Kim Couture Wins MMA Debut

The-Iceman-Chuck-Liddell · 04-06-2008, 03:33 AM

Kim Couture wins in MMA debut - MMAjunkie.com

PORTLAND, Ore. – Kim Couture won her mixed martial arts debut Saturday by stopping Jessica Cruz late in the third round during a Full Contact Fighting Federation event at the Roseland Theater in Portland, Ore.

After both fighters experienced long periods of inactivity on the mat, Couture mounted Kruse and began raining down punches until the referee stepped in to save Cruz at the 1:43 mark.

"I wasn't nervous," Couture said immediately after the bout. "I could tell right away that she wasn't that technical. My punches are straight. I wanted to kick her more, but she was shorter than I am used to."

Before even stepping into the cage, Couture became a galvanizing figure among fans. Some have interest because of her obvious association with the UFC heavyweight champion in exile, husband Randy Couture. Others decry the attention she receives for the same reason. As the Vice President of Xtreme Couture, however, she is undeniably one of the most powerful females in MMA.

"She has a last name, so she will get a lot of attention; that's just the way it is," said Christa Shaffer. Shaffer co-manages the Xtreme Couture gym in Vancouver, Wash. with husband Jay, also a husband-and-wife fighting team. "Any attention on women's fighting is good. Kim still has to go out there and fight."

There was no doubt where the fans' hearts were Saturday. Despite hailing from Las Vegas, Couture received the loudest ovation of any fighter by far.

"I went out there not knowing if they were going to throw beer bottles at me," she said. Cruz "was the local fighter."

Her bout produced different emotions among her family. Her son, Oakley, sat in the front row.

"I was so scared, I couldn't stop shaking," the soft-spoken 12-year-old said. "I didn't want my mom to get all bloody or a broken bone."

But Randy was calm and calculating in her corner.

"It's not that different from cornering any fighter, really," he said. "There is always that aspect of not being in control, but I know what she is capable of."

Many fighters' spouses dread the spectacle of their loved one entering the cage. Matt Lindland and wife, Angie, sat cageside. Angie said she used to wander arena concourses instead of watching her husband fight.

"Well, I have perspective on what is happening in there," Randy said. "I know she's not going to get hurt. If the worst thing that happens to you in life is you lose a fight, things went pretty well."

Couture also fought -- and lost -- an un-scored Muay Thai smoker in March. The event aired nationally on HDNet.

On Saturday her striking skills were evident in the first round when a straight right floored Cruz, adding a large mouse above her left eye. Both fighters looked lost at times on the ground, remaining motionless for long periods as the crowd chanted for a stand-up. Couture won the first round convincingly, but the second was close. Cruz landed a spinning backfist that scraped Couture below her left eye. Couture was taken down in the third, but reversed Cruz and tried for a triangle choke before gaining the mount to finish the fight.

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WEC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen co-promotes the FCFF with former University of Oregon wrestler Kevin Keeney. Although a fixture in the Northwest (13 consecutive sellouts), the event is primarily a proving ground for amateur fighters.

Saturday, many first-time fighters found themselves warming up next to serious star power. In addition to Sonnen, Lindland and Couture, the UFC's Nate Quarry and veteran Lodune Sincaid cornered fighters while UFC rookie Chris Wilson sat cageside.

Glad she won. She is pretty hot to haha

giguer · 04-06-2008, 12:07 PM

No video about this?

PINOYPRIDE · 04-06-2008, 02:57 PM

^^ I also what to know???