Ryan Couture discusses 'expected' UFC release, future options

Just a few weeks after losing his job with the UFC, lightweight Ryan Couture has no concrete answers when it comes to what’s next for his MMA career.

The organization let go of the son of former multi-time UFC champion Randy Couture after a decision loss to Al Iaquinta at UFC 164 this past month. It dropped his record to 0-2 inside the octagon.

Some felt Couture’s (6-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) familiar namesake would earn another shot in the UFC, but when news of his release came across the wire, the fighter admits he was not surprised.

“I expected it,” he told MMAjunkie.com Radio. “Not many people get to go 0-2 in the UFC and keep their job, so it’s time to go back and make some adjustments in training, go get some wins and build myself back up and work my way back up to the top.”

Couture briefly held out hope for a third UFC bout due to the competitive nature of his first two clashes. But when he took a hard look at the landscape of the 155-pound weight class, he knew his chances were minimal.

“I don’t know how they would have matched me up or who they would have given to me,” Couture said. “I think there’s so many guys on the roster who have to keep moving, and there’s no room for guys who don’t perform, and that’s the category I landed in.”

The 31-year-old has no regrets about his time with the promotion and isn’t dwelling too much on his release. While he was competitive, he feels he could have used more time to sharpen his skills before facing the highest caliber opponents the sport has to offer.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have that luxury.

“I sort of skipped a developmental phase in my career when Zuffa bought out Strikeforce,” said Couture, whose first seven fights came in the since-shuttered promotion. “The roster got really steep, and the level of competition just went up and up. I think I may have missed out on some valuable experience because of that, so now I’ve just got to figure out what makes sense for my long-term goals.”

Some fighters opt to make significant lifestyle changes such as switching camps or weight classes after a UFC release. And while Couture is open to a potential drop the featherweight division, he ultimately feels the lightweight division as his most suitable weight class.

“It would be possible to make 145 and I’ve thought about it because it wouldn’t be too tough to move from lightweight,” Couture said. “But looking at the way I match up, I may be giving up some strength at lightweight, but I don’t feel like that has cost me yet. I would definitely be giving up a lot of speed at 145, and that would be a lot harder for me to compensate for.”

For now, Couture is simply taking time to relax and see what opportunities unfold in the future.

Free agency is still a flourishing aspect of the sport, but for most fighters fresh out of the UFC, the two most common options are to ink a deal with Bellator MMA or World Series of Fighting. Couture has yet to officially sign with a new promotion, but he is happy to know different routes for his career are available and sees value in joining either company.

“I think there’s a future in both of those organizations,” Couture said. “We just have to talk to them and kind of see what they want to do, see what their interest level is.

“The UFC’s definitely not the only show in town, so I think I can make a good living in another organization.”

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