Randy Couture

Page 1 - part 1 - 5

 Page 2 - part 6 - 10

Page 3 - part 11-14

Randy Couture was born in Everett, north-western Washington, 22 June1963. At ten years of age, Randy and his best buddy were dragged off to a novice wrestling tournament by the younger brothers of his friend. "I was in fifth grade and got my first bloody nose. I threw my first headlock and was hooked," says Couture.

Randy pursued his interest in wrestling. When he graduated from high school at eighteen, he was already regarded as one of America’s best Greco-Roman wrestlers.

Couture served in the army from 1982–1988, and in order to avoid doing regular fitness drills, put his name down for boxing training in which he briefly partook. "When I first fought in UFC, they said I had extensive boxing experience in the army, but that was pretty misleading. My unit was scheduled to have a boxing smoker (challenge match) with one of the other units on the post. So I trained with the unit’s boxing team for about three weeks, basically to get out of regular fitness. I didn’t end up getting a match, but it certainly satisfied me, because I got out of regular physical fitness training – jumping jacks, jogging and all that crap."

Randy and fellow wrestler Don Frye met at Oklahoma State College and became good friends. "My freshman year in college was Don’s senior year. He transferred in from Arizona State and we went to Oklahoma State together. We were both married men and us married guys kind of hung out together in college."

With both men being dedicated wrestling enthusiasts, Couture and Frye eventually competed against each other for a spot in the team that went to the national wrestling tournament. "Don wrestled heavyweight most of the year and then came down and tried to challenge at 190 lbs, which was the weight class I was wrestling in just before the Conference Championships. And I ended up beating him for that spot on the team. It was kind of like do or die. If you want to go to the Nationals you gotta make the Conference Championships. He was going to try to come down and take my spot, and I couldn’t allow that."

Couture’s Greco-Roman wrestling credentials became quite extensive. According to UFC’s biography on him, "Some of Randy’s wrestling accomplishments are: four time World Team member, placed 8^th in the 1997 World Championship in Poland, Pan American Games Champion, four time National Champion in Greco-Roman, three time All-American in college, two time runner-up at NCAA National Championships."

Despite Randy’s heart being in wrestling, it was not a financially fulfilling practice. However, Couture’s friendship with Don Frye eventually led to bigger things when he witnessed Frye compete in a UFC tournament. "I didn’t really know what to expect. I knew it was something I kinda wanted to try and was interested in. After I saw Don Frye compete, I said ‘I gotta try that’. And then the few great big guys I had to compete against … It was a little scary."

Although known as ‘The Natural’ for his athleticism and adaptability to any style, Randy Couture could easily have been named ‘The Casual’. For his debut in UFC XIII: The Ultimate Force, Randy was matched against the outspoken 6’4" 300lb Tony ‘The Viking’ Halme and 290lb Steven Graham.

Prior to Randy’s first bout with The Viking, Halme stated, "When I go into the Octagon, the referee says, ‘Let’s get it on.’ So I go in to kill or be killed. So that’s what it is. First I try to hit him as hard as I can. If I miss that I try to head butt him. If I miss that one I rip his arms out of the sockets, or his legs out of the sockets. Whatever comes, I’m ready. My greatest strength is I’m not afraid of anybody. I’ve got balls of iron. I go there to rip the head off, or I die trying."

At 6’1" and 225lbs, Randy Couture countered Halme’s taunting by entering the Octagon with the poise of a seasoned veteran, unphased by The Viking’s war cry. The moment Halme rushed Couture, Randy tackled him with a double-leg takedown. Couture struck Halme once, encouraging The Viking to turn over and surrender his back. Randy took advantage and choked out Halme 1 minute into the bout. Randy Couture had made a triumphant debut in The Ultimate Championships, rendering Tony Halme harmless.

For his second match, Couture again initiated an opening double-leg takedown, this time on Steven Graham. Randy never let Graham up from the mat and delivered an assortment of punches, knees, head butts and elbows to Graham, eventually winning by TKO in 3.13.

"I was pretty confident in my wrestling ability. And any time you’re wrestling against big guys like that, you kinda have to be a little smarter about it. Obviously you don’t want to stand there and get hit by a guy that size. But I was confident I could take him down and neutralize that size difference."

One month before UFC XV: Collision Course, Randy finished 9^th in the World Greco-Roman Championships in Poland. In Collision Course, Couture was matched against the seemingly unbeatable Vitor Belfort. Belfort was renowned for his knockout hand speed and his power. Vitor had originally entered UFC competition with an impressive reputation as a grappler, but as yet, his ground skills were an unknown quantity. Before the fight Couture declared, "I’m going to show you what Belfort can do on the ground."

After pulling a stall tactic prior to the bout, Vitor eventually entered the Octagon and faced Couture in a southpaw stance. Belfort attempted a takedown on Couture, but only managed to tear Randy’s shorts. Surprisingly, Randy Couture showed he was not intimidated by Vitor’s fists, and chose to mix it toe-to-toe with Belfort. Then two and a half minutes into the round, Randy demonstrated to Vitor how American wrestlers perform takedowns.

With the pair adjourning to the canvas, Randy claimed the ground his territory. At 6.50 into the bout, they were back to striking on their feet. Randy again displayed superior striking skills and dispatched a volley of dynamite-laced uppercuts that were finding their mark. After 7.45, Couture took Belfort down again and commenced to ground’n’pound his opponent until John McCarthy stepped in at 8.17. Randy Couture had out-punched the puncher – a feat he would repeat against Chuck Liddell in UFC 43: Meltdown. (For more on this bout go to UFC 43:Meltdown at  www.knucklepit.com ).

"My wrestling ability was what allowed me to do that (outbox Chuck Liddell). He didn’t know if I was going to take him down or try to punch him. And that kinda kept him off balance. He never really got into the groove of the fight because he was worried about the takedowns, and he thought I was going to change levels and take him down. I ended up hitting him in the head.

"I don’t think Vitor expected me to stand up with him either. And the Greco technique paid off. I used that clinch and that underhook, and he really didn’t know how to get away from it. I think that laid the foundation for developing that stand-up style and the ability to punch and control that part of the game. Definitely the boxing coach I had before the fight started teaching me a lot of the skills I’ve continued to refine and improve on."

Despite being the underdog when he entered the Octagon for his duel with Chuck Liddell, Randy looked extremely cool and confident, even smiling as John McCarthy spoke to him before the fight. "Yeah I felt pretty relaxed. And generally if I’m smiling and feeling pretty relaxed like that, I’m going to have a good performance. I’ve been in that situation a couple of times, and felt really relaxed like that, and everything just kinda came together. I’ve gotten used to John in there…he probably doesn’t know what to make of me."

On September 26, 2003, Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz will be squaring up in UFC 44: Undisputed to determine who is the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion of the world. Ironically both men debuted in UFC XIII. "It is funny. Yeah, I remember seeing him (Tito) on the alternate list, and watching him fight against Guy Mezger in the final. That was the first time I’d ever laid eyes on him."

For UFC 43, Couture dropped down from heavyweight to light heavyweight division and says the transition has made him feel years younger. He also believes it has made him more powerful and mobile. During the fight, Randy brought Chuck to the canvas with a number of bone-shaking takedowns. "It was nice to finally compete against a guy close to my size, where I could use some of my horsepower and some of the wrestling skills I’ve developed over the years. Instead of having to kinda get cute and knock the big guys down with trickery, I could actually blow through Chuck and pick him up and slam him down. I enjoyed competing against a guy who was close to my own size."

Randy and Tito will be about the same size when they meet in Undisputed. Both men are capable of toe-to-toe fighting and ground fighting. "I believe Tito is an inch taller, as was Chuck. I think we match up style-wise and we can both bring the fight into any of those areas. And I guess that’s what is going to make the fight kinda interesting: where the fight ends up."

Randy’s prediction for the Title on September 26, 2003? "I think it’s going to come down to takedowns. I don’t think Tito’s going to want to stand and go toe-to-toe and try to punch it out, especially after that last fight with Chuck. So I think he’s going to try to set me up and take me down. I think he’s stronger than I am, and his game is getting on top of somebody and using his forearms and using the cage. I’m pretty sure that’s going to be his tactic. So I’d better be ready to counter it, and stay away and stop his takedowns. I’d like to put him on the ground. No one has really done that and forced him to fight from his back. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to try and make him fight from his back.

When Randy Couture entered the Octagon on September 26, 2003, for the UFC World Light Heavyweight Title, few could believe his relaxed manner.

Randy was about to face Tito Ortiz, a hard-ass fighter who had ravaged his way through some of the toughest contenders in the division, including The World’s Most Dangerous Man, MMA legend Ken Shamrock.

With Randy as the interim titleholder and Tito as the defending champion, the Couture/Ortiz battle was billed as one of the biggest showdowns in UFC history. And general consensus from the audience was Ortiz would win comfortably, but "spare a thought for 40-year-old Couture." And the majority of the celebrity-packed crowd had come along to see Tito "do his thing".

Of Ortiz, Randy stated: "I’d like to put him on the ground. No one has really done that and forced him to fight from his back. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to try and make him fight from his back."

Already in the Octagon, a characteristically, composed Couture watched on in amusement at Tito’s dramatic flag-bearing entrance. When Ortiz attempted to intimidate Randy by circling the ring and bouncing into orbit, Couture gave his best Jack Nicholson smile and licked his lips like Sylvester the Cat about to swallow Tweetie.

"I always try to relax and smile…generally enjoying the moment. I know if I’m doing that I’m going to compete well. I was amused by Tito’s entrance. It always makes me laugh and I kind of expected it. I knew what he was going to do. He does that in a lot of his fights. He tries to establish this Presence. And I think, generally, in some of his fights, that’s worked. It has intimidated his opponents and allowed him to be pretty effective."

Randy says he didn’t make any secret about what he thought was going to happen in the bout, believing the outcome would depend on which man could take the other down. "I thought if Tito could take me down and establish a top position, it would be a long night for me. Fortunately he wasn’t able to take me down. I took him down in every round and he didn’t have an answer for it. It turned out to be a long night for him."

The bout ended up going the distance, with Randy Couture dominating Tito Ortiz in all five rounds to become UFC’s undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion.

During the epic battle commentators Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan mentioned Randy’s Eco-Freak reputation and his greens diet. "I don’t know how the diet and the Eco-Freak bit got combined, but my training partner started calling me The Eco-Freak because last summer I was training for the Eco-Challenge: doing a lot of ropes, kayaking, mountain-bike riding and things I wouldn’t normally be including in my training regimen.

"In the Chuck and Tito fights that came up: Mike Goldberg or Joe Rogan made the comment that I was the Eco-Freak. And in the same vein, they were talking about the diet I had been using to get down to 205 lbs. So the two things got combined into one thought, basically. The two topics really had nothing to do with each other. I wasn’t dieting when I competed in the Eco-Challenge. I was still competing as a heavyweight."

Randy says it was rumoured he had to get down from 240 to 205 lbs, but says he was never that heavy, and found the transition from 225 down to light heavyweight easy. He found the biggest change in his diet was to cut out the dairy products and eat more raw vegetables.

The increase in green vegetables enables him to counter the build up of acids, which result from a busy training schedule and stressful lifestyle. Randy says the extra green-leaf vegetables allow him to train harder and recover better. He also supplements his diet with an advanced high-energy greens powder called Light Force, which is available at Randy’s web site.

On January 31, 2004, Randy will be defending his title for the first time against ferocious striker and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu legend, Vitor Belfort. Both men have come down from heavyweight division since they last met in UFC XV: Collision Course.

Couture had entered that fight as the underdog, something he still manages to do today despite his incredible MMA record. Leading up to the event he also made no secret about what he thought would happen, telling UFC interviewers, "Well I don’t think anyone has challenged him (Belfort) on the mat yet. Obviously he’s proved himself on his feet. He’s got quick hands and he’s a good puncher, but nobody’s really challenged him and tried to take him down. And obviously I’m a wrestler, so that’s going to be first and foremost in my mind…to take him to the mat and see what happens from there."

Before their fight in UFC XV, Randy waited patiently in the Octagon as Vitor stalled his entrance: a tactic employed by some boxers to unnerve their opponents. But the strategy had the opposite effect on Couture. "I’ve always believed you should frame things in your mind in a positive way that works for you as an individual. And in that instance, the first thing that occurred to me was that Vitor was scared. He was nervous even before the fight started. And I believe by my thinking that way, it freed my mind and enabled me to stay focused."

Today, southpaw Vitor Belfort is renowned for his enormous hand speed and power, but he had that reputation when Couture and Belfort faced off in UFC XV. "The biggest difference I see in his style now is that he’s trying to add a little more Thai to his boxing. He’s trying to add the knees and kicks, and a little more elbows. He started doing that in preparation for his fights with Ricco Rodriguez and Marvin Eastman."

Like Robert Redford in the famous baseball movie The Natural, Randy Couture is also known as The Natural. But unlike the fictitious character played by Redford, Couture is the real thing, with a lot of his ‘natural’ ability coming about through his years of dedication to American wrestling and his ability to adapt to any style. And to counter Vitor’s new arsenal of skills, Randy has been training with former World Kickboxing and UFC Champion, Maurice Smith.

Randy doesn’t regard facing a southpaw as ever being a problem, but he does agree it is something one has to train for. He says he is fortunate in having very good 185-pound southpaw fighters in his gym in Matt Linland, Cheal Sonnen and Chris Leben who he trains with every day. Also on hand for Randy to spar with at his Team Quest gym are MMA stars Dan Henderson, Jeff Newton, Art Santore and Heath Sims.

In past battles with Belfort, Liddell and Ortiz, Couture has closed in on his opponents and taken the fight to them. "I think I have to…a little less with Tito. I knew he was going to try to control the tempo of the fight by forcing me to give up ground. If you allow them to do that they can be very effective. I had to make sure I didn’t let Tito get in first, and get into the rhythm of the fight."

A general rule in MMA is not to box a boxer, to wrestler a wrestler, or to fight any opponent at his own game. And yet Randy out-struck Vitor and Chuck and he out-wrestled Tito. When Belfort entered the Octagon in UFC XV, most men would have been overawed by Vitor’s huge traps, shoulders and neck muscles. In typical Couture fashion, when Randy took Vitor down he attempted a number of neck-cranks on Belfort.

"I think a big factor at the time was Vitor’s level of fitness versus my level of fitness… His training to get big traps and shoulders instead of training to win the fight worked to my advantage."

It would appear no adversary has been able to avoid Randy Couture’s signature takedowns. Randy agrees the psychological unsettling he causes to an opponent in a takedown is often greater than the physical impact: particularly when the crowd roars at the downed fighter’s expense.

"I’m fortunate in having a strong wrestling background. I think just having that ability as a backup: In my opponent’s mind, he doesn’t really know - Am I going to move in and go for the takedown or am I going to step in and throw a combination? There’s that little unknown and they don’t know what it’s going to be.

"I don’t think the takedown technique is such a devastating thing to do to somebody. But if they don’t want to be taken down and they don’t want to be on the bottom, and the first thing that happens is they are taken down, then that definitely has a psychological advantage against them. They know right away at that point the fight isn’t going how they wanted it to go."

While some fighters seem to have been disadvantaged by the bare-feet regulation, Randy says the no-shoes rule, introduced a few years ago by the UFC to gain more approval from sanctioning bodies, did not phase him. Prior to the rule being introduced, Couture had opted to go barefoot, because he believed wearing shoes made it easier for an opponent to apply ankle and knee locks. But Randy concedes the shoes do enable a fighter to gain more traction and drive, plus his feet don’t get torn up as much on the canvas.

And does UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Randy Couture, have a prediction for his rematch with Vitor Belfort?

On August 21, 2004, Randy Couture will be stepping into the Octagon to face Brazil’s Vitor Belfort at UFC 49: Unfinished Business. This will be the third time Randy and Vitor have clashed. But for Couture, the consummate professional, rematch number two will be strictly business.

Randy "The Natural" Couture is the thinking man’s fighter, the chess master of Mixed Martial Arts, who researches every opponent’s game to capitalize on their weaknesses, while making sure he is in the best shape a professional athlete in any sport could possibly be in. Couture’s meticulous preparation for any given fight ensures he is one of the world’s most well-rounded fighters.

Randy also works hard promoting his sport of Mixed Martial Arts, and has witnessed the growth of MMA internationally, citing examples of it’s growth in Russia, Holland, Japan, Brazil, Europe, Great Britain and USA. Recently Randy travelled to Australia with Bruce Buffer, to attend a No-Holds-Barred match and to help increase people’s awareness of MMA there.

"The trip to Melbourne was terrific. I had a great time. I was on The Footy Show (an Australian Rules football TV program), and everywhere I went people were saying, ‘I saw you on The Footy Show’. It didn’t matter where I went, somebody recognized me. It was amazing. But I spoke to the Collingwood football team and the Melbourne Storm rugby league team. I went to both teams’ games and I had an absolute blast. The seminars went well and the one in Perth was very good," says Couture.

"I think the N-H-B show was well done, and overall, the trip was really good. I was impressed by the standard of the MMA fighters in Australia. The NHB show and the venue were very good. The level of competition was pretty high, so I think they definitely have something going there. And some of the fighters could easily make the transition to UFC or PRIDE with a little bit of promotion and a little bit of luck."

Randy was also a guest commentator at UFC 47: It’s On, and witnessed Chuck Liddell’s defeat of Tito Ortiz: a victory Couture had predicted at ringside.

"I kinda thought Chuck was going to win. I didn’t think he would knock Tito out so easily - not that it was easy, but he made it look pretty easy. I expected Tito to give him a little more trouble, that Tito would take him down and make him work. And that eventually Chuck would knock him out, or Chuck would win. But Tito - I didn’t feel that he was ever in the fight. He never had Chuck in any position that he had to worry about at all.

"I think two things: Chuck seemed to kinda get back in touch with his roots. He looked a lot more comfortable and relaxed. He was smiling, and he looked like he was having fun again, training and competing. And Tito looked nervous. He kinda had that deer-in-the-headlights-look, like something bad was going to happen, and he wasn’t keen on being there."

Randy says Tito is a tremendous fighter and has a great personality for the fight game: He believes people either like to watch Tito compete or love to hate him. "I think he’ll be back. I’ve actually had the opportunity to train with him down in Sacramento, and he’s kinda trying to get himself back on track and get a little different perspective on fighting and training…to make some adjustments to his attitude…and I think he’ll be back. And, win or lose, he’s been successful for a very long time."

For Chuck Liddell’s upcoming bout with Lion’s Den fighter Vernon White, Randy expects Chuck to win, provided he stays focused on White and doesn’t underestimate him.

"I think Chuck will win that fight, but it’s not a fight you can take lightly. Vernon’s got a lot of experience. He’s got good submission skills. He has a good striking game, and I think it will be a stand-up battle. Ultimately I think Chuck is going to win, but I hope he’s taking the fight seriously and he’s not overlooking Vernon."

Randy observed the increase in stand-up fighting at UFC 47, and he expects this to be the trend for future MMA tournaments. "I think that’s purely been a function of the cross-training. Guys have just gotten very adept at keeping the fight where they want it: in the standing position. And some of that has to do with the match-ups, some of it has to do with guys willing to learn wrestling skills and willing to learn counter-takedown skills. A lot of MMA fighters came from a striking discipline, and they can now take advantage of that striking through defending against the takedown."

With the growing popularity of Mixed Martial Arts, there are traditional martial artists who choose to turn their backs on MMA, making the excuse that their particular art is not a sport, or that it is too deadly for the Octagon. And Randy agrees that some are still turning a blind eye to the evolution of martial arts.

"I think that’s exactly what it is: an excuse. There weren’t too many practitioners of disciplines at the original UFCs that didn’t try their hand at fighting in the Octagon. And not too many of them faired well. The UFC and MMA fighters have kind of evolved into their own sport and taken the best parts of all the styles, taken the effective parts and put them into what has become a complete art. And I think they are definitely the best fighters of any combative sports or martial arts that there are."

On August 21, Randy and Vitor will be fighting for the UFC World Light Heavyweight Title at UFC 49. And Randy is ready to get down to business.

Couture and Belfort originally met as heavyweights on October 17, 1997, at UFC 15: Collision Course, when Couture won by TKO. Then as light heavyweights, they locked horns again, briefly, at UFC 46: Super Natural, before the fight was stopped 20 seconds into round one - after Vitor’s thumb appeared to graze Randy’s lower eyelid. It was later revealed Couture had suffered a corneal abrasion.

"My eye is all healed up, no problem. I got my license to fight again and I’m one-hundred-percent clear. The fight lasted about 20 seconds last time, so I don’t think either one of us got a glimpse of what the other was going to do, or got to do anything that we could really grasp and say, ‘Yeah, that was going to be great or it wasn’t going to work.’ This coming fight, for all intentions and purposes, is a continuation of that 20 seconds. And I’m sure Vitor has been refining the same skills that he started for that fight, and I’ve been doing the same.

"I haven’t been making a lot of modifications for UFC 49. The conditioning of course is pretty much the same. I use the same conditioning tools for every fight. Technically, I do a lot of the same things, except for the footwork in dealing with Vitor’s hands and his southpaw style. And I’ve had more time to refine it and get better at it, I think."

For this bout, Randy has been spending time down in Sacramento with kickboxing instructor Nasser Niavaroni. "He trained Dennis Alexio and he trains Eric Reegan at present. Nasser was the kickboxing champion and he's now moved into boxing and won the IBF title, so he’s a very good trainer and he’s got a lot of skills. I worked with him on my stand-up skills in Sacramento, and I started working with a bunch of guys down there, and of course Tito came up and participated in the training camp, so overall it was really good."

For UFC 49, Randy feels Vitor will try to keep the fight standing. "I believe he’ll want to keep his distance and pick his shots. He’s going to want to use his hands and try to draw me in. I think he’ll try the occasional high kick or jump in with a knee if the opportunity presents itself. I think he feels pretty comfortable on the ground, but doesn’t want to be there if he doesn’t have to be. He’s going to try to win the fight in the standing position."

Would Randy Couture ever go back to fighting in the heavyweight division?

"Under the right circumstances I would. I’m not really interested in fighting guys like Tim Sylvia: guys that big. I don’t really see any need in it. But given the right circumstance, I’d fight in the heavyweight division again. I wouldn’t mind fighting Ken Shamrock. He’s in the heavyweight division at 220 or something. And even though he’s fighting heavyweight, he’s a lot more my size. So that could be a potential heavyweight match-up."

In regard to the bigger heavyweights, Randy believes Russia’s Andrei Arlovski will be a hard man to stop, and could be the future UFC Heavyweight Champion. "Well I’ll tell you, I like Arlovski’s chances, and I think Frank Mir is a splendid submission fighter, but he’s going to have a real problem getting through Andrei’s hands and taking Andrei to the ground. Although I would have said the same thing about Mir and Sylvia, and he got Tim Sylvia on the ground pretty quickly. But Arlovski was very impressive against Cabbage in his last fight. His athletic ability and his stand-up looked great."

Randy, do you have anything that you’d like to add?

"Um, not much to add. I hope everyone tunes in and watches this fight with Vitor and me. The whole card seems to be action-packed, and I’m anxious for it to get here."

For more on Randy Couture: www.tqfc.com and www.ufc.tv.

For Randy’s battle with Chuck Liddell: see UFC 43: Meltdown article at www.knucklepit.com Also at knucklepit: Randy v Tito Ortiz at UFC 44: Undisputed and Randy v Vitor Belfort II at UFC 46: Super Natural.

 

 

 

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RANDY COUTURE 
Part 4

Mr. Mindpowers

Randy Couture and Vitor Belfort in clinch

 

 

© Marc Wickert
  www.knucklepit.com

All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges

Many Hurdles to Cross

It took just 15 minutes (3 five-minute rounds) for Randy Couture to reclaim his UFC World Light Heavyweight belt. And he seemed to do it so easily. "Yeah, I had a good night. It went exactly how I thought it would go. And basically how I thought it should have gone last January, but it obviously didn’t come out that way then. I just had a little more time to refine the plan and execute it at UFC 49," says Couture.

The first time Randy Couture fought Vitor Belfort (UFC 15: Collision Course, 1997), the young Brazilian was considered unbeatable, until Randy out-grappled and out-boxed Vitor for over eight minutes, before the fight had to be stopped. The second time the pair met (UFC 46: Super Natural), the fight came to a halt after 20 seconds when Couture’s left eye was badly cut by Belfort’s glove.

Prior to their third match at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, celebrities in the crowd were unanimous in their belief the night, and the championship belt, belonged to Randy. Many thought Couture had already psyched out his opponent Vitor Belfort before the fight commenced.

"I certainly think there were some mental hurdles for Vitor: one, overcoming the beating I kinda gave him a few years back when we fought the first time (UFC 15). I believe that psychologically that contest was still in his mind a little bit. And also dealing with the expectations and the difficulties of staying focused, when you’re the champ, and everyone is looking at you. Certainly he had some extra expectations ‘cause a lot of people weren’t giving him credit as the champion, and having earned it outright. He earned it on the cut, and so I think that created some issues for him, psychologically. And I’m not sure he dealt with them all that well."

In the Pink

The number one proving ground for Mixed Martial Arts, the Octagon, is the world’s modern-day equivalent of the ancient Colosseum, and UFC fighters are often greeted with as loud a response as that received by gladiators in ancient Rome. For Randy’s entrance at UFC 49: Unfinished Business, MGM’s roof seemed to rise to the occasion.

"It was a standing ovation and just an awesome feeling. The crowd was amazing. Yeah, you don’t feel that sort of thing too many times in your life. It certainly felt good: like a dream being out there."

Before the match commenced, Randy was dressed in white shorts. But when the fight was stopped at the end of round three, his shorts were covered in Vitor’s blood. Couture received a number of phone calls after the fight from people eager to have his famous pink shorts.

"I actually sent the shorts to HCK: Howard’s Combat Kimonos. He’s been my sponsor for a very long time – since almost my first fight. He makes the shorts that I wear. He called me on the phone and said, ‘You didn’t wash those shorts, did you?’ I said, ‘No, Howard, you can have them.’ I had five or six other people wanting them, to sell them on eBay and everything else. Maybe I’ll just go ahead and wear pink ones next time."

With the Couture/Belfort bout being the main event, Randy watched most of the lead-up fights on the monitor in his dressing room. Two matches in particular stand out in Randy’s mind.

"I’m always very impressed with Yves Edwards. I love the way he fights. His composure and everything about his style is very impressive to me. I was obviously disappointed in Lindland’s fight. We had high hopes for Matt doing well in that fight, and he just got caught real early with a nice left hand, and it got finished. So…He’s a champ and I’m sure he’ll be back."

Couture rarely drinks alcohol - only indulging on special occasions – and this post-fight celebration was one such occasion where he partied on with over 200 people.

"Yeah, one of my sponsors, John Bardis, who owns a medical supply company out of Atlanta called Med Assets, he had a huge suite over at the Mandalay Bay. So all my family and friends came there and we had a couple of glasses of wine, and just relaxed. It was great. There were a bunch of old guys from the service and some guys from college…a bunch of people I hadn’t seen for a long time were there for the fight. It was amazing."

Randy is regarded as being one of MMA’s fittest athletes and a man who is very health conscious with his training and diet. Like Popeye the sailorman with his cans of spinach, Randy the former armyman relies on a green-leaf powder drink for strength and energy.

"The green drink has been a phenomenal addition to my diet and training plan. And we’re in the process of getting it approved in Australia. We’re going to start marketing it Down Under."

At Octagon ringside for UFC 49 was PRIDE’s 205-lb Champion Wanderlei Silva, who accepted Couture’s invitation to do battle with him and unify the light heavyweight belt. But many, including Randy, are skeptical of the dream match becoming a reality.

"You know, I think realistically it will be a stretch to see that fight happen, simply because the two organizations have a lot of differences. I think right now, at least from my prospective, the ball is in PRIDE’s court. They need to step up and be willing to discuss some terms and send some fighters to the UFC. But that hasn’t been done. The UFC have sent some fighters to PRIDE, and they are kinda waiting for a reciprocation."

Known as the ‘chess champion’ of N-H-B fighting, Couture is regarded as a master strategist when discovering chinks in his opponents’ game plans, and for his ability to employ his own mind powers to play havoc with an adversary’s own game plan. Whether such a fight as Couture v Silva were to take place in UFC’s Octagon or PRIDE’s traditional boxing ring matters little to Randy.

"Certainly I’d prefer the Octagon cage, but with time to train and prepare, I think I would tactically make the adjustments and fight in the ring, and be just as effective. It’s only a matter of having the time to prepare…knowing what the rules and the differences of the rules are, and the venue. I’ve fought in a ring before, so I don’t think that’d be a big issue."

Couture fans visiting www.randycouture.tv have noticed Randy’s fight manual is no longer available for purchase. But he assures them an improved package will soon be available through his website.

"The second edition should be out here within the next couple of weeks. I keep saying that, and the date keeps getting pushed back, but the second edition is, I think, going to be even better than the first edition. We’ve refined a few things and added a few things. We’re actually going to put together a package with a DVD that explains some of the workouts and conditioning tools that are in the manual. We’re also going to package it with Light Force, the green-powder supplement, as an extra option."

Randy is now back in Las Vegas for filming of The Ultimate Fighter, which commenced shooting September 16. Couture is coaching one team of fighters for the 13-episode program, and Chuck Liddell has taken the opposing side under his wing.

"There are still a lot of unknowns and I’m very excited about the project. But they’re keeping us very much in the dark and being pretty secretive. They want the spontaneity and everything to be real when they start rolling the cameras. So they’re not telling us a whole lot, " says Randy.