UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture suffered a heart attack Wednesday and is currently in intensive care at a Los Angeles hospital, TMZ reports. Couture, 56, walked himself to the hospital Wednesday after feeling as if something were off after a workout at the Unbreakable MMA gym. The three-time UFC Heavyweight champion was admitted, treated and is expected to make a full recovery, according to sources close to him.
With victories over fighters like Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz and Victor Belfort, Couture is considered to be one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time.
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In addition to martial arts, Couture has also built a career as an actor, starting with a cameo on the CBS drama series The Unit, which led to bigger roles, like alongside Sylvester Stallone in The Expendables franchise. In 2011, he starred in the feature film Setup with Bruce Willis and 50 Cent.
He has even traversed into the reality side of television, including a stint on Season 19 of Dancing With the Stars, where he competed with pro dancer Karina Smirnoff. The couple was eliminated in week three. He also served as a coach on the first season of Fight Master: Bellator MMA in 2013 as well as Spike’s reality show Gym Rescue, where he also served as an executive producer.
Couture served six years in the Army, attaining the rank of Sergeant in the 101st Airborne division. Following his time in the military, he became a three-time Olympic team alternate (1988, 1992 and 1996) and a semifinalist at the 2000 Olympic Trials. By December 1997, at the age of 33, Randy made his debut as a fighter, winning in the Heavyweight division on his first appearance in the UFC and earning himself the nickname “The Natural.”
Eventually he moved down a weight class to the Light-Heavyweight division, where he spent the majority of his UFC career. In fact, he became the first fighter to hold titles in both the Heavyweight and Light-Heavyweight divisions.
Couture was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2006, the same year he retired. But his retirement didn’t last long, as he re-captured the UFC Heavyweight belt in 2007, becoming the first man in UFC history to win the title three times.
Although Couture’s competitive fighting days are behind him now, he is still a regular at Jay Glazer’s Unbreakable gym in Los Angeles where he trains alongside MMA legends like Chuck Liddell.
Photo credit: John Sciulli / Stringer / Getty
