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Interview w/Randy "the Natural" Couture (part 2)
Reported By: Chris Colderley - 07.19.2003 09:52 PM
“Naturally Speaking” – Part II
Boxing Insider talks with Interim light heavyweight champion, Randy “the Natural” Couture
By Chris Colderley ©
BoxingInsider.com: I wanted to ask you about marketing and one of the issues that comes up from time-to-time. I know you have been upset or voiced concerns, about the UFC’s approach – bringing back Tank Abbott, highlighting Tito Ortiz – the guys who talk “trash,” and the guys who don’t have respect for the sport. How do you feel about the UFC’s approach?
Randy Couture: I don’t know that I would put Tito in the same boat as Tank. Tito has more than demonstrated his ability to fight in the sport. I don’t know that Tank ever has. Tank is quick to boast that he just stepped off a bar stool, doesn’t really train, and isn’t an athlete, per se. He’s more of a brawler and just likes to fight. I don’t think that’s the persona or the type of image that we’re trying to promote and that is going to mainstream our sport.
Trash talking like Tito and Baroni, although I don’t necessarily agree with that style, they, in most cases, back it up with their dedication to the sport, their training, and their athletic ability. That’s where I would draw the difference.
I didn’t agree with bringing Tank back for just that reason. We are under the gun trying to mainstream the sport – legitimize it so to speak – and I didn’t feel like he fit the bill at all or was going to help us do that. I understand for financial reasons, he’s sensational and people want to see him in the octagon. For that reason, they brought him back to sell tickets, but there’s a fine line there, and I think he’s definitely on the other side of that line.
BoxingInsider.com: Do you think the presence of fighters like Tank, ultimately hurts the sport and your image as a fighter?
Randy Couture: Well, it has that potential. It only takes a few comments and that is what somebody is going to remember rather than regard us as highly skilled athletes that spend their lives in pursuit of excellence and the championship. They are going to remember the guy that talked about going out and having a drink or just coming from the bar the night before he fought. That certainly doesn’t help us out.
BoxingInsider.com: In a backhanded kind of way hasn’t Tank just confirmed everything you have said? You can’t come off a bar stool and fight?
Randy Couture: That’s the other thing. People see that too! The fans remember in the old days when he may have gotten away with that a few times. Anymore, the sport has progressed to the point where he’s lasted – what – all of three minutes in two fights. He’s not exactly faring too well.
Photo: Joshua Hedges/UFC.tv
BoxingInsider.com: You have appeared on the game show, The Weakest Link and done some acting?
Randy Couture: A little – more stunts than acting. I had a speaking part in Cradle to the Grave this past summer with Jet Li, and I also did a couple episodes of the HBO series, OZ.
BoxingInsider.com: You have also done a Nike commercial?
Randy Couture: I did the Nike commercial. In just about all of those instances, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
BoxingInsider.com: Having said that, you are one of the highest profile fighters in terms of appearances [in other media]. Is the UFC missing out on an opportunity to market you more – to have you come into the ring instead of Tank Abbott? Or, to put those marketing resources toward fighters like you and not Tank Abbott?
Randy Couture: I have felt a little slighted in that regard. I felt because of my Olympic wrestling background, I brought certain legitimacy to the sport. I have a fairly high profile in a lot of different venues, and I have never felt that they took advantage of that. Zuffa has done a much better job and treated me fairly, but I always seem to be the underdog and never the guy they are pushing or promoting to help sell the shows. I think after the fight with Chuck [Liddell] that may change.
BoxingInsider.com: Do you think you will be the underdog for the fight against Tito?
Randy Couture: Yes, I think I already am.
BoxingInsider.com: Yes, you are an 8 to 5 underdog, which is pretty close. That can change very quickly.
Randy Couture: I don’t know. I don’t expect it to change, but I don’t really care. I prefer the underdog spot. It doesn’t bother me a bit.
BoxingInsider.com: That brings me to another question, which we have discussed in the past. Every time the UFC seems to be in trouble they have turned to Randy Couture:
- At the UFC 28, which was their debut in a state with a legitimate athletic commission,
- At the UFC 39, after the steroid scandal [with Josh Barnett] and the vacant heavyweight title, and
- At the UFC 43 when they had no active light heavyweight champion.
Why does the UFC always look to you to bail them out? At least, it seems that way.
Randy Couture: When we talked about it before, I had never really thought about it in those terms or had that perspective. It’s interesting. I don’t know if it is coincidence or not? Obviously, the first instance was a completely different regime – The SEG guys. The last two instances were with Zuffa, and the steroid scandal I was involved in because I was the one that competed against Josh in that circumstance. That kind of put me in the middle of it. I never really thought of it that way, but it is interesting that you point it out.
BoxingInsider.com:: Even after the Josh Barnett incident your response was simply:
I lost the fight, no excuses. It doesn’t matter if he was on steroids, I don’t care.
Randy Couture: That’s true. That’s the way I felt about it. They wanted to call it a no-contest, possibly give me the title back, and say that I was still the champion. I just told them, simply, that I still felt like I lost. It still went down as a loss in my book, and I was willing to fight for the title. I ended up fighting with Ricco [Rodriguez], at that time, to fill the vacant title because Josh [Barnett] had been stripped.
That’s just the way I felt about it. I didn’t want it handed back that way. I still made the mistake and ended up in the situation and lost the fight. Aside from the final thirty seconds, a fight that I had pretty much dominated. That’s the way it goes sometimes.
BoxingInsider.com: I was looking into your history and you were a coach at Oregon State?
Randy Couture: Yes, the Beavers.
BoxingInsider.com: When you fought in the UFC the first time, there was some controversy about your position with the team, and you were asked to take another position. Am I recalling the story correctly?
Randy Couture: Yes. That’s fairly accurate. I fought in my first UFC, and I don’t think anybody – my family or my boss at that time – thought I was serious. After that went successfully, I had the opportunity to fight Vitor Belfort. It so happened that the college season was getting ready to wrap up and then start training, and I had asked for some time off to be able to go and find a boxing coach and train for that fight. I knew the head coach wasn’t too crazy about the fighting. He thought it was a bad image for the college and for recruiting. Actually, that was the only negative response I have received about the UFC in my experience with the organization. He basically asked me to make a decision whether I wanted to be a coach or be a fighter. At that time, it was a no-brainer. They were paying me more for that one fight with Belfort than he was paying me for the whole year of work. Rather than, at the beginning of the [training] season, just get rid of me and have trouble finding an assistant coach, I took a different role. I was more of strength and conditioning coach. They ended up hiring a guy by the end of that year. Then, at that time I moved on.
BoxingInsider.com: Was it the right decision? Do you have regrets?
Randy Couture: I think it was. I have never looked back. There are aspects of college that I miss; certainly, the team aspect, working with the college athletes, and that level of competition. But I fill that niche by working with the high school wrestlers. I have been really comfortable with my decision.
BoxingInsider.com: When I last talked to Matt [Lindland], he said you were going to take some off, tour, and do some seminars. Obviously, those plans have changed. What is going on at Team Quest in terms of camps and seminars?
Randy Couture: We just finished a big, intensive camp. We has our first, eight day, intensive camp. We had about twelve guys come in from out of town. One guy came all the way from Melbourne, Australia. It was pretty successful, and I think the guys got a lot out of it. We basically trained them the way we train to peak for fights: doing three training sessions a day. We talked about nutrition, mental skills, strength and conditioning – all those things are part of your training program to make a complete fighter. I think the guys did a great job, and we had a great response. We are going to try and have a similar type camp twice a year.
BoxingInsider.com: You might be bringing the camp out to the East coast as well?
Randy Couture: We may try and do some commuter type camps around the country. We have some connections in Virginia and up in the New Jersey area. We may try and use those connections to put on camps in those areas as well.
BoxingInsider.com: Aside from your fight what else is new?
Randy Couture: Other than the 10 week old baby boy sitting on my lap right now, not too much else is going on. We’re managing the group of fighters we have, running the school, and just enjoying things.
BoxingInsider.com: Team Quest just had a show also?
Randy Couture: Yes. We just put on our first show. We are putting on another on August 23rd. It’s called, Sport Fight. Team Quest productions is putting on that show. The first one was really good. It is a small show, but a great place for the up-and-coming fighters to get some experience and get their feet wet.
BoxingInsider.com: Randy, thank you so much, I appreciate your time. Best of luck
Randy Couture: Thanks Chris, I appreciate it.
Chris Colderley is a freelance writer and a boxinginsider.com contributor.
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