The Natural Will Be Ready

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Tuesday, Apr 24, 2001

The Natural Will Be Ready

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The Natural Will Be Ready
By Chris Onzuka – Chris@Onzuka.com

Randy Couture has definitely left his mark on the UFC, where it seems he can do no wrong. He has beaten champions previously thought to be invincible. On May 4^th, he will test himself against The Rock, Pedro Rizzo, the protégé of Marco Ruas. The only man to take Rizzo out has been another wrestler, who just happens to be fighting on the same card, Kevin Randleman. However, Couture’s style is much different than Randleman’s, so this fight definitely cannot be taken as a gimme for Couture. Couture has recently gone through some changes for the better, as seen in the article "Retired & Rewired," which is featured in the current issue of Full Contact Fighter. Couture’s new manager, Battle Management, looks to make a name for itself, better yet, a name for its clients. Battle Management has secured management contracts with none other than, Mark "The Hammer" Coleman, "The Monster," Kevin Randleman, rising star, Matt Lindland, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Wallid Ismael, and the instructor of Couture’s opponent, Marco Ruas.

With this kind of talent under one roof, Battle Management has more leverage to negotiate better contracts and terms for its fighters. Couture believes that they will help bring the sport into the mainstream and solidify MMA as a true sport. This hopes to be accomplished by holding MMA events in larger venues and drawing bigger crowds, promoting the athletes, and by educating the public. Sure these fighters will get better paydays, but what does that mean for all the other fighters you ask? It means that as the sport grows, the level of financial compensation for everyone will also grow. More legitimate events will be allowed to flourish and be run with the safety of the fighters in mind, while making a decent profit. Couture strongly believes that the UFC’s new management will be one of the driving forces behind this and he is more than happy to be at the forefront, defending the UFC’s heavyweight championship. Most hardcore fans believe that this sport will take off eventually, but the answer is when? Couture sees big changes in the next couple years and he is planning on being ready and on the ground floor for this move. Just look at the support received in Atlantic City, we are on our way!

Couture chuckled when I asked him for his strategy against Rizzo saying, "it’s a little too early for that right now." But he did mention that Dan Henderson is training with him already. He also mentioned that Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman came in on Sunday to train with the group. This confirmed the rumors that Coleman and Couture are helping each other out, as was seen when Couture worked out with Coleman before Pride 13. Couture added that the fighters under the Battle Management team are there to help each other. Couture denied that this would be another rAw team or Hammer House group, consisting only of wrestlers. They were all friends and are helping each other out. Imagine the training sessions with Couture, Coleman, Randleman, Henderson, and Lindland all in the same room, with the exception of Lindland, who is an Olympic silver medallist, everyone was or is, a UFC champion.

The next big question that I asked was if there is a conflict of interest concerning this fight because Couture and the instructor of Rizzo, Marco Ruas, are under the same management? Couture responded by saying, "this is a sport and we are just competing against each other." Who can argue with that? To wrap things up, in my interview with Dan Henderson, Henderson mentioned that he is planning on fighting for only a couple more years. I asked Randy about his long-term plans. He responded by saying, "on June 22, I am going to be 38 years old. I plan on fighting for at least two years, but we will see. Right now, I enjoy learning and competing." And boy do we enjoy seeing him compete.

UFC 31 Line-up^*