Counting down to the best MMA fighter of all time

#11 Randy Couture (1997-2011)

Randy Couture: UFC Hall of Famer

Perhaps the greatest wrestler to ever compete inside the Octagon is “The Natural” Randy Couture.

Atypically, Couture is one of the only martial artists to get better with age, winning three UFC titles after he turned 40 years old, continually developing and expanding his skills despite his advancing age.

Couture first appeared at UFC 13, winning that event's Heavyweight tournament. He followed that victory up with a hugely impressive win, over the much younger, dynamic and then unbeaten, Vitor Belfort at UFC 15 which earned him a shot at Maurice Smith's Heavyweight title which we won at UFC Japan in December 1997.

Couture left the company shortly afterwards owing to a contract dispute but found his way back to the company in 2000 and won the Heavyweight title for a second time in his return bout versus Kevin Randleman. Couture extended his UFC unbeaten streak to six fights when he successfully defended the title twice versus Pedro Rizzo. Couture dropped the title to Josh Barnett at UFC 36 and after failing to win it back at UFC 39, he was considered over the hill.

However, the then 40-year-old shocked the world to defeat the much younger Chuck Liddell to win the Interim Light-Heavyweight title and won the belt outright by dominating Tito Ortiz, who had previously been unbeaten in his past six fights. With those victories, Couture became the first man to win UFC Championships in two different weight classes.

He retired in 2006 only to return a year later, when he was offered a Heavyweight title match against Tim Sylvia. The 43-year-old dismantled the younger, taller and stronger champion to win the title for a record third time. That record still stands.

“Captain America” remains the most popular martial artist in UFC history as well as one of the most successful. Boasting an impressive sixteen victories over a who’s who of UFC Hall of Famers, such as Chuck Liddell, Mark Coleman, Tito Ortiz and Maurice Smith, Couture’s mark on the company is unmistakable. His drawing power was substantial too, with four events headlined by him surpassing 400,000 buys and one drawing over one million.

Couture is unquestionably one of the greatest MMA stars of all time.