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Q&A with MMA fighter-turned-actor Randy Couture

Randy Couture isn't used to having people root against him. During his 10-year career in the UFC the man nicknamed "The Natural" and "Captain America" has been one of the biggest fan favorites in mixed martial arts. It's one of the reasons Couture took on the role of Sargon, the villain in The Scorpion King 2: Rise Of A Warrior, which is being released on DVD Aug. 19 and is the prequel to the 2002 film The Scorpian King starring Dwyane "The Rock" Johnson.

"It's odd but I like it, that's why I did this," said Couture, who is still the UFC heavyweight champion despite resigning from the company while filming the movie in South Africa last year. "I could take the little fight roles with my eyes closed but I was interested in doing more interesting characters and doing stuff that wasn't just me."

I recently caught up with Couture to talk about his acting career, his ongoing battle with the UFC and the chances of him stepping into the ring with Fedor Emelianenko by the end of the year.

SI.com: You've done some acting before in mostly bit parts, but this is your first lead role in a film. How did that come about and how did you prepare for the part?

Couture: I originally read for a much smaller role but I then got to read Sargon. A lead character in a Universal picture was really exciting for me. I was excited to get the opportunity to move up. I felt like I got stronger as we went along. Getting dressed up in the costumes and being on the set and learning to swing the big axe around helped to put me in the right frame of mind. At some level you have to find that character inside yourself. I've been around mean, nasty people plenty of times in my life and seen that first hand, so somewhere you have to find it inside yourself to relate to the character and hopefully that allows you to tell the truth to a certain degree and stay true to the role.

SI.com: Did you channel any of the opponents you've faced in the Octagon to get in character?

Couture: Nobody specifically. I had an idea of the story and an idea of the character and what he would do and I would just try to visualize and imagine myself as that person.

SI.com: I would imagine you were able to take some of the physical skills you learned in the Octagon onto the set, but do you think you'll take any of this villain character with you when you get back in the ring? Maybe you could become a bad guy like Sgt. Slaughter was for a little bit back in the day.

Couture: No, I don't think so. I definitely see the transfer from the physicality of fighting into films and having a physical presence in the movie with the fight scenes and swinging the weapons around. I'd probably have a leg up in that regard. I don't know that it will transfer back the other way. Being in front of the camera and commentating during the Ultimate Fighter made me feel comfortable. I don't get nervous about that sort of thing at all. As long as I get into the character and know my lines, I feel pretty comfortable acting and doing it in front of anybody. I don't think I'll take anything from the movie back with me the other way. Unfortunately, they don't let me swing an axe around in the Octagon.

SI.com: What did you think when you saw the movie poster? I know it was a lead role, but you're front and center and the only name on this thing.

Couture: That was really cool. It was interesting to see that they fixed my ears. I thought that was interesting. They're probably sending me a message. If I want to get bigger and better character parts I probably need think about cleaning up the ears and straightening the nose.

SI.com: You resigned from the UFC while you were filming. How did that come about?

Couture: I was in South Africa and resigned on October 11 and left my employment contract and relinquished the heavyweight title at that point. I heard that Fedor didn't sign with UFC but signed with a different organization and I had made it clear to Zuffa that the Fedor fight was the one fight that I wanted to make happen. So aside from the other differences that we had, that was the most important thing to me so that's what I'm trying to purse at this point. It wasn't as easy decision. It was something I deliberated over for a while.

SI.com: Where do you think you stand right now in terms of your MMA career?

Couture: Well, the language in [my UFC] contract is pretty clear. It's 18 months or four fights and the 18 months expired on July 19, so we're in a 30-day grace period for negotiating or re-negotiating with the UFC. If they find a way to make the Fedor fight happen, I'll be all over it, but I don't really see that happening realistically. The non-compete clause expires on Oct. 10, a year from when I resigned, and so I'll be able to go back to work commentating and working with the other promotions and getting back into the business of MMA.

SI.com: How anxious are you to get this over with and just continue with your career, whether it be with Affliction, HDNet or elsewhere?

Couture: At times it's frustrating but for the most part things work out the way they're supposed to work out. If it's supposed to be settled it will be settled. My entire life has been that way. Things have a tendency to work out exactly the way they're supposed to work out so I just have to be patient.

[KcMizzou]

SI.com: I would imagine you were able to take some of the physical skills you learned in the Octagon onto the set, but do you think you'll take any of this villain character with you when you get back in the ring? Maybe you could become a bad guy like Sgt. Slaughter was for a little bit back in the day.

Uh, this isn't pro wrestling.

meh this is just more of the same old bullshit. Literally a waste of 2 minutes

[Gr8_White_Rabbit]

Sgt. Slaughter was a Real American Hero!