Randy Couture has seen it all. A Hall of Famer and multi-time UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, "The Natural” is a true trailblazer who represented the sport from 1997 to 2011.
The UFC has been deemed the single top-tier MMA organization for two decades but competitors have now come forward to challenge the company. Today, Couture, a pioneer, helps oversee the next generation in the sport with the Professional Fighters League.
With its seasonal format, the PFL allows fighters to compete multiple times a year while looking to win $1 million. The last of the 2023 PFL Playoffs takes place on August 23 inside the Hulu Theater in New York, then it will be the finals.
Unique in its own right, the promotion utilizes a points system, where fighters, regardless of who they are, must show they have what it takes to secure their destiny.
“I’ve been very impressed," Couture told The Sporting News’ Daniel Yanofsky. “The guys signed up for this format, which means you’re fighting four times in eight months. That’s no small task. We’ve seen some guys get it and do it very well. We’ve seen some marquee names and big guys come in thinking they were going to go through everyone in the PFL and really miscalculate what they signed up for. It’s really amazing to see these fighters embrace the grind and really get after it.
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"I think the thing I like about it is the meritocracy of it. It’s not about talking smack, not about publicity stunts. You got to go in that cage and score enough criteria points in those first few regular season fights to be in the top four, make it to the playoffs, and get a shot at that championship title and that shiny new belt. Eliminating the publicity stunts, the smack talk, and the crap that I think takes away from our sport and what martial arts stand for is what I like that the PFL created. If that’s who you are and what you want to do, knock yourself out. You still have to walk those steps up into this cage and get the job done if you’re going to get the nod in the PFL."
Couture is a commentator for the PFL and does help beyond analysis. Co-founding the Xtreme Couture training organization, the six-time UFC champion works with fighters, especially those in the PFL, to enhance their abilities. As someone who has beaten the likes of Vitor Belfort, Kevin Randleman, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, and Mark Coleman, the 60-year-old is amazed by the talent he sees in the SmartCage.
A Greco-Roman wrestler, Couture won multiple medals at the Pan American Games. A member of the PFL roster he compared himself to is Marthin Hamlet, who has fought at multiple stages within the PFL organization. While coming up short this year, his ceiling is high.
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The grind continues for the promotion with PFL 9. Lightweights and welterweights, featuring boxer Clay Collard, and 2022 winners Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Sadibou Sy, look to impress.
Aubin-Mercier has an 8-0 record since signing with the PFL. Couture praised his dedication to the sport and wants to see if “The Canadian Gangster” can defend his status as champion.
“I think the guy everyone’s talking about is 'O.A.M.' He’s probably the face of Canadian MMA right now through his journey in the PFL,’ said Couture. “He’s one of those cerebral fighters; he can come up with this game plan to put himself in the best position to win fights. He’s savvy enough, smart enough to stick to that game plan and not let anything or anyone side-track him or get off of that plan. He did that against Shane Burgos in the first match of the season this year. It was a tough fight, tough for Shane and Aubin-Mercier. [O.A.M.] knew where he needed to be; he knew he couldn’t get into a slugfest with a guy like Shane Burgos. [He] managed to attach himself to Shane and did what he needed to do to win that fight.
"We’ve seen that from him time and time again throughout the course of previous seasons, including the season he won. He's now on his way to win back-to-back championships. It’s going to be interesting to see how he deals with Bruno Miranda and the physicalities and problems that Bruno poses. He’s fun to watch. Some might say (Miranda's) boring but he gets the job done. He does what he has to do to win fights. He's not going to let the boo birds take him out of that game plan.”
MORE: Full list of PFL winners by year
The PFL is all about numbers. Its SmartCage can detect various stats, from the number of punches a fighter can throw to the speed of them and beyond. What gets thrown out the window are the odds of a fight. Anything is possible in the PFL, as there have been massive upsets on the betting front.
Last year, Larissa Pacheco beat the great Kayla Harrison after going 0-2 against her. This year, 2022 winner Brendan Loughnane dramatically lost against Jesus Pinedo. Couture praises the unpredictability factor of the PFL. Anyone can become a star overnight.
“I think we’re noticing the competition in the PFL is very, very stiff. You got guys like Anthony Pettis, who came in and miscalculated what he got himself into. He made the adjustments, unloaded his camp, shortened those camps better, and still thought he was going to blow through the talent we have in the PFL. That just wasn’t the case. Fabricio Werdum, another big name, same thing.
“Jesus Pinedo is the perfect example. He comes out of nowhere… beats Brendan Loughnane in his second-season bout. He lost a close one in his first bout and had his back against the wall. He had a round-one finish against last year’s champion. I don’t think anyone in a million years thought that was going to happen. He comes out in the first 30 seconds, lands a knee right up the middle, and gets the quick finish. Now he faces Bubba Jenkins, last year’s runner-up, who is no slouch. Bubba is a Division I wrestling national champion, and Jesus storms the castle in that fight too. Bubba didn’t have an answer for him. He couldn’t take him down, as his takedown defense was on point. He went through Bubba like a Terminator. It was amazing. Two fights in a row, there’s no way you can say that was a flash in the pan. He’s that good, and he literally came out of nowhere. Nobody knew who Natan Schulte was, and he did it two seasons in a row.”
The PFL has become one of the top MMA promotions outside the UFC. Couture believes in the format like he does the fighters. He's ready to see the promotion evolve and reach another form: the best in the world.