Tag: Ryan Couture

Next Gen: 10 MMA Stars Whose Sons Became Fighters

Almost a quarter of a century since UFC 1 ushered in the age of mixed martial arts (MMA), we’ve now reached the stage where some of the sport’s early pioneers have gone on to raise children of their own who decided to follow in their footsteps. However, as you’ll see in the pages that follow, […]

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Almost a quarter of a century since UFC 1 ushered in the age of mixed martial arts (MMA), we’ve now reached the stage where some of the sport’s early pioneers have gone on to raise children of their own who decided to follow in their footsteps.

However, as you’ll see in the pages that follow, it’s not always easy for these next-generation fighters to get out from under their famous fathers’ shadows and deal with the weight of expectation that inevitably falls on their shoulders as they look to make their own mark in the sport.

Nevertheless, among these ten fighters stand a few who have so far lived up to the hype, and could yet become future stars in the sport that their fathers helped build.

Randy Couture / Ryan Couture

A true legend of the sport, Randy Couture is one of the UFC’s most decorated fighters, having won the heavyweight title on three separate occasions, the light-heavyweight title twice, and not to mention also having been an interim champ at 205 pounds and UFC 13 heavyweight tournament winner.

With such a formidable career, it was always going to be tough for Couture’s son Ryan to live up to his father’s legacy when he set out to forge his own path in the sport.

As such, the next-generation Couture hasn’t reached the same level of success or fame, but nevertheless he has managed to build a career in the sport that’s seen him fight for the likes of the UFC, Strikeforce and Bellator, compiling an 11-5 record so far that includes includes wins over established veterans like KJ Noons and Conor Heun.

When asked what advice he’d give to others sons of famous fighters, the now 35-year-old said it’s all about managing expectations.

“They should be trying to achieve their own goals and be happy with that,” Couture told BloodyElbow. “If they’re doing it out of some need to achieve the same level of success as that person, whose footsteps they’re following, then they’re setting themselves up for frustration.”

The post Next Gen: 10 MMA Stars Whose Sons Became Fighters appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Bellator Free Fight: Ryan Couture vs. Haim Gozali

Without any live MMA for a few weeks, Bellator is providing us with some nice fight replays. In the latest release, Ryan Couture takes on Haim Gozali from Bellator 180. The bout took place this past June and saw Couture earn his first win since 2015 with a decision. He is now 3-2 over five […]

Without any live MMA for a few weeks, Bellator is providing us with some nice fight replays. In the latest release, Ryan Couture takes on Haim Gozali from Bellator 180. The bout took place this past June and saw Couture earn his first win since 2015 with a decision. He is now 3-2 over five […]

Ryan Couture on Bellator 180 Bout: ‘I Don’t Think Size Will be a Big Deal’

Ryan Couture doesn’t believe size will play a huge factor in his bout at Bellator 180. On June 24, Couture will meet Haim Gozali inside Madison Square Garden in New York City. The two will compete on the preliminary portion of Bellator 180. The match-up is scheduled to take place in the welterweight division. During a […]

Ryan Couture doesn’t believe size will play a huge factor in his bout at Bellator 180. On June 24, Couture will meet Haim Gozali inside Madison Square Garden in New York City. The two will compete on the preliminary portion of Bellator 180. The match-up is scheduled to take place in the welterweight division. During a […]

Bellator 124 GIFs: Emanuel Newton’s Spinning Backfist, Liam McGeary’s Inverted Triangle

Emanuel Newton ended Bellator 124 on a satisfying note this evening, with a smooth-as-butter spinning backfist knockout of “challenger” Joey Beltran. This is the second spinning backfist KO that Newton has scored under the Bellator banner; he caught King Mo with the same strike at Bellator 90 last February. Watch the GIF of Newton’s latest masterpiece above, and click here for a slo-mo alternate angle, all via Zombie Prophet.

After the jump: Liam McGeary submits Kelly Anundson with an inverted triangle to win the Season Eleven Light Heavyweight tournament, and Ryan Couture chokes out Tom Bagnasco.

Emanuel Newton ended Bellator 124 on a satisfying note this evening, with a smooth-as-butter spinning backfist knockout of “challenger” Joey Beltran. This is the second spinning backfist KO that Newton has scored under the Bellator banner; he caught King Mo with the same strike at Bellator 90 last February. Watch the GIF of Newton’s latest masterpiece above, and click here for a slo-mo alternate angle, all via Zombie Prophet.

After the jump: Liam McGeary submits Kelly Anundson with an inverted triangle to win the Season Eleven Light Heavyweight tournament, and Ryan Couture chokes out Tom Bagnasco.

Bellator 124 Live Blog: Main Card Results and Commentary

Bellator 124 is here, and while it’s not quite Bellator 123 in term of star power, it’s still certainly worth watching.

On the main card we’ve got Ryan Couture meeting Tom Bagnasco, a late replacement. Then there’s L.C. Davis vs. Zeilton Rodrigues. The highly touted Liam McGeary faces Kelly Anundson in the co-main event. The main event is a peculiar booking: Emanuel Newton vs. Joey Beltran for the Bellator light heavyweight title.

Please stand by…

Bellator 124 is here, and while it’s not quite Bellator 123 in term of star power, it’s still certainly worth watching.

On the main card we’ve got Ryan Couture meeting Tom Bagnasco, a late replacement. Then there’s L.C. Davis vs. Zeilton Rodrigues. The highly touted Liam McGeary faces Kelly Anundson in the co-main event. The main event is a peculiar booking: Emanuel Newton vs. Joey Beltran for the Bellator light heavyweight title.

Please stand by…

Ryan Couture vs. Tom Bagnasco

L.C. Davis vs. Zeilton Rodrigues

Liam McGeary vs. Kelly Anundson

Emanuel Newton vs. Joey Beltran

UFC 164 Danavlog: Anthony Pettis Gets Pep Talk From the Boss, Josh Barnett Gives Props to Frank Mir and Much More

(Props: YouTube.com/UFC)

Because there’s another fight to promote this week (tonight’s UFC Fight Night 29 in Brazil), Dana White has released another of his behind-the-scenes video blogs. This one looks back on UFC 164: Henderson vs. Pettis and lets fans in on some fascinating moments. Other than the first part of the vlog, where Dana chats with the Harley Davidson guys about customizing a motorcycle — skip past that stuff, trust us — this episode is low on fluff and big on intimate moments with the fighters who bled for us in Milwaukee. Some highlights…

0:00: If you can’t read backwards-English, the painting behind Dana says “Pay Attention Mother Fuckers.” Truly a man of pristine taste, this Mr. White.

1:40: “This is Fred Durst’s bike.” Wow. morganfreeman.gif

2:03: The camera locks on Ryan Couture backstage after his loss to Al Iaquinta, trying very hard to keep it together. This is the first of many glimpses at the often devastatingly quiet moments losing fighters on the card endured immediately after their fights. Always a bummer.

2:25: Matt Serra shows up to provide some much-needed comic relief, calling Dana White fat and saying Dana should stay dressed in slimming black until he “looks like Lorenzo Fertitta.” It should be noted that Serra, a former welterweight champion, probably weighs like 275 pounds at this point.

4:02: Ben Rothwell celebrates his win over Brandon Vera, unaware that he’s about to get suspended for nine months.


(Props: YouTube.com/UFC)

Because there’s another fight to promote this week (tonight’s UFC Fight Night 29 in Brazil), Dana White has released another of his behind-the-scenes video blogs. This one looks back on UFC 164: Henderson vs. Pettis and lets fans in on some fascinating moments. Other than the first part of the vlog, where Dana chats with the Harley Davidson guys about customizing a motorcycle — skip past that stuff, trust us — this episode is low on fluff and big on intimate moments with the fighters who bled for us in Milwaukee. Some highlights…

0:00: If you can’t read backwards-English, the painting behind Dana says “Pay Attention Mother Fuckers.” Truly a man of pristine taste, this Mr. White.

1:40: “This is Fred Durst’s bike.” Wow. morganfreeman.gif

2:03: The camera locks on Ryan Couture backstage after his loss to Al Iaquinta, trying very hard to keep it together. This is the first of many glimpses at the often devastatingly quiet moments losing fighters on the card endured immediately after their fights. Always a bummer.

2:25: Matt Serra shows up to provide some much-needed comic relief, calling Dana White fat and saying Dana should stay dressed in slimming black until he “looks like Lorenzo Fertitta.” It should be noted that Serra, a former welterweight champion, probably weighs like 275 pounds at this point.

4:02: Ben Rothwell celebrates his win over Brandon Vera, unaware that he’s about to get suspended for nine months.

4:12: An emotionally shattered Clay Guida gets tended to backstage, before checking in with Chad Mendes, the man who just TKO’d him. Both fighters are gracious with each other before Guida walks off, but when the camera pans back to Mendes, it seems as if the Carpenter’s heartbreak has sapped some of the joy out of Mendes’s win.

4:43: Frank Mir‘s dad calls “BULLSHIT!” after Mir is TKO’d by Josh Barnett in the co-main event. Greg Jackson is as silent and motionless as a statue, standing with his arms frozen in the air — the universal symbol for “you fuckin’ kidding me, ref?”

5:12: Mir and Barnett cross paths backstage, and share a moment of candid discussion before going their separate ways. Mir thanks Barnett for the fight, and Barnett says “Thanks for actually asking for it. I think you’re the only person…in history who’s ever been like, ‘Yeah, I want to fight him.’” Barnett greets and shows respect to Mir’s father and cornermen.

5:35: Barnett breaks down his finish of Mir in great and lucid detail to someone out of the frame. He says that he could feel Mir breaking down and knew it was “time to kill.”

6:22: Beltless and nursing his damaged arm, Benson Henderson is consoled by his coach. So many feels, man.

6:54: Dana White congratulates new lightweight champion Anthony Pettis after his shocking submission win over Benson Henderson. Dana seems amazed at what Pettis has done, and gives him a mini-pep talk that includes an ominous warning about the title belt he now possesses: “You have no idea. Watch now. That thing makes all the fucking difference in the world. Trust me. Now that you’ve got that, you’re never gonna want to let go of it. Watch how everything fucking changes now. Trust me.”

– Elias Cepeda