History will be made at UFC 129 in one form or another. While this may or not become one of the most watched MMA events in history, this night will also mark the official end of the Randy Couture era. Multiple outlets have reported that the Hall of Famer has decided to end his career on his own terms, and that the fight against former champion Lyoto Machida will be his last. So that leaves the gaping question of what’s next for “The Natural.”
Randy Couture has been one of the faces of mixed martial arts in a variety of ways throughout the years. Most recently he represented the sport when he took down former boxing champion James Toney in a purported “Boxing vs. UFC” matchup. Along with that moment, he’s begun a semi-successful movie career with a role in “The Expendables” in 2010. The sequel is already planned for a 2012 release. Along with this, Couture has a successful MMA gym in Xtreme Couture that houses fighters such as Forrest Griffin, Gray Maynard, and Martin Kampmann. Still, one has to wonder if this retirement will give him an opportunity to truly make an impact on the sport that has helped him become a star.
Look at the recent retirement of former UFC fighter and King of Pancrase Champion, Ricardo Almeida. Almeida runs a successful Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy in New Jersey, but he’s also put himself in a position to truly make an impact in the sport. Almeida has become an MMA judge in New Jersey. With the number of complaints about MMA judging seeming to grow after every event, Almeida’s move is a highly positive one for the sport. I believe that Couture could do the same, and on an even bigger scale.
Couture currently has a positive relationship with the UFC, and I can foresee him being employed by them in some capacity, along the lines of Chuck Liddell’s placement in the organization. Such a position could place him in a prominent role to help address the lack of quality judging in the sport.
Imagine a team of John McCarthy, Herb Dean, and Randy Couture creating a MMA judging/scoring course that was championed by the UFC. With the marketing power of the largest MMA organization behind them, I believe that this would go a long way towards correcting the judging issues that are plaguing the sport at this time.
While no word has been released about what Couture has planned next, now that his time as a fighter is coming to an end, I for one hope he takes up a position that would help enhance the sport that we have all grown to love.
