Lightweight Ryan Couture is currently on a four fight winning streak and he will be looking for his fifth win in a row on Friday night when he meets former Bellator lightweight tournament finalist Patricky “Pitbull” Freire on the main card of Bellator 148.
While Couture (10-3) has won four fights in a row, 2015 was not the most productive year for him in the Bellator cage. He did score a first round submission against Dakota Cochrane at Bellator 135, but that would be his only fight to take place last year.
He was scheduled to take on Nick Gonzalez at Bellator 143, but that fight was scratched on weigh-in day when Gonzalez missed weight by sixteen pounds. With how everything went for Couture in 2015, does he view last year as a disappointing year or does he try to think about the positive aspects?
“I try to not dwell on the frustrating aspects of it,” Couture told The MMA Report. “I still made a lot of good progress in the gym and made a lot of improvements to my game. The fight that I did have was a dominating win over a very tough opponent. I am real happy with that. Obviously, I would have liked to have been busier and was disappointed how that last one went. But it’s an unpredictable sport and it’s not always going to go perfect. Just staying positive and working hard. Looking forward to showcasing my skills this year.”
Initially, Couture was scheduled to fight Derek Anderson on Friday’s card. However, Anderson would end up pulling out of the fight and Bellator turned to Pitbull to face Couture. With the change of opponent, did Couture have to make drastic changes in his preparations?
“There are some small adjustments, but my ultimate goal in either matchup and really damn anybody that I am ever going to fight is the same,” Couture explained. “That is to close the distance. Put the pressure on him and force that grind and grappling match. That is where I am at my best. We are going to have to go at it a different way against Patricky. He brings a different set of threats standing then Derek does. The end goal is not that much different. There are just minor tweaks and minor adjustments to how we are going to get there.”
When most people think of Patricky Pitbull, the thought that comes to mind is the power that he has in both of his hands. He has shown that power in the Bellator cage with stoppage victories against Rob McCullough, Tony Imada, Kurt Pellegrino, David Rickels, and Derek Campos. Along with having power in his strikes, Couture is very aware of the grappling abilities Pitbull will bring to the cage on Friday night as well.
“He definitely has got those credentials on the ground and I know he is a talented grappler. Even beyond that, he is such an explosive athlete that he is dangerous anywhere and I am going to have to be ready when I get that takedown for him to explode back up. He is hard to hold down and if he does concede to that grappling match, he is no easy task to put away there either. I have to have my wits about me everywhere in this fight. But I think that is what makes it exciting and that is the challenge I am looking for.”
Couture knows that a key to victory on Friday night is to be who he is. He knows that he can not leave his chin out there as Pitbull will constantly be looking for that fight ending strike. He believes that cardio will be a key in the fight as Pitbull took this fight on short notice and if Couture can walk away with a victory, he has to be considered a potential opponent for current Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks.