Chael Sonnen First Meets Randy Couture
MMA star Chael Sonnen talks about the first time he met UFC Champion Randy Couture. Sonnen reflects how he was first introduced to Randy when he came to his college to scout wrestlers.
It just so happened that Randy was asked to take Chael out for a free lunch by the college coach. And Randy, being the guy that he is kindly obliged. He and Chael went to the parking lot where Couture had to get in and open the passenger door side with some force. As he was at the time driving what you might consider an old piece of crap.
Chael reminisces about how Randy told him he had just returned from wrestling in Poland, where he had won a tv. Which he summarily sold for $300 to pay his bills. Chael goes on to talk about how he hoped that he would one day be able to win a tv doing the sport he loved.
All of this occurred around 1995, two years before Couture won the UFC heavyweight title. At this particular point in time, he wasn’t even training in mixed martial arts. As it was still such a young sport which almost no one had heard of at the time.
Make your decision Randy
He discusses how when meeting Randy Couture after he had won in his first tournament in the UFC. Couture arrived with his new pickup truck of which he was super proud. With Chael saying that Randy liked nothing more than to drive his new pickup around town.
Soon after Couture was offered his second slot in the UFC with prize money of fifty thousand. A lot more money than he was making in a year of wrestling coaching. Asked by the college coach to decide between coaching and fighting. There was only one route The Natural was going to take. And the rest, as they say, is history.