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Los Angeles, California AC/DC's Thunderstruck rolled through the jam-packed rafters of Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay, as "The Natural" Randy Couture entered the octagon with a grin. Thousands stood, cheered and awaited the conclusion of the most storied trilogy in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The night was business as usual for the world's fastest growing sport, its most prominent body and one of its most beloved warriors. Chiseled frame, cauliflower ears, trademark smile - it was all the same for Couture when he made his way to the octagon to fight light heavyweight champion Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell. His training was as rigorous as always. His game plan just as calculating. His approach all the same. "It felt like all the other fights," Couture remembers. But it most certainly was not. On that night, Couture's legendary career ended at the devastating right hand of Liddell. A chapter of UFC chronicle - one that had begun in the dark ages of mixed-martial arts and concluded in its ever-growing revolution - was closed. The career started later than most and ended with the dignity, sportsmanship and class that had been exhibited throughout.  UFC Hall of Famer Randy "The Natural" Couture evolved right along with the sport he loves so much. "Is it the end of the line for you Randy?" asked color commentator Joe Rogan moments after Liddell had retained his title. His face nicked, his nose trickling blood, Couture replied, "This is the last time you're gonna see these gloves and these shorts in this octagon. I'm retiring tonight. I wanna thank all my fans for all their support. That's it for me, I'm ready to do something else." The standing ovation was simultaneous, the round of applause overwhelming. Couture knew the answer months before the question and the fight, however. Win, lose or draw, Feb. 4, 2006 would be the last time he walked into the octagon for a fight. But only a select few knew. "What I didn't want was it to take on a life of itself," Couture says. That just wouldn't have been Randy Couture. It wouldn't have been "Captain America." It wouldn't have been "The Natural." It wouldn't have been a fitting end to an unpredictable career, unsurprising only in the undeniable character exhibited by one of the UFC's all-time greats - inside the octagon and out. When Vitor Belfort stood across from Randy Couture, he was "The Phenom." He was an undefeated up-and-comer with dynamite in his fists and youth on his side. "Nobody gave me much of a chance to win the fight," says Couture, who could have been talking about a number of bouts in his career. Belfort was the next big thing when he entered the octagon on Oct. 17, 1997's UFC 15. He was 20 years old, undefeated at 4-0 with all four of his fights ending with knockouts. Couture, meanwhile, had just made his mixed-martial arts debut only a few weeks shy of his 33rd birthday. The fight was supposed to be a striker versus a wrestler. It was supposed to be a young lion devouring a fighter passed a prime he never had. But eight minutes and 16 seconds into the fight, the legend of "The Natural" Randy Couture had begun. Showcasing the skills for which he became known, Couture dominated Belfort in the clinch with "dirty boxing," unleashing uppercuts until the brutalization went to the mat. Blows raining down on him, Belfort couldn't stop Couture. Only the referee could. "It was the first situation when I shocked people," Couture remembers. It certainly was not the last. No, it was merely a foreshadowing for a career defined by shocking upsets, stunning fights and odds, no matter how bad, he always overcame. In his next UFC fight, Couture bested Maurice Smith for the first of his two heavyweight titles. But his heavyweight career ended unspectacularly. Fighting much larger opponents in Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez, Couture lost his title and two fights in a row. UFC president and co-owner Dana White calls Couture, "an amazing human being," and refers to him as, "a good friend of mine."
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