by Rob Fee
Ryan Couture has made quite a name for himself in MMA. Obviously when your dad, Randy Couture, is arguably the greatest UFC fighter of all time people have high expectations for you, but Ryan is well on his way. He was nice enough to answer a few random questions for us.
1. So what are you up to right now?
I just sat down at the front desk at Xtreme Couture to work my shift for the night. This interview is official gym business, right?
2. If you weren’t a UFC fighter what do you think you’d be doing?
If I hadn’t made the transition to fighting as my primary profession, I’d probably still be working full time for the gym or one of our other lines of business. I’d definitely be involved in the MMA industry in one way or another.
3. Who were some of the athletes you looked up to as a kid?
The obvious answer is my dad. He was always my sports hero even before he transitioned from wrestling to fighting. I also was really into soccer because my uncles played and I idolized them growing up. And I went through a basketball phase in sixth and seventh grade where I was obsessed with Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton. That was before I figured out that I was a terrible player.
4. What are your top five favorite movies of all time?
I’m terrible at this game. The five that come to mind right now that I’ve watched the most over the years are below. As soon as I hit send on this email, I’ll think of five I like better.
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Robocop
- Aliens
- Batman: The Movie (The old Adam West, Burt Ward one)
- The Princess Bride
The man’s a pretty dapper dresser, too.
5. Do you have any advice for younger guys trying to make it in MMA?
Fall in love with training and don’t expect to get rich quick (or at all). It’s a ton of work and it will be a long time before it will pay your bills so you can quit your day job.
6. What’s the strangest celebrity encounter you’ve ever had?
A few months ago, I had just finished training and headed to the shower. When I turned the water on, the shower head was broken and water sprayed everywhere so I threw on some sweats and headed toward our upstairs shower. In order to get there, I had to walk through the small clothing store portion of the gym. Just as I rounded the corner, still sweaty, smelly and half-naked, I heard my dad say, “This is my son, Ryan.” I looked up and was face to face with Robert DeNiro. He shook my hand and said, “Nice to meet you.” The only response I could come up with was, “This is awkward,” at which point I just walked away and finished getting cleaned up. It was far from how I’d have imagined meeting one of the all-time greats but I still get a laugh whenever I think about it so I can’t complain.
7. Are there any TV shows you’re keeping up with right now?
I recently moved in with my girlfriend and we don’t have cable so we rely on Netflix and Hulu to get our TV fix. We’ve been watching the new Arrested Development and she got me hooked on Parks & Recreation so I’ve watched damn near every episode of that in the last few months. Some other shows I try to keep up on are It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Sons of Anarchy and Dexter.
8. What’s been the most memorable fight of your career so far?
My most memorable fight so far is probably my fight with Conor Heun from March of last year. He was the first established veteran that I fought and I was able to step up and put on my most dominant performance to date. It also happened in the same venue and during the anniversary weekend of one of my dad’s biggest wins so that made it all the more sweet.
9. Who are some of your favorite accounts on Twitter?
A few people whose tweets I always look forward to are @eddiepepitone, @vaguelyfunnydan, @ieatanddrink, @THEKIDMERO, @boobsradley and, of course, @robfee.
10. And finally, what’s your favorite thing about me?
You made an emoticon out of the end of the movie Seven. That was brilliant.
Or maybe it’s the other way around?
Rob Fee is a writer and comedian best known for writing and telling jokes. You can follow him on Twitter @RobFee to read more of these jokes or go to Del Taco. He’s probably there.
We apologize for that pun. Sincerely.
Rob previously asked ten weird questions of such Twitter luminaries as Tucker Max and Rob Delaney.
