Couture quickly avenged that loss for his fourth title win. This one was ended in a rematch against Liddell, and after another loss, Couture decided to retire.

The retirement lasted just a year as he returned and in a huge upset, defeated Tim Sylvia for the Heavyweight title – his fifth title win in the UFC. A contract dispute again stopped his momentum though, and when he returned he dropped the title to the much larger Brock Lesnar.

Although he did win three of his final five fights, he never came close to another title run. But for his insane accomplishments and for pulling some of the biggest upsets in UFC history, he clearly belongs on this list.