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Interview with Randy Couture - March 27th, 2009

Bellingham Sportsplex - Bellingham, Washington

Interview and photos by Mike Renouard


Randy "The Natural" Couture was present at Fight Night Entertainment's and West Coast Fight Club's Fight Night Round 2, on hand cornering his son Ryan who was fighting in the main event for the Fight Night Entertainment 155 lb Title.

[Ed Note: Check out photos of that fight plus a whole lot more HERE]

Randy graciously sat down with NW Fightscene before the fights began to answer a few questions concerning his son Ryan's fighting career, Randy's own upcoming UFC fight in August with Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira, and his next film...


NW Fightscene: What are your thoughts about your son fighting?
Randy Couture: I'm excited for him. He seems to have a great passion for the sport. He trains hard, he's come a long ways. This last year, he's really stepped up his game. I think its obviously a passion we share together so I'm excited for him.

NWFS: Growing up, was he involved in your career, going to events and such?
Couture: He spent a lot of time at a lot of gymnasiums around the world as I wrestled. I got pictures of him as a baby on the mats. And he kind of chose to foray into wrestling as well up here in Washington State, as a scholastic wrestler. Now he's made the decision to pursue jiu-jitsu and then Mixed Martial Arts to go with that wrestling background. I've intentionally tried to stay out of those decisions. Its a very tough sport and I want him to be involved and doing it for the right reasons. I think he's very bright and does a terrific job, and I think he's genuinely here and doing this because he has a real passion for it. And that's the most important thing.

NWFS: Are you hands on training with him as well?
Couture: Again, unless he comes to me and asks me questions, I stay out of his training. I've got a great staff of guys that work with him directly and I have my input here and there when he comes to me with questions and he wants my perspective, but other than that I stay out of it.

NWFS: How about your next fight against Nogueira?
Couture: Yes. Looks like we'll be fighting here in the Pacific Northwest, in Portland, at the end of August, against Nogueira. I'm excited to be back in the Northwest at

the first show the UFC has had in this area, and to be the main event for that
is special to me.

NWFS: And what are your thoughts about the fight itself?
Couture: Well, Nogueira's a great fighter. I've watched him over the years. He's a tremendous athlete, a great submissions guy. He's a very, very tenacious fighter. Weathers a lot of storms and gets where he wants to be to win a lot of fights. He's a formidable opponent and it'll be an honor for me to fight against him.

NFWS: Now that you are based in Vegas, do you come up to the Northwest often?
Couture: I come up to the Northwest a lot actually. Most of the time when I'm up here, I'm in Bend. My son, my five year old, lives in Bend. So I come up every month and spend time with him. All my family still lives here in Seattle. I grew up here and went to Lynnwood High School. Both my sisters live up here... and Mom still lives in Mill Creek. So I spend a fair amount of time here in the Seattle area.

NWFS: Initially their was talk of you fighting CroCop at the UFC event in Germany but that apparently conflicted with your schedule as you are to be working on a film.
Couture: That's right.
NWFS: Tell us about the film.
Couture: I've been involved in 7 motion pictures so far, this will be my 8th. Its a Sylvester Stallone picture called The Expendables. Kind of a mercenary movie, an action film obviously. A little updated version of The Dirty Dozen. Its a tremendous cast, very excited about the opportunity to work with a lot of these guys like Jason Statham and Jet Li, and Sly himself. Its a terrific opportunity and its one more step up in a piece of my career that seems to be headed in the right direction. 


NW Fightscene would like to thank Randy for his time in taking this interview.

Visit his website at www.randycouture.tv.  Randy also owns Xtreme Couture MMA, his world class gym headquartered in Las Vegas, with 3 additional training centers in Toronto, Kansas City, and near Palm Beach, Florida.

Visit www.xtremecouture.tv for more info.


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