MMA is a relatively new sport. Words like "legend" and "pioneer" are overused. Very few men can legitimately be described using those adjectives. They are, however, accurate descriptions of "The Natural" Randy Couture. This autobiography is well-written and every page a revelation about a true pioneer of the sport.
The photo on the cover of the book shows Randy with a small smile that makes him look like he has a secret. That secret is, he could beat the living crap out of most any other human on the planet.
The one thing that sets this autobiography apart from almost every other book about MMA fighters is that it is funny and does not get bogged down in many places. It documents well the rise of the UFC from a bankrupt promotion to the most powerful, well-run organization MMA has ever seen.
The champ starts this story with his third fight against Chuck Liddell. In that fight, he is brutally knocked out. He could have easily started with any of his multiple titles, including being named an All-American collegiate wrestler, an Army Champion Greco-Roman wrestler, five time UFC champion, or any of the dozens of titles and accolades he has earned in his career. His willingness to share humility says a lot about his character.
In most of his fighting career, and life for that matter, he has been an underdog. His personal life is well-documented in this book. "I was a married man straying away from my wife with a woman who initially cheated on me. The foundation of our relationship was shaky to say the least." This is a passage about his second marriage. This is a reoccurring theme throughout the book of his relationships with women.
He could easily have omitted the parts of his life in which he makes mistakes and bad choices, but he keeps that stuff in. As a result, we are allowed to see a real picture of not just a fighter but a flawed human being. Instead of running from these flaws, he embraces them and shares with his readers how he has dealt with and flourished with these challenges.
One of the challenges of revealing too much about yourself is that you take the chance of alienating some fans. That never happens in the book. We learn his failings and, because he is so likable, you still want to root for him. That is a very tricky thing to do in this format. Trust me, I have read many of these books and this is one of a very few that does it well.
The other thing this book does well is give us a first-hand account of the old school UFC and how it grew into the MMA monster it is today. That is really a fascinating part of this book. He is not afraid to speak about other fighters, steroid use, fighter pay, "The Ultimate Fighter" reality television show, and his rise to prominence as a fighter. His struggles, successes, and challenges with Team Quest (one of the most successful schools in MMA history) are interesting and important to any fan of MMA.
This book is funny, introspective, and well-written in a way most sports autobiographies are not. He never dwells too long on any one subject and never lets the reader tire from it. Couture never pats himself on the back for being a great athlete or a great person. Quite the opposite, he spends most of the book pointing out his flaws and weaknesses and tries to describe how he could be better at both.
"I was a sheep to their surefire wolf (Vitor Belfort, referring here to their first fight), but that's the way I liked it. I'd spent my wrestling career rising far above what was expected of me. As the underdog, the pressure and attention wasn't on me, which left me alone to prepare."
Randy wore Belfort down at UFC 15 on October 17, 1997 and beat the heavily-favored Brazillian. This is the way each aspect of Randy Couture's career has gone. He has been the underdog in most of his fights and still won five UFC world titles. He has used this underdog tag as a badge of honor and used it to fuel his greatness as a fighter.
Whether you're a Randy Couture fan or just want an interesting take on one of the true legends of MMA, this a must read.
Next week, ten things I learned from "Becoming The Natural."
===
Eric Hobaugh is the new MMATorch book reviewer. He breaks his review of MMA books into four formats that are published weekly, typically every Monday.
FAVOR: Would you help MMATorch by taking a short survey to create demographic info for our ad company? CLICK HERE
ALERT: Every Tuesday night, listen to the MMATorch Livecast from 9-10:30 p.m. ET or listen now to the most recent shows by clicking here. Listen live this coming Tuesday as Jamie Penick and Matt Pelkey discuss the latest MMA happenings. Online listen at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mmatorch or call into the show at 646-716-8090 to either just listen or participate.
