Yesterday the news broke that former UFC Heavyweight Champion “The Natural” Randy Couture was in intensive care at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles after suffering a heart attack during a workout at his gym Unbreakable Performance in Hollywood. The former champion who has always been known as one of the toughest men to ever step foot inside the octagon was suffering some discomfort during his training session. Couture thought he may have injured a rib or vertebrae, and finished his workout before heading home to rest.
When the relief he was looking for by resting didn’t happen, Couture walked, yes, I said walked, a few blocks to Cedars Sinai where after an EKG was told he had suffered a heart attack and was immediately admitted, and sent to the cath lab where they cleared the blockage and inserted a stent.
As a person that has suffered 3 heart attacks myself, and brought myself to the hospital all 3 times, I am not overly surprised that Couture was able to get himself to the hospital for treatment. Like Couture who didn’t want to deal with traffic or wait for an ambulance, I felt the fastest way to address my issue was to get myself to the hospital as quickly as possible. The best way to accomplish that was to drive myself, or in Couture’s case, walk three blocks.
We are wishing the best for Randy as he recovers from this incident.
Couture and his management have both released statements about his condition and prognosis this morning, and I have included both statements here.
“On Wednesday afternoon, October 23rd Randy “The Natural” Couture was admitted and treated for a heart attack at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, CA.
During a workout in Randy’s LA training home Unbreakable Performance in West Hollywood, CA, Randy experienced discomfort in what he initially thought was an offset ribor vertabrae. He tried working on a roller to relieve the problem, but that was not successful. Incredibly, Randy finished the entire workout while likely having the beginnings of a heart attack. Shortly thereafter, he drove home and attempted to rest. When the radiating chest pain did not cease, he recognized something was wrong.
He proceeded to walk multiple blocks to a nearby emergemcy room rather than battle Los Angeles traffic. Upon his arrival, after an EKG, the medical staff informed Randy he had a heart attack, and would require immediate surgery to resolve the issue.
The surgery was successful. Randy is now out of intensive care, stable, in good spirits, and well on his way to a speedy and full recovery.”
“Contrary to recent rumors I have not kickeed the bucket yet. I am alive and well. Special thanks to the amazing staff at Cedars Sinai Hospital. From the E.R. to cardiac ICU, thanks for taking care of me. I’m one of those people that has crazy thick blood, and nominally high bad cholesterol. Unfortunately, those 2 factors combined to create a nice clot occluding my diagonal artery. The Cath lab at Cedars got right on it, cleared it out and placed a stent in it’s place. Thanks to all of you out there expressing your concern. Your love and supportmean the world to me and my family. Live your life to the fullest. You never know when you’ll draw that last breath in! – RC”
Christopher James has been in the MMA industry for 15 years, Working as a ring announcer for promotions like the XFC, Island Fights, Combat Night and Fight Nights Global during his career. Chris’ love for the sport and the athletes that partake in it led him to writing and doing face to face interviews with the athletes he admired and respected. Chris isn’t conventional by any stretch of the imagination, he has his own style, and takes pride in not being a “cookie-cutter” member of the media. Unique and sometimes controversial takes are what he brings to the table, forcing folks to think a little differently about the world of MMA. He also has a love for music as he has been a dj for 25 years and his love for music gets brought to the MMA world when he gets his guests to sing on his weekly show Cage Side with Christopher James which can be seen Wednesday nights on FACEBOOK LIVE, and soon via podcast.