Becoming the natural my life in and out of the cage review
Perhaps no one personifies the face of MMA more than Randy
Couture. "The Natural," "Captain America" and "Old
Man" are perhaps a few of his better known nicknames. His mixed martial
arts career spans the explosive popularization of what was once a fringe
sport into its mainstream position currently.
Matt Hughes, Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz have all launched their own
autobiographies over the past year. Now "The Natural" adds his.
Couture provides an absorbing narrative of a working class kid from the
Northwest who became a teenage father, got involved in wrestling and showed
a quick aptitude for it. As his Greco-Roman career wound down and his
Olympic dreams receded, the UFC was just appearing on the horizon and --
almost as an afterthought -- Couture was talked into entering one of the
competitions. He quickly distinguished himself as a formidable warrior in
the octagon.
Most readers will know the major story lines from then on: the bouts with
Vitor Belfort, Tito Ortiz and the three matches against Chuck Liddell. Other
memorable bouts are the improbable victories over Tim Sylvia and Gabriel
Gonzaga.
One remarkable aspect of Couture's career has been his sheer longevity,
competing on a world class level well into his 40's, often fighting guys a
decade younger. No rocking chair for The Natural!! I would have been
interested in hearing his "secret" for staying competitive so
long.
What all these MMA guys seem to have in common is complex relationships with
their fathers, often absentee fathers or fathers with (often alcoholic)
baggage. No exception here.
Another feature they often seem to have in common is keeping it in their
pants. Fidelity is an issue as the MMA guys often freely philander and,
well, "dip their wicks" in various inviting female inkwells.
Couture traces the rise and fall of Marriage #1, Marriage #2 and the rise of
Marriage #3 to Kim Couture. Having hit the marital trifecta, he is well on
his way to an octet! Which woman will truly be The One, since they all seem
to get traded in for a newer model after a few years. (Are the 2009 models
out yet?)
Guys like Couture keep divorce lawyers fully employed.
Couture has always come across though as a regular nice guy with his head
screwed one and this memoir is consistent with that impression. It's
impossible to dislike the guy. He gives you his side of the developing feud
with the UFC brass and the ups and downs of his personal relationship with
the ever polarizing Dana White.
As "Becoming the Natural" ends, the reader is left to wonder if
Couture's career has had the final coda written. Legal and contractual
constraints may do what few opponents have been able to do inside the
octagon - defeat Randy Couture. By the time he clears away his legal dispute
with Zuffa, will Father Time overtake his willingness to engage? Will the
ring rust and erosion of skills allow Couture to compete, especially against
the likes of Fedor Emilianko? After seeing Fedor demolish Tim Sylvia on July
19th, it's tempting to give "The Natural" no shot at winning such
a match, but the old man has proven me and many others wrong before. One
bets against Randy Couture at his peril.
MMA fans will relish this autobiography of an extraordinary athlete -
Randy "The Natural" Couture!
