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

11/21/2024 02:56 PM

Randy Couture made a reputation for his incredible bravery, with the legend willing to fight absolutely anybody, even if they were nearly 100 pounds heavier than him.

When the icon got his chance in the UFC, he was up for doing whatever it took to prove he was the best in the world.

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

Randy Couture is considered by many as one of the greatest fighters to have ever walked the face of the Earth.

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

In total, Couture won an astonishing six UFC world titles, earning his place in the promotion’s Hall of Fame.

But it all could’ve been so different, had ‘The Natural’ decided against taking a fight against an opponent 7.1 stone heavier than him.

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In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, he explained: “It was a fledgling sport back then in the early 90s. It entered the US market in 1993, but I didn’t see it until 1996. I had a friend submit an application to get me into the UFC, and they put me on an alternate list.

“Spring of 1997 rolls around, and I’m 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’ve got a spot in the heavyweight tournament in three weeks, we’re having trouble filling it, somebody got hurt. Do you want to fight’? I said, ‘Yes, I’ll do it’.

“Literally, on a whim, I had my first fight. I came home from Puerto Rico after wrestling in the championships, spent five days in Atlanta on the ground trying to figure out what this crazy jiu-jitsu thing was all about. That was so foreign 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 boxing guy from Finland, who’d done some professional wrestling.

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

“They immediately wanted me to compete in the super fight with Vitor Belfort in just a couple of 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 was going to get 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 was paying me more for that one fight, than he paid me for the whole year, so it was kind of a silly question.

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

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

Randy Couture gives interesting pick for the greatest fighter of this era

Having proven his skills in the cage beyond doubt, Couture is the perfect man to give his take on who the best fighter of the modern era is.

However, while most would opt for Alex Pereira, Jon Jones or Islam Makhachev, the 61-year-old went a different route.

Giving a brilliant breakdown, Couture provided a compelling case for why two unsung heroes deserve to be considered the best of the current day.

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