Issue 072

February 2011

From thrashing boxers to blowing stuff up with Sly Stallone, 2010 saw ‘Captain America’ become MMA’s most high-profile ambassador.

Even by Randy Couture’s unprecedented standards, this past year was a special one. “I’ve had several moments in my life where I’ve had to pinch myself, and certainly this last year I’ve punched myself a few times,” Couture says when we catch up with him just before the World MMA Awards ceremony. “It's been pretty cool.”

Already a bona fide superstar of mixed martial arts just three bouts into his fighting career, Couture may very well have saved the best for last some 13 years after his professional debut. With Octagon victories in two divisions, red carpet walks as a budding action-film star, cover-athlete status in EA Sports' first MMA venture and the host of the 2010 World MMA Awards, Couture proved at 47 years old he’s still one of the most important and influential figures in the history of the sport.

Couture began a brief retirement in 2006, though he returned to active competition just one year later. In 2010, the UFC Hall of Famer completed one of the busiest fighting stretches of his career with four bouts over 365 days. “It’s been a long time since I had four fights in a 12-month period,” Couture recalls with a laugh. “I fought four times from August [2009] to August [2010] starting with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and then going to England for Brandon Vera. After that, it was the Mark Coleman fight and I finished it up with James Toney in Boston. It was an amazing 12 months.” Indeed, it was. While Couture only just came up short against Nogueira, the fight was named as one of the year’s five best in the 2009 World MMA Awards. Couture returned three months later to defeat perennial light heavyweight contender Brandon Vera by decision. Then came a win over fellow UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman before capping off the run with a submission victory over heavyweight boxing champion James Toney in a high-profile ‘Boxing vs MMA’ special feature. “They were all special in their own way,” Couture says of the matchups.

Of course, even for an MMA legend who has fought in an astounding 15 title fights in his 29-bout career, the fight with Toney was perhaps the most special – and certainly the one that drew the most attention from the mainstream sports world. Couture, who by now is more than comfortable in the spotlight, says he appreciated the UFC calling his name to welcome the brash boxer to the cage. “I think the James fight was interesting and intriguing because of the crossover with the boxing world and the rub with boxing almost since I’ve started this sport – the comparisons and everything,” Couture says. “To have a world-class boxer step up and get into the Octagon was unique and made it interesting. I think it was maybe a little misguided on James' part – not that I don't think a boxer could be successful in mixed martial arts, but I think a little more of a conservative approach would probably be the right thing to do. It was still a great fight, and I had a blast.”

Of course, preparation for the Toney fight wasn't the only thing on Couture’s mind this past summer. In 2009, ‘The Natural’ finished filming his part as demolitions expert Toll Road in the Sylvester Stallone-directed feature film The Expendables, and the ensemble action movie opened just before Couture’s fight with Toney. The picture – which featured an all-star lineup that included ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham and Bruce Willis – spent two weeks on top of the box-office charts.

“It was certainly the biggest movie that I’ve been a part of so far,” Couture said. “I think for a lot of us, and you can talk about Statham and Jet Li and the list of characters and guys that have been so successful, but I think we were all enamored with being in a Stallone film and working with Sly. I certainly grew up watching Rambo and Rocky. Talk about a pinch-me moment – for crying out loud, it was pretty amazing being in a movie with him. I think everybody got along great. It was just a tremendous experience from start to finish. For it to come out and be as successful as it was is pretty cool.”

But movie posters weren’t the only place ‘Captain America's smiling mug appeared outside of the cage. The legendary Couture was also selected to appear alongside Fedor Emelianenko on the cover of the new videogame title EA Sports MMA. Couture admits he isn't a big gamer, but he was honored by the selection and enjoyed consulting with the publishers during the development of the title. “I think the game came out fantastic,” Couture says. “I’ve never been a big gamer. I had an Atari, and that was the extent of my gaming, to be honest. To be able to get to know what whole world and have some input and see what went into making a game like that was really cool.”

With everything Couture accomplished during the year, it was only appropriate that he was invited to host the 2010 World MMA Awards. Couture’s performance in a skit entitled Randy Couture, Divorce Attorney was a highlight of the 2009 ceremony, and the MMA legend said the opportunity to serve as host of this year’s edition is both an honor and an exciting new experience. “I think it's going to be fun to be a part of this whole thing and kind of be the master of ceremonies and keep things moving,” Couture said. “It’s such a fun event, and I think it’s so unique the way it’s done with the skits and the fighters kind of putting themselves out there. It’s very MMA. You don’t find a lot of other professional athletes that do the sorts of things that we do, and that are getting in the cage and fighting each other, yet demonstrate the camaraderie we share to go out after your fight and sit in the stands with the fans, being very approachable. I think this awards show is a demonstration of that. You see guys making fun of themselves, and the self-deprecating humor and the skits we do – it makes for a lot of fun.”

The first fighter to earn a UFC title in two different weight classes, Couture has nothing left to prove in the Octagon. He hasn’t ruled out the potential for a future fight, but he admits it would have to be the right fight at the right time. “I think it’s important to get out at the right time,” Couture says. “You don’t want to be that guy that stayed too long. Physically, I feel great. I’m competing well. Could I make another run at the title? Yeah. But do I really want to do that? There has to be some desire. I have to want to get into those kinds of battles, those kinds of wars. Realistically, making a run at the title, I just don’t see myself doing that right now. I’m enjoying all the other things I have going on, the businesses and getting a chance to act and play some characters. I want to focus on those things right now.”

If we have seen Couture in the cage for the last time, he doesn't leave without providing a lifetime of memories for fight fans: a pair of trilogies with MMA legends Chuck Liddell and Vitor Belfort, five round battles with Tito Ortiz, Pedro Rizzo, Ricco Rodriguez and Tim Sylvia; and now, simply said, 2010. At this point, it seems there’s quite simply nothing that Couture can't do. “I'm taking it as it comes and trying to make the most of it,” he says. “I’m just having a lot of fun, really.”