Respected cutman Jacob ‘Stitch’ Duran pays homage to retiring Hall of Fame star Randy Couture.

Randy Couture had just been beaten by Josh Barnett at UFC 36.

We were backstage and they wheeled him by on a gurney.

His face was busted and swollen. Randy was 38 years old and this night, March 22nd 2002, was my first interaction with him. I was young in the sport, UFC 36 was just my sixth MMA event and, at the time, I would have never guessed what mark Randy would leave on the sport, and me, over the next decade. 

I wrapped his hands for both his fights with Vitor Belfort.

I was alongside Dr Margaret Goodman as she checked out the cut to his eyelid. And I was there taking care of him after he lost to Chuck Liddell at UFC 57 and announced his retirement. 

Of course, Randy returned to dominate Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 in Columbus. It was that night, while wrapping Randy’s hands, I asked him how he can be so calm and then turn it on when he enters the cage.

He replied: “I don’t know, that’s just the way I am.” Looking back I’d have to say at least a part of the answer is found in his competitive spirit. Randy loves to compete. Winning and losing is important to him, but the act of competing is what drives him.

He loves it, thrives on it and many of us can learn a lot from it.

Fast forward to more recent years and we have all been amazed at Randy’s ability to compete at such a high level while in his mid-40s. Again, it goes back to his competitive spirit. And this spirit helps to drive a work ethic and desire to understand the game that is seldom matched. Everyone, fighters, business people and athletes in other sports should emulate Randy’s approach. 

It’s fitting that Randy Couture’s last fight took place on the UFC’s biggest stage, UFC 129 in Toronto. He has been larger than life, a true Captain America and he deserved to step into the Octagon one final time (at the age of 47) in front of a huge and adoring crowd.

The ending didn’t go as he wanted, but because of whom Randy is and what he has done, it is almost okay he was knocked out by Lyoto Machida. Randy got to test himself one final time against one of the best. He lost, he was gracious and gained even more respect – if that was possible – on April 30th 2011. 

Just like all those monumental moments that span his glittering MMA career, I got to be alongside Randy on his final night in the Octagon.

And it was once again an honor and a privilege.

I walked into the dressing room to ask Randy when he wanted his hands wrapped. He just finished getting instructions from Yves Lavigne.

Randy stood and gave me a hug.

The time was set for 8:15pm. I sat down across from Randy at a quarter after and, again, he was calm and prepared. 

I began wrapping his hands with the cameras focused on us.

Randy also had a photographer shooting pictures. “Your own personal photographer?” I asked.

He said they where shooting his final fight for a picture book. I then asked him if he has ever wrapped any fighters’ hands. “A couple times,” he said, “but they weren’t as pretty as yours.”

I finished the wraps and said: “It’s an honor for me to work with you,” and we pounded fists and hugged.

Just moments later Steven Seagal said to me: “Hey carnal [brother] you will see a new and improved Machida with better footwork and quicker hands.” Randy entered the arena.

I applied Vaseline and wished him well. Lyoto took control early and when Randy got dropped I jumped into the cage and applied ice as the doctor was checking him. He was fine and I helped him up and started cleaning the blood from his mouth. 

“My tooth broke,” he said. And sure enough it was chipped.

Moments later Randy was talking to Dana and the rest of his tooth fell off. He caught it and gave it to me.

We then hugged for the final time in Randy’s outstanding career.

The moments I got to work with Randy are those that very few people get to experience. The respect he has given me, the way he has treated me as a professional and person even overshadows his illustrious career. I can actually say, ‘I worked with the greatest fighter in MMA.’

Randy Couture fought for about 14 years.

He won huge fights and lost huge fights, but what we will all remember is that he was ‘Captain America,’ a man whom we can all learn from and aspire to be like. Thanks for what you have done for our sport Randy.