Randy Couture retirement announcement was premature

http://mmajunkie.com/news/21759/rep-randy-couture-retirement-announcement-was-premature.mma

UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture dropped a bomb online Tuesday evening when he suddenly announced that he is calling it quits on an MMA career that's spanned 13 years, 29 fights and two titles.

"I think I'm at the end of it y'all," Couture wrote on his official Twitter account, which has just under 70,000 followers. "It's time."

"It's time to move on and focus on all the other amazing things going on in my life," he added on his Facebook account.

But that statement is premature, according to his lawyer and representative, Sam Spira.

"There's been no official announcement," Spira told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) on Tuesday evening. "There's been no decision. Any announcements or decisions would be likely coordinated with the UFC."

Although the two statements appear to be at cross purposes, Spira said Couture is in the same frame of mind he's been since a triumphant performance in August against boxing champion James Toney at UFC 118. Namely, that Couture's career in entertainment is heating up as his fighting career is tapering down.

At 47 years old, Couture had been coming off of one of the busiest stretches of his 13-year career with four fights in a 12-month period. With a run of three straight wins, Couture has shown he still has what it takes to perform in the octagon.

But Couture has also hinted he may be prepared to walk away from the sport. However, after first retiring in 2005, Couture said he doesn't want to rush to a decision this time around.

"(My fighting career is on hold) for now," Couture said. "You never know what [UFC officials] are going to throw at me. We'll see, and if it's interesting, I might not be able to walk away from it."

The fighter currently is in Grand Rapids, Mich., where he's filming a role in the upcoming movie "The Setup" opposite Bruce Willis, rapper 50 Cent, Ryan Phillipe and James Remar.

In March Couture is expected to begin work on "The Expendables 2," in which he'll reprise his role as Toll Road. Couture earned the role as part of the star-studded cast of "The Expendables" that also included Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham, Steve Austin, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, as well as cameo appearances by Willis and Arnold Scwarzenegger.

"The Expendables" opened in the U.S. in August and was the highest-grossing film in its debut weekend.

Additionally, Couture is expected to appear in a national TV commercial for Ford. So as of now, there are plenty of things to keep his mind off fighting.