Ryan Couture will look to extend his winning streak to five at Bellator 148 against Patricky “Pitbull” Freire
Ryan Couture began his professional MMA career a few weeks before his 28th birthday. For the son of Hall of Fame fighter Randy Couture, it was considered a late start in an era where several fighters were already at the top of the sport before their 26th birthday (Jon Jones, Jose Aldo, Dominick Cruz).
The late start has allowed Couture to continue to fight at a top professional level while approaching his mid 30’s. If his genetics indicate how long he’ll remain in the sport, then his father’s success into his late 40’s is a good sign for him.
“Yeah I feel like I’ve got a few more years in me. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get deep into my 40’s like he did.” Couture told BloodyElbow.com, “My body is still holding up well and I’m still learning new things all of the time. Whether that’s another 5 years or another 10 I can’t say with any certainty, but I’m definitely still going strong.”
Couture’s recent win streak is a good indicator that he is not slowing down. He has been able to finish his last four opponents inside of two rounds, all with rear-naked chokes. His two losses in the past four years came against UFC Lightweight Ross Pearson and Al Iaquinta.
Couture hasn’t had to change up his style of fighting to keep up with the growing MMA trends. Fighters like Dominick Cruz, Conor McGregor and Demetrious Johnson have changed the fight game with their unique focus on footwork and movement. While Couture appreciates the new approach, he knows that this sort of style wouldn’t fit his athletic capabilities.
“It’s all about finding your identity and finding out what set of techniques and approach work with your physical gifts. I’m a completely different athlete than the next guy. It’s almost like a video game with the speed stat and the strength stat. Finding the set of skills and the set of techniques that best suits us is the art of it.”
Couture was initially scheduled to fight Derek Anderson at Bellator 148. Anderson was forced out of the fight due to an injury and was replaced by popular Bellator Lightweight Patricky Freire. The change in an opponent came as a welcomed surprise to Couture.
“I was really excited. It really raises the profile of this bout and it’s gonna be a big boost for me when I go out and get that marquee win for me. I’m excited about that for that reason. I really appreciate him stepping up and allowing me the opportunity to still fight, but to get a more high profile fight than I originally had.”
Bellator 148 takes place this Friday at the SaveMart Center in Fresno, California. The main event features a welterweight bout between Paul Daley and Andy Uhrich.