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[mmasince91]

Whether it's his legal issues with the UFC or all the fighters competing under the Xtreme Couture banner, one might surmize that Randy Couture will one day be considered the most influential fighter to ever compete in the sport.

While everyone has had a chance to ask Couture about his issues with the UFC we tried to conduct an interview with him where we talked about everything BUT those problems. Sadly, we only lasted eight minutes and thirteen seconds. Oh well, it was worth a shot.

Ariel Helwani: Hey Randy, haven’t heard much about you. Been up to anything special lately?

Randy Couture: Just been cornering a lot of my fighters and have been doing some voiceover stuff for “The Scorpion King” movie we have coming out at the end of the summer. But I’m really excited about David Mamet’s movie “Redbelt.” Just saw the premiere and got to see the movie for the first time last Monday and I thought it came out fantastic.

Ariel Helwani: By the way, that was a really poor attempt at humor on my part. Obviously, we are all well up-to-speed on EVERYTHING going down on your life…

Randy Couture: (laughs)

Ariel Helwani: But speaking of “Redbelt,” I always thought Tim Allen’s casting in the movie was an odd choice for this kind of movie. What did you think of the job he did in the film?

Randy Couture: He played a character named “Chet” who is an action-hero actor who everybody assumes, because of his Hollywood films, that he is a real tough guy. However, he’s really not because he’s got a lot of baggage and several other issues but I thought this was kind of a departure for him to play a little more serious character – it wasn’t a comedic role. He did a fantastic job. I thought he pulled it off great.

Ariel Helwani: The acting career is definitely a big part of your life right now and I hear you’re going to be a part of a film entitled “Mandrake” which Criss Angel is also working on. Can you shed some light on it?

Randy Couture: The whole thing kind of got revamped because of the writer’s strike. We were scheduled to go to China in April and then that got pushed back to May and now we are kind of pushed back indefinitely. We’re not sure when they are going to restart to do this movie. I know they brought Criss Angel in as a consultant for some of the magic involved. The story is kind of 007 meets Harry Houdini and I will play a US Treasure agent that kind of gets tangled up in a mess.

Ariel Helwani: Anything else on the entertainment front involving you that we should know about?

Randy Couture: Looks like Labor Day weekend “Big Stan” will be finally coming out. That’s the Rob Schneider film that I got a chance to work on two summers ago. I’m really excited about that movie. I think it’s going to be a typical Rob Schneider movie and everybody’s going to get a big kick out of it. And then obviously later this summer, August time frame, they’re saying that “The Scorpion King” will be finished up and coming out. I’ve been reading for some more parts but haven’t really landed the next gig in the acting genre but we did pitch a two-hour pilot to Spike. Kind of a military-esque drama that I will be starring in when they finish writing it and then we get to shoot it. Hopefully, the pilot does well and they will pick up a whole season but who knows what will happen.

Ariel Helwani: Will the fact that the UFC has such strong ties with Spike ruin that show’s chances of seeing the light of day?

Randy Couture: You know, obviously Dana could get involved if he wanted to mess things up but I think if he wanted to do that he would have done it already at this point. This has already been pitched and taken on by Spike so it may tough to do at this stage but anything’s possible.

Ariel Helwani: Your book is also hitting stores this July right?

Randy Couture: That’s right. That will be released on July 22nd with Simon and Schuster. We’re finishing up the final editing stages. I think it’s a very positive book about overcoming adversity and some of the things I have been through in my life. I think people are going to like it. I think (co-author) Loretta (Hunt) has done a marvelous job. She captured my thoughts and my feelings throughout the course of the book.

Ariel Helwani: Should we expect you to elaborate a little more on why you decided to leave the UFC in the book?

Randy Couture: It’s the final chapter in the book and there’s certainly things that we probably won’t be able to touch on because I am sure the UFC would like nothing more than to find a way to hold the book up and cause me problems but it will certainly give my perspective on what’s been going and how all this settles out.

Ariel Helwani: I guess it’s now time to talk about those problems. A lot has been said about your departure from the UFC so I don’t want to recycle the same questions all over again but I am curious as to what you think about the Sylvia-Fedor rumored matchup. Honestly, are you a little disappointed that Fedor has agreed to this fight so closely to when you expected to be free from the UFC?

Randy Couture: Anything’s possible. Tim’s no slouch. He’s a seasoned veteran and it’s still a fight. Anything can happen. I don’t think anyone is going to count Tim out. I do think everyone is expecting Fedor to beat Tim but I think it will be a great fight. It will certainly give me an idea of where I stand since I just fought Tim last March. It will be interesting to see how Fedor deals with the interesting problems Tim poses as a fighter and as competitor. I am not terribly concerned (though). Things will work out the way they work out. I will probably be free and clear sometime in July if the courts go the way we think they are going to go and whatever happens happens. I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about these things.

Ariel Helwani: Did Fedor’s management team talk to you before talking to Sylvia?

Randy Couture: Well, I know he doesn’t want to wait around. He wants to fight and make a living. He is not going to want to sit around and wait to see what happens with me. He just fought on New Year’s against Hong Man Choi and he has taken some heat for not fighting anyone in the top ten but this fight is definitely against a top ten guy in Tim Sylvia. But does the fight lose luster should Fedor lose? I don’t know, it probably changes things but I think the fans will still want to see it. They still wanted to see Wanderlei and Chuck and both guys were coming off losses.

Ariel Helwani: So, for the record, you would still be interested in fighting Fedor even if he losses to Sylvia?

Randy Couture: Yeah, I would still be interested in competing against him but, again, I want to be considered the number one heavyweight in the world but, if he loses to Tim, that piece of the puzzle kind of goes away. So then what happens? Does Tim move up and become number one? Do we need to settle it again between Tim and I? Who knows what really happens. Maybe nothing! Maybe I’ll just walk away…

Ariel Helwani: It certainly opens things up a little bit and then you have to think about Minotauro moving up in the rankings since he just beat Sylvia. Would you then consider fighting him?

Randy Couture: I think that (Nogueira) is a fantastic fighter. I have watched him compete and have been ringside for several of his fights. He has an amazing ability to survive and get fights where he can find a way to win. My only concern or drawback to that whole scenario is that it would have to be with the UFC and I just can’t see going back and fighting for the UFC at this point with all the things that Dana has said and all the things that have happened…they have pretty much sealed that deal.

Ariel Helwani: Are you surprised that Fedor split from M-1 Global less than six months after we all thought he had signed with them?

Randy Couture: I wasn’t surprised. Everyone had heard rumors and inklings that (M-1) was kind of a shell and that there wasn’t a lot of money to get Fedor signed and outside of Fedor they didn’t seem to have a lot of other things going on. Outside of Fedor, there seemed to be an internal power struggle between the investors and Monte Cox and the Russians. There was kind of this whole rocky landscape and everyone wasn’t really surprised that it didn’t work out.

Ariel Helwani: What if Fedor would end up with the UFC, would you then consider returning?

Randy Couture: I think if this whole thing has pointed out one thing to me it’s that I have an opportunity to control my own destiny a little bit and, potentially, through this process, change the way the fighters are paid and the way things are done in MMA and those are important things for me as a fighter. There are a lot of guys that are still scratching out a living and all the cards are held by the promotions. And, certainly, the most powerful promotion in the landscape is the UFC. So, would I say “never will I fight for the UFC,” well, I am not going to say “never” because there are circumstances where things could change but that’s the way I feel right now.

Ariel Helwani: Speaking of impacting the sport, you’ve recently hooked up with WAMMA. Can you talk a little bit about what your role will be with that organization?

Randy Couture: It looks like I am going to be on the advisory board for WAMMA. We’re hoping to have our first big meeting this summer - a summit if you will. A lot of the things that were on WAMMA’s agenda were the things that I have been talking about for the nine months that all this stuff with the UFC has been going on. First and foremost, I think that some healthcare, or potential healthcare, for the fighters as a collective group is important. The Matt Serra issue this past year where he couldn’t defend his title and make a living by defending his title and then had to go and cover his own medical expenses because he was injured outside of competition is a perfect example of guys who may be at the top of the game and holding titles or at the bottom of the game trying to scratch out a living and they don’t really have any healthcare and it’s a huge issue. Unfortunately, the Muhammad Ali act doesn’t cover mixed martial arts so there is no guarantee that you are going to get a fair shake from promoters and promoters hold all the cards. But I think as a group we can come together and at least get some sort of minimum standards from the promoters in terms of pay and treatment and that sort of thing and, hopefully, if the fighters do come together, the promoters will respond. Most of the promoters, anyway, are pretty good about that sort of thing. An independent ranking structure is another thing WAMMA has talked about. There are so many promotions that we’re starting to look a lot like boxing in terms of being very fragmented. Who really knows who the real world champion is? That is something that should be independent of any promotion. Come up with somebody to create rankings for the fighters and then loosen up the exclusivity and the contracts so those ranked fighters could compete against each other and maintain the integrity of the sport that we fought so long and hard for you.

Ariel Helwani: Do you really believe promoters can work together though?

Randy Couture: I think they will. I don’t think that will be an issue. There’s always ways to work those things out. It’s happened time-and-time again in boxing and it’s become a huge issues – unifying titles – that it’s become so fragmented. It’s become part of people’s disillusionment with boxing and we certainly don’t want to see that happen with MMA. We want to avoid some of the pitfalls boxing has gotten itself into throughout the course of the last 50 years or so years.

Ariel Helwani: As you know, Randy, the sport of mixed martial arts continues to grow. Last year, everyone was wondering if BodogFight would become a major player and now they appear to be gone. Then came M-1 and we all know how that went. Elite XC, not even around two years ago, is on CBS. Where do you think the sport will be a year from now?

Randy Couture: It’s hard for me to say and forecast what is going to happen. I have a lot of confidence that both Golden Boy and Mark Cuban have the best interest of the sport and fighters at heart. Mark’s not jumping into the big pay-per-view model and trying to scoop up all the free agent or independent fighters and do a big pay-per-view and cashing in right now. He’s kind of doing it slow and subsidizing across the board in trying to develop that talent at a grass roots level, which is important. I think that’s an area where our sport struggles. It’s hard for those smaller shows to continue to make money but that’s where the new talent is being bred. Golden Boy certainly has a model that’s appealing. They are making big strides in boxing and keeping boxing alive, in my opinion, and taking care of their fighters. You know, 80-plus percent of those fight cards goes back to the fighters and the production is only hanging onto 20 percent of the revenue. That’s certainly a lot different from our sport.

Ariel Helwani: Is Golden Boy really interested in getting involved in MMA? We’ve all heard the rumors but never a confirmation from Oscar De La Hoya or CEO Richard Schaefer.

Randy Couture: I know they are very very interested in MMA. They were actually working together with Affliction to do this show this summer but then stepped back and I think they are taking a little longer and a slower roll into the sport. I definitely think they are going to get involved in mixed martial arts. When that happens now I don’t know.

Ariel Helwani: Have you ever seriously considered promoting shows on a full-time basis? Perhaps under the Xtreme Couture banner?

Randy Couture: Well, I started out working with Matt Lindland and developed Sportfight which is a very good small show. I have certainly realized that the production industry is very very tough. Not only with money but to put together a strong show with integrity and that is something that is very important to me for the brand. But (Xtreme Couture) does have training centers in several areas around the country. A smaller production would certainly create an outlet for those gyms and those fighters to get competition. So, that is something I would be interested in pursuing in the future but, obviously, until all this stuff clears up with the UFC and my non-compete clause expires in October I can’t promote anything.

Ariel Helwani: Alright, well, thanks for your time Randy and good luck with everything.

Randy Couture: Thanks man. I appreciate it.

Randy Couture: "There Are Circumstances Where Things Could Change But..."

[leedogg900]

now hes saying hed fight nogeira but not in the ufc because of all the shit that happened. why didnt he just fight him before all this shit happened like he was suppose to? and why in another interview he said the fight "just doesnt make sense". he seems to be changing his reasoning in every interview.

[BigBanda]

More of the usual from Randy with only a few new topics. He did say "never say never" regarding the UFC but I think too much has been said back and forth that the 2 will ever forgive and forget.

[hunterkiller]

Why in the hell can't two grown people (Dana and Randy) get in a room and handle these differences. I would love to be a fly on the wall to know just what happened to make these 2 have such a bad falling out.

Let's talk $$$$. Aside from the big 6, Rampage, Noguiera, Randy, Chuck, Tito, and Hughes, the others in the UFC aren't really making the big $$$$ with the exception of Brock Lesnar and that's because he brought his name with him. You look at the current MW champ Anderson Silva. He makes peanuts compared to what he deserves. GSP is the same way. These guys are some of the best in their sport, but aren't getting paid as much as they should be. I know there are bonuses and sponsorships but those are supposed to be additional. The UFC is making a KILLING off these guys, they should definitely be getting paid more. Kimbo Slice made more fighting Tank Abbott that Anderson did beating Hendo and that's just not right. I'm not putting all the blame on the UFC but somebody had to do something about it.

[POINDEXTER]

Reading Randy's interviews is starting to make my forehead feel like someone took a ball-peen to it.

[jlruthven84]

:headscratch:

Take your pick. ^^^

[BigBanda]

Originally Posted by jlruthven84

:headscratch:

Take your pick. ^^^

Add this on to your list to pick from lol....

[Gr8_White_Rabbit]

Originally Posted by leedogg900

now hes saying hed fight nogeira but not in the ufc because of all the shit that happened. why didnt he just fight him before all this shit happened like he was suppose to? and why in another interview he said the fight "just doesnt make sense". he seems to be changing his reasoning in every interview.

I like Couture as a fighter. That being said it seems like he might be ducking Minotauro. Maybe, maybe not.

[hunterkiller]

Originally Posted by Gr8_White_Rabbit

I like Couture as a fighter. That being said it seems like he might be ducking Minotauro. Maybe, maybe not.

I could see where you are coming from with that point but why would he duck Noguiera to go after the guy who beat Noguiera twice?

[jlruthven84]

Originally Posted by thecoylewis

I could see where you are coming from with that point but why would he duck Noguiera to go after the guy who beat Noguiera twice?

He's ducking him not because he fears Nogueira, but because of what a potential loss could do to his bargaining power when it comes to a fight with Fedor.