Kemal
02-01-2011, 08:56
Randy Couture (http://www.mmafighting.com/tag/Randy+Couture/) isn't retiring after all.
Couture and Lyoto Machida (http://www.mmafighting.com/tag/Lyoto+Machida/) have verbally agreed to meet at UFC 129 (http://www.mmafighting.com/tag/UFC+129/) on April 30 in Toronto, MMA Fighting has learned from sources close to the fight. Couture also confirmed the fight when asked by MMA Fighting at UFC 125 (http://www.mmafighting.com/tag/UFC+125/) on Saturday night.
As of just a little over a month ago, it seemed Couture was leaning more towards an acting career (http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/11/29/randy-couture-offers-sober-assessment-of-his-future-in-mma/) than continuing his career in MMA, and two weeks ago an ambiguous Twitter post (http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/15/randy-couture-no-closer-to-retirement-decision/) was quick to draw retirement speculations. But the UFC Hall of Famer, who began fighting in 1997 and 47 years of age, is already in the process of a cage return.
No longer in the title picture, Couture has found success in recent years in featured fights against Brandon Vera, Mark Coleman and James Toney. In his most recent Octagon appearance last August, Couture submitted boxing champion Toney with an arm-triangle choke at UFC 118. For the Machida fight, Couture will be back at light heavyweight.
After winning in his first 16 fights, Machida now finds himself in a two-fight losing streak. Machida lost his UFC light heavyweight title to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 113 last May and followed with a split decision loss to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 123 in November.
The event will be the UFC's first in Toronto and will be held at the Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Couture and Lyoto Machida (http://www.mmafighting.com/tag/Lyoto+Machida/) have verbally agreed to meet at UFC 129 (http://www.mmafighting.com/tag/UFC+129/) on April 30 in Toronto, MMA Fighting has learned from sources close to the fight. Couture also confirmed the fight when asked by MMA Fighting at UFC 125 (http://www.mmafighting.com/tag/UFC+125/) on Saturday night.
As of just a little over a month ago, it seemed Couture was leaning more towards an acting career (http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/11/29/randy-couture-offers-sober-assessment-of-his-future-in-mma/) than continuing his career in MMA, and two weeks ago an ambiguous Twitter post (http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/15/randy-couture-no-closer-to-retirement-decision/) was quick to draw retirement speculations. But the UFC Hall of Famer, who began fighting in 1997 and 47 years of age, is already in the process of a cage return.
No longer in the title picture, Couture has found success in recent years in featured fights against Brandon Vera, Mark Coleman and James Toney. In his most recent Octagon appearance last August, Couture submitted boxing champion Toney with an arm-triangle choke at UFC 118. For the Machida fight, Couture will be back at light heavyweight.
After winning in his first 16 fights, Machida now finds himself in a two-fight losing streak. Machida lost his UFC light heavyweight title to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 113 last May and followed with a split decision loss to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 123 in November.
The event will be the UFC's first in Toronto and will be held at the Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays.