Ryan Couture, son of mixed martial arts legend Randy Couture, is set to compete in his second professional mixed martial arts bout, once again under the Strikeforce banner. According to MMAFighting, he will be fighting at Strikeforce Challengers 14, which is set to take place February 18, reportedly scheduled for the Cedar Park Center in Austin, Texas. No opponent has been named.
Strikeforce has consistently dropped the ball when it comes to building fighters, but with the new year under way, the promotion is already taking steps towards building fights, and fighters, that fans would like to see. The Strikeforce Challengers series is a key tool for building names and faces that hardcore and casual fans can identify with the Strikeforce brand, featuring young up and coming fighters, journeymen, and gatekeepers, all looking to make their way to not only relevancy, but the main card of a major Strikeforce event.
With Ryan Couture, Strikeforce has a quality prospect, and are wise to make an investment in the young man. With the Couture name, he gets instant recognition. He's also training at one of the best camps in the world, Xtreme Couture. He's certainly not your typical 1-0 mixed martial artist, and if Strikeforce can groom him properly, he may grow into one of the top young fighters in the sport.
Photo via Dave Mandel, for Sherdog