‘Most people thought I was crazy’… Randy Couture reveals the UFC victory that meant the most to him

Randy Couture defeated many incredible mixed martial artists during his UFC career, but there is one win that stands out above the rest.

Blessed with formidable wrestling skills and an all-powerful fighting heart, 'The Natural' cemented his place as one of the greatest competitors to ever grace the octagon.

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Randy Couture says the UFC win he cherishes most is Tim Sylvia

Randy Couture still looks back fondly on his brutal war of attrition with Tim Sylvia and considers it the greatest fight of his career.

On a night when few gave him a chance, the American made history at the age of 43 by claiming the UFC world heavyweight title.

As the atmosphere in the room filled the air, Couture entered the octagon with a point to prove.

No matter what anyone else thought, the warrior knew he could upset the apple cart, and when the first bell rang, he did just that.

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In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, the icon beamed: “I think one of my favorite fights was with Tim Sylvia. That was the largest crowd we'd ever had, over 22,000 people at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

“Tim was obviously a big guy, and at 43, most people thought I was crazy to retire and fight for the heavyweight championship.

“Just like the fights between Vitor Belfort, Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, no one gave me a chance to win. They were pretty sure I was going to get punched, but it just didn't work out that way.

“That was one of my favorite fights for a whole bunch of reasons, from my age to everyone leaving me out.

“That was probably the closest I got to that one-punch knockout, when I dropped Tim in the first 25 seconds.

“I'm glad it went this far, because everyone thought I was out of shape, old, and that I didn't belong there. So for it to be a grinder, I thought that was a statement.

“But there are others who all set the tone for my career because I was 33, almost 34, when I started fighting; most people thought I was over the hill and probably shouldn't be doing this.

Randy Couture reveals what it was like to fight an opponent nearly 100 pounds heavier than him

From Brock Lesnar to James Toney, Couture has stared through the cage at some truly enormous people.

But long before he ever won the title, he faced even bigger men.

Once he had to face an opponent who was more than seven stone heavier than him.

The 62-year-old has now explained what it was really like to be locked in the octagon with a man of that stature.

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