Written by Nick Halili | DUB Magazine | June 23, 2009
Unlike Roy Hobbs, the fictional baseball player he got his nickname from, Randy "The Natural" Couture did not merely make history in his chosen sport at an advanced age: he did it three times. Starting his fighting career just shy of his 34th birthday in 1997, Couture beat a fighter who was at the time considered the future of mixed-martial arts, Vitor Belfort. Randy defied the odds again at age 40 when, in the span of just four months, he defeated two of the biggest names in all of MMA, Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell and Tito Ortiz, and became the organization's undisputed light-heavyweight king. Finally, at 45 years of age, the man also known as "Captain America" regained the UFC's heavyweight title as a huge underdog against the mammoth 6'7" champion, Tim Sylvia.
As one of the most influential fighters in the history of the sport, Randy is not ready to round the bases for that final time just yet. His legacy in MMA cemented, Couture's ambitions in the fight game no longer revolve around winning titles. He fights simply because he enjoys it. And the work ethic that has always been one of his greatest attributes as a fighter has also led him to branch out into other fields, from training the next generation of mixed-martial artists to starting a burgeoning career in acting. When DUB caught up with "The Natural," he was balancing all three facets of this career: heading up his elite MMA gym, Xtreme Couture, getting ready to go to South America to shoot a new action movie with Sylvester Stallone, and looking forward to his next challenge at this August's UFC 102 against Rodrigo "Minotauro" Noguiera.
DUB: As a UFC Hall of Famer and multiple-time champion, what do you feel you have left to accomplish in the sport and how much longer do you plan on fighting?
Randy: My goal is just to have fun. I'm getting the chance to continue to do what I love to do. I enjoy the training, I enjoy getting better, learning new techniques, and competing. I'm taking it one fight at a time.
DUB: What challenges do you expect to face from your opponent at UFC 102, "Minotauro" Noguiera?
Randy: He very durable and has tremendous ability on the ground as a submission fighter.
DUB: Without giving away too much of your strategy, where do you feel you have an advantage over Minotauro?
Randy: Probably in the clinch and in striking.
DUB: Please share your thoughts about your previous opponent, Brock Lesnar.
Randy: An agile athlete for a guy his size. The thing that was interesting to me is that we share the same background in Olympic and collegiate wrestling.
DUB: Going forward, what other fighters would you like to test yourself against?
Randy: Obviously, everybody in the heavyweight division wants to fight Fedor. He's explosive, got great submission skills, he's well-rounded, and has had a lot of dominant performances.
DUB: Tell me more about your gym, Xtreme Couture. Many consider it one of MMA's most talent-rich and prestigious camps. How involved are you in training the young fighters there?
Randy: We're a team in that aspect. We all help each other as much as we can. I run some of the practices and my staff are all experts in their individual fields.
DUB: What are your future plans after your fighting career is over?
Randy: Xtreme Couture is not going to go away after I retire. I'm going to continue to perpetuate the brand that I've built over the years and work in the (MMA) industry. I want to get back to commentating and I want to try to continue to pursue acting.
DUB: Compare how the different challenges you face when fighting versus when you are filming a movie. Are there any similarities between the two?
Randy: Actually, the similarities are being focused, being coachable, listening. It would surprise people how hard you work (in acting). It's a different kind of work than fight training. Training is very physical. Being involved in a picture is long, kind of a grind. Long days, long weeks. But it's a little easier than getting punched in the head.
DUB: What were some of the recent movies you've done recently?
Randy: This last year's been a really good year. I've made two movies: one was Redbelt with David Mamet and the other was Scorpion King 2.
DUB: Are there any upcoming film projects your fans should look forward to?
Randy: I'm getting ready to do my 8th picture. It's a movie called The Expendables with Sylvester Stallone. It's going to be an action flick about a team of mercenaries. I'm trying to stay away from fight movies. I think they'd be easy to do. I'm more interested in a challenge and in a good story.
DUB: Looking back to the mid-90's when you started up in MMA, did you envision the sport to be where it is today?
Randy: We all had hopes. We all thought there was something special about this sport. But you just never know what's going to happen. It's gone way further than I expected.
DUB: When you are done with competing in MMA, what do you want fans to remember most about you as a fighter and as a person?
Randy: That I tried to represent the sport with integrity.