A three-time All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State, Couture debuted at UFC 13 as a late substitution and surprised everyone by winning the tournament. Couture would later beat Maurice Smith for the UFC heavyweight championship, only to relinquish it over a contract dispute. He came back at UFC 28 to beat Kevin Randleman, and he defended his title twice before losing to Josh Barnett.

Couture continued to fight, winning the UFC Light Heavyweight Title three times (one interim), engaging in classic battles with Chuck Lidell. He won the heavyweight title for a third time in 2007, when he was 45 years old, making him then (and still) the oldest person to win a title in the UFC. After a successful title defense, he lost his title to Brock Lesnar.

As of this writing, Couture holds the records for the most UFC title reigns (6) and UFC championships matches (15).