Randy Couture Happy That Friend, Brett Favre, Signing On With Vikings

Future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, for the second year in a row, decided to turn his back on retirement and continue his career as one of the NFL's top quarterbacks. At 39 years of age and a reported $10 million to $12 million contract in front of you, why not?

After retiring from the Green Bay Packers two years ago, Favre did an about face and signed on and played for the N.Y. Jets last year. Following the season, he once again hung up his cleats. But now that training camp is nearly over, he has decided to return again, this time to the Minnesota Vikings.

But what does this have to do with MMA? Not a whole lot really, except that Favre is good friends with former multi-time UFC champion Randy Couture, who on Tuesday, addressed his friend's decision to return to the NFL.

Of course, there are a lot of parallels to be drawn between the two athletes, Couture often saying that he will continue as long as his body can keep up and the passion to compete in MMA still burns. And he feels the same holds true for Favre.

"Well, I think that Brett still has a strong competitive spirit. I'm not surprised he finally made the decision to continue to compete. I think that's the thing in all of us that dies hard," Couture said.

"It's not something that we walk away from easily. He struggled with that decision that last couple years.

"He had an amazing season last season with the Jets, so I'm glad that the Vikings, it looks like, are gonna give him a chance and he's gonna get to continue to hopefully continue to put some good numbers up on the board and have another great year."

Couture gets his own opportunity to keep his career going next week as the UFC 102 lands in his back yard of Portland, Ore. He will face Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the main event, marking the promotion's first stop in the Pacific Northwest.