Strikeforce's Ryan Couture: More Than Randy's Little Boy

Strikeforce’s Ryan Couture: More Than Randy’s Kid

March 2, 2012

Ryan Couture, son of UFC legend Randy Couture, has dealt with the scrutiny of being his father’s son since starting his MMA career in August 2010.

In his time as a pro, both fans and media criticized the young Couture for being given too much too early – born with an MMA silver spoon, if you will.

But Couture realized he’d have to deal with this long before becoming a pro. People were going to be critical and he understands that fact to this day. In facts, he is fully aware that some anticipate the Las Vegas fighter’s demise, simply because he is who he is.

“Being Randy’s kid brings a lot of expectation and a lot of baggage with it,” Couture told MMAWeekly.com. “Certain people are almost excited to see me fail so they can tell that story.”

While most MMA fighters build their reputations through the regional MMA circuits and smaller promotions, Couture’s first fight came in Strikeforce through their Challengers brand. He got to skip a lot of the sparse local crowds and immediately performed for thousands of people on a premium cable channel in Showtime.

To his naysayers and other fighters in similar stages in their careers, this might seem unfair.

“I was signed to a major promotion for my first pro fight and got to skip ahead of the line on a lot of paying… dues, so to speak.” he said. “Some take offense to that.”

But just because Couture got to skip out on what other fighters have to endure early on doesn’t mean he’s unfairly privileged. The lightweight is still in the gym every day preparing for his fights, just like every other lightweight in the division. You’ll still find him at Xtreme Couture putting in work during sparring sessions, just like every other fighter at that gym.

Couture isn’t just daddy’s little boy; he’s putting in the time in the places it counts.

“I put in the work in the gym, that’s the big thing,” he responded when asked about how how critics view him. “They can say what they want about opportunities I’ve been given that they might not feel I deserve. But at the end of the day, I have to work hard and I have to earn those opportunities or they’re going to run dry.

“I’m in the gym, busting my ass just like any other fighter.”

When Couture fights Conor Heun this Saturday, March 3, at Strikeforce Tate vs. Rousey, he’ll be out to prove, once again, he’s more than just ‘Randy’s kid.’