Becoming the Natural: My Life In and Out of the Cage

Very good read. Randy is very open about his personal life. He doesn't try to hide his skeletons. Although, i think he has made some bad choices along the way, i respect him even more for admiting to them and not trying to make excuses. It also shows that Randy wasn't always "the natural" in his athletic career, and how one must work hard and dedicate themselves to achieve their goals.

Randy Couture did not have to "take it on the chin" with certain admissions he made in this book regarding the cause of his divorces. It gives insight to a great champion and the road that took him there. Absolutely excellent book, if you are a fan of any sport this book is an excellent true account of incredible determination.

Another great MMA fighter autobiography! First off the book has a very funny, short (foreword) written by comedian/actor Kevin James! "Becoming the Natural" is right up there with Chuck Liddell's book "Iceman / My Fighting Life", which I consider to be the best MMA/UFC book out there. Randy tells his childhood story and how he got into wrestling and MMA. He had a very sordid childhood as far as his parents were concerned. Randy talks about alot of very personal issues in the book, that he didn't have to tell us the readers. He really lays it all out there! He goes into detail about his ex-wives, cheating and being a parent. Randy goes into detail about the UFC, Dana White and his current legal battle with the UFC. Couture's 16-8 record doesn't stand out like that of a champion, but read the book and you'll see just where that record comes from. Randy was fighting heavyweights with 40-50 pds. over him, in many fights once they got on top, he was simply pinned beneath them. Randy is one of my favorite fighters simply because he seems to be a genuinely good guy and this book gave me that same feeling about him! Randy has beaten the best and been beaten by the best. Throughout the book, even when describing his losses, he never bad mouths his opponents, in one fight he loses, he later learns the other fighter failed a steroid test, Randy is given the chance to have the fight changed from a (loss) to a (no contest), he refuses, saying a loss is a loss! As a fan, I hope to see Randy get his chance to fight Fedor. As Randy says in his book, it's about taking on the best possible opponent and that man is Fedor! Randy is still training, but not currently fighting, he is pursuing his acting career, with his first leading role movie, "Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior" due on DVD this Tuesday! The book also provides alot of nice pictures to give you a better sense of his past and family! Another good MMA bio. for fans collections!

I've been a big fan of Randy Couture since I first saw him compete at UFC 13 in Georgia back in 1993. In Becoming the Natural, Randy Couture and mixed martial arts journalist Loretta Hunt delve into the mind of "The Natural," and what fueled a small-town Washington kid to the greatest heights an MMA athlete has ever achieved. My favorite thing about this book is the depth that Couture and Hunt explore about the life of a true living legend. From humble beginnings to superstardom, seemingly every aspect of Couture's life is covered. His youth, memories, friendships and relationships are just the tip of the cosmos. Did I mention his quest for Olympic dreams? If you're a fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, this book is for you. The Octagon and beyond is touched on. Vivid are the memories of UFC triumphs and failures alike. Photos from Couture's family album and early career are fantastic. Without a doubt, Randy Couture's Becoming the Natural: My life In and Out of the Cage is easily the best MMA-related book ever penned. Whether you're a fan of combat sports or an admirer of true-life literature, this is sure to be the best book you'll read all year!

A few of the recent MMA biographies which have hit bookstores, most notably Liddell's Iceman: My Fighting Life and Ortiz's This Is Gonna Hurt: The Life of a Mixed Martial Arts Champion, are written in a straight forward, and almost bland manner. In other words, they have the story but non of the flare that makes literature beautiful. The one except is Matt Hughes' Made in America: The Most Dominant Champion in UFC History, which had better imagery and supporting detail. Like Hughes' book, Couture's book is well written, exceptionally detailed, and highly intriguing. Couture has come to be known as the consummate champion - both inside the octagon and outside of it. In this book he details his failures and successes, with stark honesty and lucidity. "Becoming the Natural" is not only the story of a MMA fighter, it is the story of a boy becoming a man. A man who grew up without a father figure, who failed to make the Olympic wrestling team on four different occasions, who was divorced and remarried twice, who has fought and defeated many of the world's greatest fighters, and who continues to stand up for the integrity and honor of the sport everywhere he goes. As a sports biography, this is one that will be rivaled by non. As an MMA biography, this is the absolute best. Couture shows us why, in life, doing what you love and being open to what God has for you can take you to places you have never even dreamed of.