Randy
Couture
2025 Celebrity Grand Marshal
U.S. Army Veteran | 6x UFC Champion | Accomplished Actor
As a member of the Army wrestling team, Couture’s talent flourished. It was there he learned to dig deeper, to believe in himself, and to push past limits. That grit carried him through college at Oklahoma State, and later, into the world of Mixed Martial Arts, where he would go on to become a six-time UFC world champion.
Yet even in the spotlight, Couture never lost sight of his military roots.
In 2009, he founded the Xtreme Couture GI Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping injured veterans of the armed forces. And through Merging Vets & Players—a program he co-founded with Green Beret/NFL veteran Nate Boyer and Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer—he’s helping veterans and former pro athletes navigate the emotional challenges of transitioning to civilian life. Together, they foster connection, healing, and purpose beyond the battlefield or the arena.
Randy Couture’s journey is proof that service doesn’t stop when the uniform comes off. From soldier to champion to tireless veteran advocate, he reminds us all that America’s strength lies not just in power—but in purpose.
“I wore the uniform. I understand the commitment and the discipline,” he once said. “I didn’t have to go into combat, but I’ve met so many who did—and who gave so much. I’m honored to stand with them.”
~ Randy Couture
About Randy
A high school wrestling state champion, U.S. Army soldier, three-time NCAA All-American, international Greco-Roman competitor and six-time UFC World Champion and Hall of Famer, Randy Couture is a true icon in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts and the UFC. In addition to his stellar standing in combat sports, Randy is also a successful businessman, actor and best-selling author.
6x UFC Champion
Randy wrestled at the World Championships in Greco-Roman in 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997 and became a three-time Olympic team alternate (1988, 1992 and 1996), a semifinalist at the 2000 Olympic Trials, a three-time NCAA Division I All-American and a two-time NCAA Division I runner-up (1991 and 1992) at Oklahoma State University.
By December of 1997, at the age of 33, Randy made his debut into the world of professional fighting claiming victory in the Heavyweight division of his first appearance in the UFC and soon earning the moniker of “Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture.” Randy has fought in 16 title fights and has six UFC title reigns in the Lightweight and Heavyweight divisions. He also became the 4th pro fighter to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
Acting Career
Randy’s growing career in acting includes the hit films “The Expendables” and “The Expendables 2,” opposite Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis, and he reprised his role as Toll Road in “The Expendables 3.” Randy also played a recurring character on CBS’, “The Unit,” in a role written specifically for him. Randy has appeared in Spike’s “Lip Sync Battle”, HBO’s “Ballers”, “Whose Line is it Anyway”, “Dancing with the Stars”, “Impractical Jokers”, and multiple episodes of “Hawaii Five O”.
Giving Back
Randy served 6 years in the U.S. Army (1982-1988) attaining the rank of Sergeant in the 101st Airborne. In 2009 he started his foundation, the Xtreme Couture GI Foundation (XCGIF). The GI Foundation is dedicated to helping injured veterans of America’s Armed Forces.
Couture has also teamed with Jay Glazer of Fox Sports and Green Beret and NFL player Nate Boyer to create Merging Vets and Players (MVP), which is a program designed to address challenges that many combat veterans and professional athletes face when transitioning their service/professional life toward a new mission in civilian life.