by Steven Marrocco on Apr 19, 2011 at 2:40 pm ET The end is firmly in sight for Randy Couture. The UFC Hall of Famer today repeated earlier statements that his fight with Lyoto Machida at UFC 129 is likely the last of a professional career spanning 14 years. "I think it's time to focus on the other things I have going in my life after the fight," Couture said. The decision to hang it up has not come out of nowhere, Couture said. "It's been an ongoing transition for me," he said. "I kind of want to go out on my own terms and decide when enough is enough. I think that time has come." The 47-year-old Couture's film career has ramped up in recent years, and his work on the silver screen shows no signs of abating. He is scheduled to film "Hijacked" following UFC 129 and begins work on "The Expendables 2" in August. The sequel follows the surprise hit of "The Expendables," which was released this past August, and another action movie, "Setup," that's set for release later this year. Couture also owns a chain of Xtreme Couture gyms that is headquartered in Las Vegas. "I think it's time to focus on the other things I have going in my life after the fight," he said. One of only two men to hold titles in two weight classes, Couture (19-10 MMA, 16-7 UFC) retired following a second loss to Chuck Liddell at UFC 57 but returned 13 months later to capture the heavyweight title from Tim Sylvia at UFC 68. He defended the title once before a contractual dispute brought his resignation from the UFC for more than a year. He returned at UFC 91 and lost his heavyweight title to Brock Lesnar. A loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 102 prompted Couture to drop to light heavyweight. He is 3-0 since the move with wins over Brandon Vera, Mark Coleman and James Toney. Couture, though, said he doesn't want to stay around to the point that he can't compete at the elite level. "I've had a great camp, and everything is spot on," he said. "I can't wait until next week. It's been a fight I've been looking forward to for a long time, and it's finally going to happen. "I think it's time to focus on the other things I have going in my life after the fight, and I've pushed it pretty far. I don't think anybody is going to push it as far as I have the last 14 years."
Let's say Randy uses his Greco-Roman magic to pin Machida against the cage, wears him down with dirty boxing and somehow wins this fight.... Can he really walk away having just beaten a Top 205 pounder? I hope he does walk away, because a title shot and an unavoidable beating by Jon Jones would NOT be the way to go out.
This is a smart move on Randy's part: announcing this before the fight as it being his farewell fight. It could sway a judge during a crucial round.
