Kim Couture “SUGAR FREE Success”

By FighterGirls.com (Cynthia Vespia)

Behind every good man is his woman kickin’ ass and takin’ names. That’s never been more true than with Kim “SugarFree” Couture, the wife of UFC legend Randy Couture and an accomplished MMA fighter in her own right. A few years back Kim was working as an executive casino host for The Wynn in Las Vegas, the thought of fighting in the Octagon always at the back of her mind.
After meeting and marrying Randy, Kim left her casino days behind her but brought that knowledge and experience with her into the MMA world to build the Xtreme Couture brand. “I had plenty of practice,” she notes, “it’s just a different line of work now.” It started with the birth of Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts Training Center. The Couture’s mission for Xtreme was to develop a safe haven for fighters to come train. “Guys were bouncing all over town to meet their training needs. We realized we had to do a gym with everything under one roof.”
From there Xtreme Couture put on their first major fight card dubbed “Night of Combat” where Kim herself was one of the featured bouts. “It was the ultimate test,” she says. “Someone is going to hit you and try and take your head off. They can teach you all sorts of things but once it starts all the fancy stuff goes out the window. It’s just basics and muscle memory.”
Night of Combat II came in October 2008 and this time Kim stayed behind the scenes as the event promoter, but she approached that role with as much vigor and tenacity as any of her previous fights. “Everyone jumps in and tries to do a show and they don’t know what goes into it so they forget something at the last minute. I want to give these fighters an opportunity. If I say there’s gonna be a show, there’s gonna be a show.”
Kim’s hard work is paying off getting Xtreme recognized with more shows set up for the future. Within that success they’ve given back with charitable organizations like the Xtreme GI Foundation which provides opportunities for GI’s with prosthetic limbs who are still trying to make a difference. “It’s inspiring because those guys don’t give up,” Kim says. “It puts things in perspective.”
Recently she attained her first professional win vs. Lina Kvokov at StrikeForce. “I felt very confident going into the fight, my footwork and boxing have greatly improved since I’ve been working with Gil Martinez our boxing coach here at Xtreme Couture. I’ve also spent the last 6 weeks working on my Muay Thai with Master Chan and Ray Seffo and my ground game with the help of Robert Drysdale.”
Kim isn’t looking to slow down anytime soon. “I really love MMA and I want to continue to fight at least 3 to 4 times a year. Last year I fought four times, Febuarary, April, June and November. Before I fight again I want to get back to the business side of things and work on my promotion company. We have a lot of fighters at Xtreme Couture that I want to get some work.”

Posted By: Scott Haney

Kim Couture Talks Future of Womens MMA with Fox News – Mike Straka

An excellent interview with Kim Couture and Jule Kedzie on Fox News discussing the future of womens’s MMA, possibility of a women’s MMA reality show, fight clothing subculture and MORE!  Watch the Video

Posted By: Scott Haney

Xtreme Couture Soccer! Fighters take the pitch.

Xtreme Couture’s Muay Thai instructor, Joey Varner, led his troops into battle last night for the first match of the season for the Xtreme Couture indoor soccer team. Amongst the fighters on the team are Randy “The Natural” Couture, his son Ryan Couture and JJ Mix to name a few. The guys picked up a 5 to 4 win their first time on the pitch this season and will have a 2 week break untill their next match.

Goals were scored by Randy (2 goals, assisted by Ryan), Joey (1 goal), Stephen (1 goal, and JJ (1 goal). Armando defended the net well against the skilled attacks set up by the opposing team. The guys played great together even though they were unable to practice as a team before their first match and many players had not played soccer in several years. It was exciting to hear the buzz of team practices being scheduled after the match to help improve the team.

Congratulations to our team and we look forward to seeing them on the pitch in the new year. Check out the photos below of some of the action from last nights match.

by: Eddie Miles

Tasha Marzolla hitting the MMA Scene as Xtreme Couture’s Newest Addition

Tasha Marzolla

Tasha at the age of 20 was a well known Playboy model starting off her career as a Muay Thai fighter. She only had 2 months of training before she was thrown into a full contact Muay Thai fight as the main event at the Stardust in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Within 7 years she became a black belt in her discipline and won a world title belt fighting in Thailand.

“I was so young and figured I had been in scraps before; so it never occurred to me that I should be nervous about jumping into the ring so quickly. I was a single Mother and was trying to find a way to make things work.”

Tasha gave birth to her second child a beautiful daughter and has been spending time with her family for the last two years. She is now ready to return to the fight world and in a strong way.

“Having my daughter gave me strength, drive, and motivation. I want to show her that it’s okay to be tough and beautiful. It becomes bigger than yourself when you have people to be strong for.”

She plans on having her first MMA fight within the next couple months. We were able to sit down and chat with Tasha about her switch to MMA.

ER: Why the switch into MMA?

TM: It’s the fastest growing sport and we have amazing training facilities right here in my home town. In order to be the best; you have to train with the best. The Xtreme gym has proven itself over and over that it has one of the best teams in the world. Gina and I come from the same gym….we have known each other forever. So I have Gina Carano, Kim Couture, and Elena Reid as my work out partners. I even have Dennis Davis working a lot of ground with me.

ER: Describe your training?

TM: I am training Muay Thai, boxing, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling. I am really excited about my strength and conditioning. I want to come back stronger and more powerful than ever. I am always more comfortable with my Muay Thai but actually have a bit of a wrestling back round. I wrestled in high school for Las Vegas High. I have such an experienced and successful team behind me. I just can’t wait to have my first fight.

ER: Any Last Words?

TM: I’m just really excited to have a second chance at all of this. I’m much more settled down now and have a lot more knowledge about the way this all works. I know the recipe to success and now with Kim and Xtreme behind me….things are looking pretty good.

——-
Here are some photos of Tasha, including her training with UFC’s 155 lb standout Gray “The Bully” Maynard

by: Elena Reid

Junie Browning represents Xtreme Couture at The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale

Junie "The Lunatic" Browning

This Saturday (Dec. 13th) at The Pearl in Las Vegas, NV. Junie Browning will go into battle under the Xtreme Couture banner as he faces fellow Team Mir cast member Dave Kaplan on the main card.

When Junie first joined the team here at Xtreme Couture none of us were sure exactly what to expect. Watching Junie on The Ultimate Fighter reality show potrayed him as violent and unpredictable, yet since the first day he stepped into our gym he has shown nothing but respect and conducted himself in a way that makes us all proud to have him as a member of our team. Junie shows the raw talent and work ethic that rests at the center of all Xtreme Couture fighters.

Junie Browning: “I just want to thank Randy, Shawn, and all of Xtreme Couture for accepting me and helping me prepare for this fight. I feel honored to represent the Xtreme Team. After the show, I honestly felt as if there was no team in the world that would accept me. You not only accepted me but helped me become a better fighter and person. Every fighter, here at Xtreme has gained a new hard core fan. There are not words that can express the gratitude I feel for the team and all that they have done.”

Junie will have the support of his entire team and everyone here at Xtreme Couture when he enters the cage on Saturday night.

The Ultimate Fighter 8 – Finale
Main Card:

Phillipe Nover -vs- Efrain Escudero
Ryan Bader -vs- Vinicius Magalhaes
Jason MacDonald -vs- Wilson Gouveia
Kevin Burns -vs- Anthony Johnson
Junie  Browning -vs- Dave Kaplan

By: Eddie Miles

Kim Couture Takes Win In Stride

Kim Couture is back in the gym today here at Xtreme Couture not taking a minute off.  We took a moment to talk with Kim on her first professional win vs. Lina Kvokov at StrikeForce.

XC: “First of all congratulations on your first win as a professional, in your opinion how did you feel about the fight?”

K. Couture: ” I felt very confident going into the fight, my footwork and boxing have greatly improved since I’ve been working with Gil Martinez our boxing coach here at Xtreme Couture. I’ve also spent the last 6 weeks working on my Muay Thai with Master Chan and Ray Seffo and my ground game with the help of Robert Drysdale.

After the fight started, I landed a few good shots and I found myself chasing after her around the cage.”

XC: “That’s for sure, it looked like after the first 30 seconds or so she wanted out of there.”

K. Couture: ” I trained hard and really wanted to show the MMA fans a good show and let them know I was a 100% and ready to fight, I have the utmost respect for anyone who steps into the cage but felt disappointed that she just wouldn’t engage with me and turned her back on me. I was just dumbfounded.”

XC: “Do you think she shouldn’t of been matched up with you?”

K. Couture: “On paper it looked like a good match-up. We both had 1 professional fight with a loss. She was training with Matt Lindlands Team Quest so I expected she would be ready and I was ready for a stand-up brawl.”

XC: “Did you have a chance to watch the fight yet?”

K. Couture: “Yes, Lina just looked nervous from the moment she tripped coming out to the cage, she just looked like she didn’t want to fight that night.”

XC: “After watching what did you see yourself doing that you want to work on?”

K. Couture: “I need to keep my chin down, I worked on it, but I need to just keep it down.”

XC: “What did you feel you did good at?”

K. Couture: “I got her into a Muay Thai clinch and start landing some big knees, I feel very comfortable with that aspect of my game”

XC: “How was your experience with StrikeForce?”

K. Couture: “Those guys out there were great, well organized, professional. They really put on a great show for the fans and treat their fighters great. I wasn’t sure what to expect walking out to the cage, but the crowd was really into it, cheering and screaming so that really was exciting”

XC: “Would you like to fight for them again?”

K. Couture: ” Absolutely, anytime they want me to fight again and it makes sense with my schedule, I would love to fight for them.”

XC: “Everyone wants to know, What’s next for Kim Couture. Will you fight again and how soon?”

K. Couture: “I really love MMA and I want to continue to fight at least 3 to 4 times a year. Last year I fought four times. Febuarary, April, June and November. Before I fight again I want to get back to the business side of things and work on my promotion company. We have a lot of fighters at Xtreme Couture that I want to get them some work.”

XC: “Cool thanks for your time.”

K. Couture: “Anytime, Thanks”

Below is a clip of Kim Training at Xtreme Couture.

By: Scott Haney

Kim Couture makes weight, Her opponet…Well…Not So Much

As the Couture saga continues, Kim Couture stepped on the scales at the De Anza Hotel yesterday for tonight’s Strikeforce “Destruction” show. Lina Kvokov tipping the scales at 133lbs was unable to make the 130lb weight but the fight will happen as schedule.  Make sure to tune into to see the fight live airing on HDNet.

Official Weigh-In :
Lina Kvokov- 133lbs
Kim Couture- 130lbs

For complete weigh-in results please vist: http://www.strikeforceusa.net.

Kim Couture -vs- Lina Kvokov @ Strikeforce: Destruction

Kim Couture will be stepping into the cage with Lina Kvokov this Friday at Strikeforce: Destruction in San Jose, CA. The fight will be on the main card and televised live on HDNET (Check your local listings for times). This makes the 3rd and final fight for the Couture family this month. Kim’s had an excellent training camp leading up to this fight, and as seen in her last fight, truly has the heart of a champion. Everyone here at Xtreme Couture is excited to see Kim step into the ring again.

Below is the interview Kim Couture did with MMAmania.com.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): What’s the deal with this Todd Beard situation? At what point did it get to where you needed to get a restraining order?

Kim Couture: Yeah, whatever is out there is accurate. I’m not going to comment on any of that.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Ok, no problem. We can change the subject. Talk a little bit about why you decided to become a professional fighter and how much your husband Randy influenced that decision if any.

Kim Couture: Well I was training in this sport before I ever met him, but I didn’t get inspired to fight until Gina came into our gym. So it actually had nothing to do with … well I wouldn’t say it had nothing to do with Randy because obviously I’m always around him and what he’s doing, but Gina’s what inspired me. When she started, I just wanted to give her an extra body to work with. She didn’t have many girls to work with here. So, I figured I’d run as much as I could as quickly as possible so I could be valuable to her.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): So you and Gina are really close I assume. Have you heard of where she might possibly land in wake of Elite XC shutting it’s doors?

Kim Couture: We’re very close, but no, she doesn’t even know. Nobody knows until that whole thing shakes out.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): How long have you been training and what kind of fighter do you consider yourself? Are you a striker, a wrestler, grappler, what?

Kim Couture: I’ve been training for a little more than a year and a half. I do everything. I’ve learned everything equally the same through this whole period.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): You debuted in June against Kim Rose and broke your jaw very early on in the fight. Are you completely healed up from that injury now?

Kim Couture: Yep.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Were you skeptical at all to fight a second time after going through such a painful injury?

Kim Couture: Nope, not at all. I wouldn’t be doing it if there was any skepticism (laughs).

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Well I think it was badass that you kept fighting for two and a half more rounds with a broken jaw.

Kim Couture: I think it was a bigger deal to everybody else than it was to me. To me it really wasn’t that big of a deal. It’s all a matter of perspective. I mean, if I was somebody who had never been hurt before in my life I might have freaked out, but I’ve been hurt a lot. I grew up breaking horses and training horses and I’ve had several broken bones and several injuries, but you still have to deal with the issue that’s in front of you, so you just work through it. Crying about it is definitely not going to get you anywhere (laughs).

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): So you obviously don’t agree with the people who say women shouldn’t fight, and that the brutality of that fight is a prime example of why not?

Kim Couture: Not at all, you know, they need to get over that. If they can’t handle blood then maybe they shouldn’t be watching it. It should be up to the fighters. It wasn’t a big deal to me.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Did you learn from any mistakes you made in the Kim Rose fight that you’ll use to help you in your second fight?

Kim Couture: Well I think I was naive in the fact that I thought I could just walk out to the middle, you know, touch gloves and start the fight. I’m not going to make that naive mistake again. I’m going to be prepared from the moment the referee says lets go. So, that was it, just kind of naive on my part, but it won’t happen again.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): There’s not much information on your opponent. Do you know much about her?

Kim Couture: No, I don’t know a thing about her besides her stats. I know she’s an inch taller than me, and same record, two amateur fights and one pro fight, so we should be equally matched.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): How has your training camp been going for this fight?

Kim Couture: It’s been fantastic. I’ve had a great training camp. My coaches are awesome and things are going well. Randy is there everyday, obviously he’s been doing his own thing for this training camp, but he’ll watch if I finish or if I go first, he’ll watch and look and tell me what he sees and what he’s noticing. But I’ve got four other coaches I work with consistently, so I’m listening to them and listening to the techniques they’re teaching.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): How do you like his chances against Brock Lesnar this Saturday?

Kim Couture: Oh, I think he looks great. I think it’s going to be a good night.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Do you think Brock is deserving of a title shot or do you think it’s too early for him to be facing a guy like your husband?

Kim Couture: Oh, I definitely think it’s too early. There’s a lot of other guys out there that have put the time in and paid their dues that have been around and have the experience in the sport. I definitely think it’s too early.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Do you guys get nervous when the other one is fighting?

Kim Couture: No, not at all. There’s nothing to be nervous about. If you’re nervous about something, it just tells you that you have fear, and there’s no fear going into this or we wouldn’t be doing it. You know, it’s exciting. And if you think about it being an exciting time then you go into it with a positive attitude and you’re ready and you have a clear head. If you’re nervous and you’re afraid of something then more than likely something bad will happen.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): What’s it like in the Couture household this close to both of you fighting?

Kim Couture: Nothing changes. We’re the same people all the time. We might be more tired, you know, we get done eating and we go home and go to sleep, so we might get to bed a little earlier than normal, but that’s probably the only thing that changes.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Do you guys ever talk about having kids? With those genes, you guys could make some superstars.

Kim Couture: No, we’re both fixed. (Laughs)

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): You’re still young, only 32. How long do you plan on fighting? What are your goals in this sport?

Kim Couture: I’m just doing it for fun. It’s my outlet. I have a lot of business transactions going on. It just brings good balance to my life. If I’m capable and able to do it without it interfering obviously with our family business, then I’m gonna keep going. I’ve got a lot going on with my promotions as well. I’ve put two shows on already, and I have six planned for next year, so we’ll see how I juggle all that.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Anything specific coming up?

Kim Couture: Nothing solid yet. We’re shooting for the end of January and the end of February. Then we’ll probably take a little break, a month or two off, then have another one.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): This is your first fight with Strikeforce. Are you under contract with them, or what’s the deal with that?

Kim Couture: So far it’s a one fight deal. Well, actually I haven’t even signed anything yet, so I don’t know what it is (laughs). I’m good friends with those guys so I haven’t done any paperwork yet.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): I assume your fight will be on the televised portion of the card.

Kim Couture: Yes.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Do you think women’s MMA was effected by the collapse of Elite XC?

Kim Couture: I think women’s MMA will be fine. I mean, Strikeforce just might get that CBS deal. We don’t know yet. I don’t know who the CBS deal is going to go to, but I know it’s available. I would like to see Stirkeforce get it. They’re putting on women’s fights obviously. I’m going to continue to put on women’s fights on our cards as well. So, I don’t think it’s going to hurt us at all.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Do you have anybody you want to thank or is there anything you want to say to your fans.

Kim Couture: I just thank everybody for their support, the people that stuck by me, especially my coaches for believing in me and helping me out.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Thanks again Kim, and good luck in your fight.

Kim Couture: Your welcome and thank you. Have a good day.

The Couture Family – All Fighting in November

A father, A wife, A Son….. All Fighters……All in November….All Couture!

Ryan Couture makes his first MMA Amateur debut tomorrow November 7th, 2008 in Bellingham, Washington at the Bellingham Sports Plex. Ryan is fighting Ricky Perez (1-1) in the 160lb weight class.

Ryan was initially invited up to watch the event by his old coach (Cody Houston) as this is Houston’s first MMA promotion. Ryan’s comment was sure I’ll come up but I don’t want to watch, I want to FIGHT! Mr. Houston was excited and put the fight together and the rest is history.

When Ryan lived up north he trained at the West Coast Fight Club where Mr. Houston coaches. Ryan, now a Las Vegas resident for almost the past year has spent his time training at Xtreme Couture MMA and the last 5 weeks he has been focused and preparing for this fight.

We asked Ryan what he knows of Ricky and the response was “Not much other than his name and that he is a scrappy stand up fighter. I’ve been working on my Muay Thai and stand up for this fight along with my take down defense and I really want to stand with this guy.”  Couture went on to say, “if that doesn’t go over well for me I’ll rely on my ground game where I am really comfortable.”

Next on the fight schedule is Heavyweight UFC Champion, Randy Couture (16-8). Randy will step into the ring against Brock Lesnar (2-1) November 15th at the MGM Grand here in Las Vegas. Randy hasn’t been in the ring in over a year but we have to tell you that Randy hasn’t lost a step and he is in better shape than his last fight!

And Finally on November 21st less than a week after Randy’s fight, Kim Couture (0-1) again straps on her gloves and steps into the ring making her Strikeforce  debut versus Lina Kvokov (0-1).

Kim is coming off a loss versus Kim Rose where moments after the fight began Kim took a wicked punch to the face, breaking her jaw and almost ending the fight early in the first round. Despite the injury Kim took Rose all 3 rounds and proved to the MMA world that she was much, much more than a pretty face, she was a fighter, a COUTURE.

A historic month indeed, all these fights have their own significant importance and will continue to shape the future of MMA.

By Scott Haney

A Night of Combat II – Post fight interviews

Here are some of the post fight interviews from A Night of Combat II including Jay Hieron, Kim Couture, Josh Haynes, and more. For those that were not able to catch the fights live in Las Vegas at the Thomas and Mack center, they will be broadcast on HDNet on Friday, Oct. 17th, check your local listings for times.

A special thanks to Aaron Mello-Fisher and Livia Mello-Fisher for thier work in making these videos. They can be contacted at aaron@fightersreality.com.

Kim Couture

Jay Hieron

Josh Haynes

Mike Pyle

J.J. Mix