Review of Randy Couture's "Becoming the Natural: My Life In and Out of the Cage"

When I picked up Randy Couture’s book, Becoming the Natural: My Life In and Out of the Cage,I knew I'd be reading about his journey from becoming an All American wrestler and transitioning into an MMA legend. But as I read about his personal life, as a child and an adult, I never expected so much drama. This aspect of the book, to me, read like an intriguing fiction novel.

Reading about his personal struggles unveiled the human side of the legendary fighter known as 'Captain America'. I mean, when you look at celebrities, you tend to only see what's in front of you. You only see the fighter in the cage or the actor in the movie and you forget that they are real people with real feelings and real lives. The book is quite juicy with the help of contributor Loretta Hunt. It reads like one wild ride with shocking twists and revelations of family secrets and affairs that come back to haunt Randy in later years. With all this turmoil happening outside the cage it made me wonder how he can appear so (seemingly) relaxed whenever he was in front of a camera.

What I found particularly interesting was the way Randy described the entire process leading up to a fight. He vividly describes his thoughts and feelings in anticipation of a big title bout. He details the weigh-ins and what occurs backstage, the press conferences, the autograph signings and even the goings on in the locker/dressing room. His account of the walk to the octagon and even what he was thinking as he waited for his opponent to enter. It truly gave me a better sense of what a fighter feels prior to a fight.

You may be wondering if Randy did any Dana White or Zuffa bashing. While he did express dissatisfaction with the way he felt he was treated, he did have some positive things to say about them. You'll just have to get the book to find out more.

Or you can check out Biography Channel’s biography episode of Randy Couture.