Video: UFCs Randy Couture on ESPN 'Rome is Burning'

Extremely good ambassador for MMA, calm, relaxed and composed.
Which is also how he fights, I cant wait to see the match between him and Gonzaga however it goes I think it wont be a dissapointment.

A classic case of “Youth Vs Experience”

DW is smart in marketing RC as a representative of the UFC, he is so well spoken and likeable, even Jim Rome couldn’t help but be nice to the guy. Good interview, and good answers on the part of RC.

RC is great and I hope he stays with the UFC for a long time after he leaves the cage.

One thing I was waiting to see… some people on this board have alleged Couture himself juices. I was curious to see how he would respond when Rome asked him about that. I don’t know if he does or doesn’t but I certainly marvel at the guy’s 43-year old body… being a soft 43-year old myself trying to get back into shape.

When I’m dying on the treadmill I picture RC standing right there telling me I can’t get off yet. “You owe me one more mile!”. Usually works. :)

Randy says it right there in the interview, his key to win is Gonzaga’s conditioning. We’ve seen Gonzaga gas in 3 rounds before. Randy’s going with the ‘outwork him & run him out of gas’ strategy.

RC is great and I hope he stays with the UFC for a long time after he leaves the cage.

One thing I was waiting to see… some people on this board have alleged Couture himself juices. I was curious to see how he would respond when Rome asked him about that. I don’t know if he does or doesn’t but I certainly marvel at the guy’s 43-year old body… being a soft 43-year old myself trying to get back into shape.

When I’m dying on the treadmill I picture RC standing right there telling me I can’t get off yet. “You owe me one more mile!”. Usually works. :)

See theres the difference right there, you said youre 43 and trying to get back in shape, well Randy has never gotten out of shape, he has went from wrestling to coaching to fighting and always stayed and good shape…if a human works out and stays in shape for 25 years in a row, i assume they will have alot of muscle….the people who accuse Randy of something like that are just looking for a bone

i said wrestling coaching and fighting, but he was in the Navy as well, and boxed…

The UFC has two great faces, RC and Iceman. Both are very profesional and respectful.

RC v G.G
2nd Round
2:50
TKO – Strikes
RC for the WIN baby!

The UFC has two great faces, RC and Iceman. Both are very profesional and respectful.

RC v G.G
2nd Round
2:50
TKO – Strikes
RC for the WIN baby!

Chuck isn’t really well spoken, but he is a genuinely nice guy and is also likeable, the only exception would be the interview he did on that morning show a while back where he was supposedly sick and on sleep aids.

DW is a marketing genius. He is hated for it though. Sometimes what the “viewers” want and what the “fans” want are two different things.

Randy Couture is the man. It is really hard not to love the guy. Randy is always looking good in his Xtreme Couture/Affliction shirts. The only reason I bought those kind of shirts was because of him. After his fight with Gonzaga; I see Couture defending his belt against Arlovski. I think Arlovski would be a harder fight for Couture than Gonzaga. The reason I feel Arlovski would be a tougher fight is because Arlovski is always in great shape.

After watching Gonzaga vs. Carmella on Unleashed the other night I am wondering if he doesn’t jus have all the tools to shut down RC wresting and striking.. I am never going to bet against RC again, but GG is a monster.

I like Randy and I hope he wins but I just dont see how he can,Gonzaga looks very strong and he is excelent on the ground.I realy hope Randy can pull this one off but I doubt it.

See theres the difference right there, you said youre 43 and trying to get back in shape, well Randy has never gotten out of shape,

Yeah but Randy missed out on all those years of excessive beer drinking and chain smoking that I enjoyed.

RC is great and I hope he stays with the UFC for a long time after he leaves the cage.

One thing I was waiting to see… some people on this board have alleged Couture himself juices. I was curious to see how he would respond when Rome asked him about that. I don’t know if he does or doesn’t but I certainly marvel at the guy’s 43-year old body… being a soft 43-year old myself trying to get back into shape.

When I’m dying on the treadmill I picture RC standing right there telling me I can’t get off yet. “You owe me one more mile!”. Usually works. :)

Obviously you haven’t spent too much time in a gym, or been around guys juicing. Randy’s body is built like a guy who takes supplements and works his ass off. He is not overly swollen and puffy. Randy looks much like natural bodybuilder.

It’s funny how people who hide behind a computer can allege that Randy juices. Look at Mark Coleman, Kevin Randlemen or Mark Kerr….those guys have body’s of juicers…. Randy looks nothing like those guys. Randy trains and works his ass off and the success is proof. Guys like Coleman, Randleman and Kerr could use Randy’s work ethic instead of taking shortcuts to greatness (which backfires)

I like Randy and I hope he wins but I just dont see how he can,Gonzaga looks very strong and he is excelent on the ground.I realy hope Randy can pull this one off but I doubt it.

People think that if it goes to the ground, Randy will be submitted easily. But if Randy gets the takedown and starts pounding Gonzaga up against the cage, Gonzaga will have a hard time submitting him. Also, Randy is excellent in the clinch, which he can use to his advantage. As far as their boxing, I think that it is actually very close and that either one could knock out the other.

Obviously you haven’t spent too much time in a gym, or been around guys juicing. Randy’s body is built like a guy who takes supplements and works his ass off. He is not overly swollen and puffy. Randy looks much like natural bodybuilder.

It’s funny how people who hide behind a computer can allege that Randy juices. Look at Mark Coleman, Kevin Randlemen or Mark Kerr….those guys have body’s of juicers…. Randy looks nothing like those guys. Randy trains and works his ass off and the success is proof. Guys like Coleman, Randleman and Kerr could use Randy’s work ethic instead of taking shortcuts to greatness (which backfires)

Well two things: 1) I did wrestle in high school and college so I’m not a stranger to the gym. 2) True, I haven’t been around guys who are juicing to my knowledge. It wasn’t widespread in the 70’s and early 80’s outside of the NFL. 3) I’m not one of the posters who say he does juice. Supposedly Lance Armstrong was dirty and you wouldn’t be able to tell by his build certainly. I assume RC is clean as a whistle but nothing would surprise me at this point.

eh,

I think the UFC and many forums are hyping up Gonzaga a bit much. Thats typical to try to get people to be interested in the fight. I think Gonzaga is very talented but he is still very unproven to me. His only notable win was against Cro Cop, which isn’t that impressive to me since Cro Cop has a below average ground game, and Gonzaga is very good on the ground. Yes he knocked out Cro Cop but GG said himself that was because Cro Cop was rocked after taking a pounding on the ground.

We will see, Im not buying into the hype of GG yet. In my eyes he is very talented, but unproven.

Look what happened to Marquart, they hyped up his striking and submissions so much, but as we all saw, the reality of it is he was no match for the champ.

Go Couture!!!!!!

Randy said it himself. He’s learned how to peak for a fight. Couple that with the fact that he’s changed his training to a more powerlifting type of training for strength (I swear he got the idea from Balboa) he can out gas, outlast and out class just about anybody in the game. I’ve got a new hero in Randy. Plus he added 12 years to what we all used to consider “prime”.

We will see, Im not buying into the hype of GG yet. In my eyes he is very talented, but unproven.

Look what happened to Marquart, they hyped up his striking and submissions so much, but as we all saw, the reality of it is he was no match for the champ.

I agree. If Crocop got a rematch with Gonzaga right now, I’d steal money from my gramma to put on Crocop. Crocop probably thought this was another sucker match up like he had against Sanchez where he chases a scared oaf around the cage until he can put him down. Wasn’t ready for a real fight- to Gonzaga’s credit.

I’m with RC all the way. Couture is the man! I want to see Couture/Fedor come New Years or Couture/Cro Cop

His only notable win was against Cro Cop,
…
Look what happened to Marquart, they hyped up his striking and submissions so much

Are you insinuating that Gonzaga and Marquart are overrated and not fought anyone of note? You’re joking right?
I guess perhaps you’ve only watched UFC matches and know both those guys only from their UFC events right?

Are you insinuating that Gonzaga and Marquart are overrated and not fought anyone of note? You’re joking right?
I guess perhaps you’ve only watched UFC matches and know both those guys only from their UFC events right?

Whatever, you missed the point entirely. For the UFC to hype up Nate Marquart as being able to strike better than Silva was a great exaggeration, they wanted people to believe it in order to make the fight interesting. Case and Point, he got Fucked up by Silva, therefore, his striking is nowhere near the champs.

As for Gonzaga, The only semi big name that he fought before he was in the UFC is Werdum, and he LOST that fight!

Speaking of hyped up fighters, Werdum was not impressive at all against Arlovski, sure hes good at BJJ, but that only helps you in a Grappling match, not MMA. What good is all that ground skill when you can’t even fucking take your opponent down.

Werdum is a one dimentional fighter, just like Cro Cop, Im still not impressed with Gonzaga.

Who exactly were you referring to Gonzaga fighting before UFC? Who “of note” has he fought besides Cro Cop and Werdum? Name him, and don’t count the grappling/BJJ matches because we are talking MMA here.

I will give Gonzaga his respect if he beats Randy, I believe he is a really talented fighter, like I said before though, he hasn’t been tested. Until then, its just hype.

Are you insinuating that Gonzaga and Marquart are overrated and not fought anyone of note? You’re joking right?
I guess perhaps you’ve only watched UFC matches and know both those guys only from their UFC events right?

Actually in the case of Gonzaga, yes. He lost to Werdum. He did beat Crocop but I’d like to see that again.
Marquardt has a long record but not many names I recognize. He beat Dean Lister which is something and Salaverry in 2005 which is something. Both guys are legitimate contenders- top five. At middleweight we saw how big the gap is between Anderson Silva and the rest of the world. We might see that also when Emelianenko finally gets ahold of the UFC belt.

As for the Couture-Gonzaga fight, watching Couture-Barnett back in… UFC 36(?) might be relevant. Couture took it to Barnett early but gradually Barnett’s size wore him down. Could see the same thing happen here with Gonzaga. BUT WAIT, Tim Sylvia was a big hog- what about that? Well, Sylvia is a stand-up fighter, not a ground guy. Barnett and Gonzaga are much better ground guys.

As for the Couture-Gonzaga fight, watching Couture-Barnett back in… UFC 36(?) might be relevant. Couture took it to Barnett early but gradually Barnett’s size wore him down. Could see the same thing happen here with Gonzaga. BUT WAIT, Tim Sylvia was a big hog- what about that? Well, Sylvia is a stand-up fighter, not a ground guy. Barnett and Gonzaga are much better ground guys.

Or Ricco-Couture. He actually moved down to LHW because he didn’t want to fight to big heavyweight ground fighters. Gonzaga certainly hasn’t shown is as good as Barnett yet, but it should be interesting.

Mamas Boy,

I would agree with you about the Barnett fight had Barnett not been tested positive for steroids afterwards. Im surprised that is still counted as a loss on Randy’s record. Barnett had an unfair advantage in that fight, I cannot take credit away from Randy for gassing. The fight against Timmy says it all, a 43 year old man can go 25 minutes with a 30 year old in dominating fashion, incredible.

Or Ricco-Couture. He actually moved down to LHW because he didn’t want to fight to big heavyweight ground fighters. Gonzaga certainly hasn’t shown is as good as Barnett yet, but it should be interesting.

This is about the only argument that I can make to Gonzaga winning the fight this month. They say that RC has trouble against the bigger grapplers like Gonzaga, but really the only time he was submitted in the UFC was the fight mentioned above with Ricco. We will see on the 25th.

i said wrestling coaching and fighting, but he was in the Navy as well, and boxed…

Randy was in the Army actually, wrestled for the All Army team. The armed forces are known for being top in the Nation in Greco.

my cats name is mittens

Randy is the man. No way he juices, he has always lived a healthy lifestyle. Since anything can happen, it’s really no use speculating how the fight will go. He is my favorite fighter, next to AA of course. I can’t wait for 74, it’s an honor and privelige to watch him fight, don’t even bother posting about it if you’re not going to order it.

Oh, and how money is that shaved head? Looking very money.

Gonzanga will win by whatever method he chooses. He has more weapons than Tim Sylvia and Tim went five rounds with Randy. This fight will end early probably a TKO in the first or second.

Gonzanga will win by whatever method he chooses. He has more weapons than Tim Sylvia and Tim went five rounds with Randy. This fight will end early probably a TKO in the first or second.

I’ll have to disagree, but if Gonzaga does win it’ll have to be in the first couple rounds. Almost all Randy’s fights go the distance, he’s not a finisher. He completely dominates his opponents for the duration of the fight. That’s his style, the longer the fight goes, the better it looks for Randy. Randy in 5 rounds, winning at least 4 of them.

I’ll have to disagree, but if Gonzaga does win it’ll have to be in the first couple rounds. Almost all Randy’s fights go the distance, he’s not a finisher. He completely dominates his opponents for the duration of the fight. That’s his style, the longer the fight goes, the better it looks for Randy. Randy in 5 rounds, winning at least 4 of them.

I dunno man, I think the opposite. Randy in the past has done well in the earlier rounds, with the bigger grapplers. Josh Barnett as an example, was being bested by Couture earlier rounds. The manipulating of the bigger man took its toll on smaller Randy who in the later rounds got pounded out. Same with Ricco Rodriguez. That’s the thing though why I disagree with the first quote in this. If Randy can hang with Josh Barnett and Ricco while fresh, I think he sure as hell can hang with Gabrial. In the earlier rounds I see domination by Randy, Unless he gets caught in a sub which is very possibel, but positionign adn GnP I give early ruonds to Randy. I just hope he can hang all 5 rounds cuz I also, do not see him finishing GG at all period.

Can anyaone tell me when the last time RC was submitted?

I dunno man, I think the opposite. Randy in the past has done well in the earlier rounds, with the bigger grapplers. Josh Barnett as an example, was being bested by Couture earlier rounds. The manipulating of the bigger man took its toll on smaller Randy who in the later rounds got pounded out. Same with Ricco Rodriguez. That’s the thing though why I disagree with the first quote in this. If Randy can hang with Josh Barnett and Ricco while fresh, I think he sure as hell can hang with Gabrial. In the earlier rounds I see domination by Randy, Unless he gets caught in a sub which is very possibel, but positionign adn GnP I give early ruonds to Randy. I just hope he can hang all 5 rounds cuz I also, do not see him finishing GG at all period.

I can see why you’d see it that way, RC has a bit of a history with “bigger” opponents. Also Randy is a thinker, and he’s stated that conditioning is going to be the factor in the fight. I can’t see RC with his genious battle plans going into this fight with anything less than extraordianry conditioning (like he said). I am nervous though! Again, if GG is gonna win it’ll have to be in the first couple rounds.

Can anyaone tell me when the last time RC was submitted?

2001 to Overeem with a choke.

my cats name is mittens

Ha… I was just wondering about that. Thanks.

It’s kind of a fluke that RC is back in heavyweight anyway. He just saw an opening for taking the belt from Sylvia. The UFC let him cut in line- no warm-ups. If RC gets past Gonzaga, he’s got Minotauro coming, hopefully AA, maybe Crocop before he retires, maybe Emelianenko someday… a sunami of top heavyweights.

As a matter of fact let’s say RC loses the belt to Gonzaga. How about a 2008 fight between Rampage and RC at lhw- regardless of whether it’s for a belt? That would be interesting.

I vote that everyone should have to cuddle my kitten.

R.C. Is the shit !!!!!!!!!!! I want to be as healthy as he is when I turn 40!!!!!!!!!!!!