Xtreme Couture Comes to Canada

The sport of mixed martial arts has existed for decades. Legendary martial artist Bruce Lee is considered by some to be the father of the full contact combat sport, which allows the fighters to use a variety of techniques rooted in martial arts. However, it wasn't until 1993 that the sport was brought to the broader masses with the birth of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), an organization that pitted fighters against one another in a no-holds-barred match that took place in a octagon-shaped, caged ring. Its perceived brutality forced the sport to temporarily become a pay-per-view spectacle but its ever-growing fan base eventually brought the sport back from the underground to appear on cable television stations, such as The Score. However, the sport still remains a huge force in the pay-per-view realm.

While Quebec and Alberta host MMA events on a regular basis, and cities such as Halifax and Prince George have also hosted their share, competition in mixed martial arts remains illegal in Ontario. But that hasn't stopped Couture from opening a facility where individuals can train in the sport.

The Legend Behind "The Natural"

Randy Couture served in the United States Army, where he practiced boxing, and wrestled collegiately before first appearing on UFC in 1997 at the tender age of 33. He made an immediate impression on the sport, winning the heavyweight title in his first year. This instant impact earned Couture the nickname "The Natural." He won five more titles over his 10-year UFC hall-of-fame career before severing his ties with the organization following the successful defence of his crown in August of 2007.

Life After Fighting

Couture spent his post-UFC fighting years as a MMA broadcaster, has appeared as an actor in a handful of films, and is keeping busy with his Xtreme Couture MMA training facilities. He founded his first gym in 2007 in Las Vegas as a place where other fighters could train and those interested in MMA could learn. Since then he has opened up five more Xtreme Couture MMA training facilites across the United States, and now his first in Canada. They held a grand opening on May 31st where the media and public were invited to see the facility and meet Randy Couture in person. The 33,000-square-foot Toronto facility features state-of-the-art equipment, a boxing ring, a full-size professional octagon, and experienced instructors teaching Muay Thai kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, judo, traditional boxing and more. Almost half of the facility's space will be designated as a conventional, yet updated health club, complete with cardio equipment, a spinning studio, hot yoga room and more. The rest of the space will dedicated to MMA training and instruction. The gym is the first of its kind in Canada and its co-owner, Doug Urch, plans to open three more across the country.

Sources:

www.xtremecouture.tv

www.xtremecouture.ca

www.mmacanada.net

Randy Couture in his trademark pose

Randy Couture was swarmed by media in the octagon

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