UFC Hall of Famer talks Liddell/Ortiz 2 and St. Pierre/Hughes 3

PC: How’s everything been going Randy?

RC: Everything has been going great. Busy as a son of a gun.

PC: You recently attended a California Narcotics Officer’s training Symposium. Could you speak on that a bit?

RC: Yeah. They brought me in to do a guest appearance. Myself, Chuck Liddell and John McCarthy and we got to see a week of their training and had a fun night. We watched Monday night football and UFC on big screen in their big ball room. We ate food, signed autographs and took pictures with all the guys. It was about 2,000 police officers. It was pretty big. It was cool.

PC: A couple of weeks ago, you fought submission champion Ronaldo Souza to a draw in a submission grappling match. How do you feel about your performance and how long will you continue to grapple?

RC: I feel alright about my performance. I would’ve liked to be in a little better shape and be a little more aggressive, but overall I thought it was a good match and he’s a very good submission guy, so it was kind of fun to get out there. I wasn’t sure what to expect from him and he certainly lived up to his billing. He’s tough. He’s the champion. I could see myself grappling till I’m unable to walk.

PC: You recently called the Matt Hughes/George St. Pierre fight. Were you surprised at how George St. Pierre was able to dominate Matt?

RC: I was a little surprised by the knockout. I picked George to win the fight, but I thought he would; like he did stick and move and be hard for Matt to deal with. Similar to the way he was in the 1st round of their 1st fight until he got caught in a submission. He’s not going to run out of gas. He’s a very hard worker and stays in shape. I knew he would be hard for Matt to get his hands on and I thought he would just win the rounds. That is how I picked it. I was surprised that he was so sharp. His jab looked great. He set up the low kick and looked low and went high in the 2nd round and I was surprised by the knockout, but not the overall outcome.

PC: What do you think Matt could do to regain his title from George or do you think stylistically George is all wrong for him?

RC: Obviously, I think Matt is going to have to go back to the drawing board and work on his stand-up skills some more. His stand-up skills had gotten a lot better. George is a longer, rangier fighter and uses his mobility and speed very well. I think if Matt’s striking was more aggressive and he cut off the ring and put more pressure on George, then he could’ve set up his takedowns where he would’ve had a better chance to wear George down. That’s not going to be easy. Styles make fights and the trilogy is in the making and it will be fun to watch.

PC: How do you like commentating in the UFC and does being that close to the action give you that itch to get back in there?

RC: I like commentating. I like being able to give an athlete’s perspective. It’s fun for me and I enjoy it. It’s the best seats in the house. It doesn’t really give me that itch because I’m as busy as I’ve ever been in my life. I’m not able to train the way I normally do for fights. I feel like I made the right decision getting out when I did. There are a lot of opportunities out there for me in regards to fighting. I’m enjoying life.

PC: UFC 66 is right around the corner. You’ve fought Chuck 3 times and Tito once. Who are you picking in the rematch and why?

RC: I like Chuck in the rematch. Stylewise I think Tito has the style to make it a long night for Chuck, but I think physiologically he’s going to have a hard time getting over the hurdle. Chuck is in his head a little bit still and I think ultimately it’s going to be Chuck’s night and he’ll find a way in Chuck fashion to finish the night early.

PC: The co-main event of the night is Forrest Griffin vs. Keith Jardin. Who are you taking in that one? 

RC: A hard headed tough match-up. I think that Forrest is a rangier fighter and that will be tough for Keith to deal with. I think Forrest is a better fighter overall. He’s tough. He’s a tough character. He has great skills and he’s definitely going to bring it. It’s going to be a good fight, but I think ultimately it will be Forrest’s night.

PC: You are definitely the foundation of MMA and the UFC taking off. Looking back, did you think it would be this big?

RC: I don’t think anybody really knew. I think everyone thought we had something special about the sport and its athletes. We all kind of felt largely misunderstood. It’s certainly nice to see it open up now and people get it. It’s a fun time to be involved in it.

PC: We saw you on The Ultimate Fighter shows training and helping out. How did you like doing that and can we expect to see you on future shows?

RC: I’ve been involved in 3 now. The first season I was a coach and the other times as a consultant. I enjoyed it each time and if given the opportunity, I would be happy to get involved again. I don’t know if that will happen, but I will definitely take the chance if given to me.

PC: Most guys have to wait a couple years or longer to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. You were inducted a couple of months after you announced your retirement. How does that make you feel?

RC: It was certainly a great honor for me to be included with Ken Shamrock, Royce Gracie and Dan Severn. They were the pioneers of this sport, so to be recognized and thrown in with those guys was very nice.

PC: I appreciate the interview. You are one of my hero’s. Is there anything you would like to say in closing?

RC: Thanks. I appreciate the coverage.

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