UFC Hall of Famer and actor Randy Couture was airlifted to a burn center after a crash at a Missouri race track.
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The 62-year-old Expendables star was airlifted to a burn center in Kansas City on Tuesday following practice runs in preparation for his upcoming National Hot Rod Association racing debut later this year, according to TMZ.
The incident, identified as a single-vehicle crash, left Couture with first and second-degree burns, multiple trauma injuries, and smoke inhalation, according to TMZ. The crash occurred at the Flying H Drag Strip in Odessa, Missouri, located within the I-70 Motorsports Park, per the Kansas City Star.
According to MMA Junkie, via USA Today, a spokesperson confirmed that the retired UFC fighter is expected to make a full recovery.
It’s currently unclear what caused the crash.
Randy Couture Recently Said Racing was a ‘New way to Tickle That Competitive Spirit’
According to ESPN, Couture had recently begun the process of obtaining his license to compete in his first NHRA race. During an appearance on the Bubba The Love Sponge Show in June, he described racing as “a whole different animal,” while drawing comparisons between the two sports..
“Sitting in the stands, it looks easy. They say, ‘Oh, he just goes fast.’ But there is so much more involved,” Couture explained.
In April, he shared with the NHRA that the sport offered a “new way to tickle that competitive spirit that I’ve had most of my life.”
“A new place for me to get competitive and make a mark in racing,” he continued. “I’ll bring all the things I developed as a wrestler and martial artist into this realm and see what we can do. I have no idea how it’s going to go, but I’m excited about the opportunities.”
Couture, a former two-weight UFC champion, was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2006. The fighter, nicknamed “The Natural,” stepped away from the ring in 2011.
He owns Xtreme Couture, a gym in Las Vegas, and works as a commentator for PFL on ESPN in the U.S.