UFC legend Randy Couture was airlifted to a Kansas City-area hospital on Tuesday after suffering burns following a wreck on a racetrack.
Couture, 62, was injured during a practice run on a race track as he prepares to make his debut on the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) circuit later this year.
A spokesman has informed TMZ Sports that, while Couture suffered first and second-degree burns, he is expected to make a full recovery.
“It’s a whole different animal,” Couture said in a recent interview with Bubba the Love Sponge. “Sitting in the stands, it looks easy. They say, ‘Oh, he just goes fast.’ But there is so much more involved.”
Couture is one of the foundational figures in American mixed martial arts history.
Originally, a wrestling star in college, “The Natural” parlayed his success on the college mats to success in the Octagon. Couture was particularly known for his trilogy against Chuck Liddell and his victories over Tim Sylvia, Gabriel Gonzaga, Pedro Rizzo, and Mark Coleman.
In all, Couture has 19 professional victories, 16 of them in the UFC. He last fought in the UFC in 2011, where he was defeated by Lyoto Machida.
Couture is a UFC Hall of Famer, a six-time UFC champion, and a one-time tournament winner. He is also a current color commentator for PFL.
