Randy Couture, a Lynnwood native who won a state wrestling championship for Lynnwood High School before going on to a Hall-of-Fame career as a mixed martial artist, suffered a heart attack Wednesday and is resting in a Los Angeles hospital, according to an ESPN report.
Couture, 56, told ESPN that he is feeling better and hopes to be discharged from the hospital Thursday night or Friday.
The report said that Couture felt ill after a Wednesday night workout and walked to a local hospital, where he was diagnosed as having a heart attack. He spent most of Thursday in intensive care, but is expected to make a full recovery, sources told ESPN.
Couture, attended Alderwood Middle School in Lynnwood, where Hall of Fame coach and official John Casebeer instilled in him a love for wrestling that shaped the rest of his professional life.
He went on to win an NCAA wrestling championship at Oklahoma State, six world championships in mixed martial arts and was inducted into the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Fame in 2006.
Couture is considered one of the best mixed martial artists ever, retiring in 2011 with a professional record of 19-11 and having held both UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight championships during his career.
He currently works as an analyst for the Professional Fighters League on ESPN and has pursued an acting career in retirement, amassing 33 acting credits since 2003, according to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB.com). He is best known for portraying the character Toll Road in “The Expendables” franchise.
Couture was inducted into the Snohomish County Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
