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Randy Couture on what it was really like to fight an opponent almost 100 pounds heavier than him

Admin 23 hours ago

5 2 minutes read

Randy Couture made a reputation for his incredible courage, with the legend willing to fight absolutely anyone, even if they outweighed him by almost 100 pounds.

When the icon got his chance in the UFC, he was ready to do whatever it took to prove he was the best in the world.

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Randy Couture made his UFC debut against a man 99.2 pounds heavier than him

Randy Couture is considered by many to be one of the greatest fighters to ever walk the earth.

With formidable wrestling skills and an iron will, the American has given fans memories that will last a lifetime.

In total, Couture won a whopping six UFC world titles, earning him a place in the promotion's Hall of Fame.

But it could all have been so different if 'The Natural' had decided not to fight an opponent 7.1 stone heavier than him.

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In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, he explained: “It was a young sport in the early 1990s. It hit the US market in 1993, but I didn't see it until 1996. I had a friend apply to get me into the UFC, and they put me on an alternate roster.

“The spring of 1997 has arrived and I am getting ready to go to Puerto Rico with the national team to compete in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Panam Championships. And I get a call from the UFC: 'Hey, we have a spot in the heavyweight tournament in three weeks, we're having trouble filling it, someone got hurt. Do you want to fight'? I said, 'Yes, I will do it.'

“Literally, on a whim, I had my first fight. I came home from Puerto Rico after wrestling in the championships and spent five days on the floor in Atlanta trying to figure out what this crazy jiu-jitsu thing was about. That was so strange to me as a wrestler.

“I rolled into UFC 13 and had two fights that night. The first was against Tony Halme, a big 300 pound boxer from Finland who had wrestled professionally.

“My second was against Stephen Graham, another big guy, 290 pounds, just a huge guy. I managed to be successful in both fights. That got the ball rolling.

“They immediately wanted me to participate in the super fight with Vitor Belfort in a few months, and that forced me to make a decision. I was a college wrestling coach at Oregon State, and the head coach wasn't too keen on the fighting.

He thought it was bad for wrestling and bad for the university. So he forced me to make a decision when the Belfort fight was thrown at me. The guy who won that fight would have a shot at the title, so it was a big deal.

“The ultimatum was: Am I going to be a wrestling coach or am I going to be a fighter? The UFC paid me more for that one fight than he paid me for the entire year, so it was kind of a dumb question.

“I loved coaching, but this was a decision to train full-time and not only immerse myself in the sport of MMA, but also try to make the Olympic team, for the Sydney 2000 Games.

“I was able to support my family and be a full-time athlete.”