MMA legend and UFC Hall of Famer Randy “The Natural” Couture and his Xtreme Couture GI Foundation teams up this week with Lookingglass Cyber Solutions, a leader in combating cyberwarfare, for the second annual Cyber Fight Club VIP Party at Haze inside Aria. The Aug. 1 event helps support America’s wounded troops, who receive funds for themselves and their families through XCGIF. The event coincides with the Black Hat USA Convention taking place at Caesars Palace through Aug. 1. Las Vegas Magazine’s Kiko Miyasato sat down with Couture.
Q: How is the partnership going between your foundation and Lookingglass?
A: I think it’s a natural fit. We’re trying to raise awareness and hopefully some funds for soldiers, wounded soldiers specifically. We’re dealing with this whole new cyberwarfare front, where the casualties are a lot different than on the front line. … It certainly helped my foundation (teaming with Lookingglass). There were a lot more checks that we got to write that go right into the hands of soldiers and their families.
Q: From your viewpoint, has there been an increase in cyberwarfare?
A: The whole cyberwarfare thing is still new to me. It’s not something I really knew about until I was introduced to Don (Gilberg) and Lookingglass and the whole Black Hat thing. Since that time last year, I’ve had two credit cards hacked! … It’s a huge thing nowadays. When we start talking about national security and these sorts of things—the structure that our country is built on with our banking system—it’s a pretty intense thing to deal with on a regular basis. I wore a uniform for six years in the ’80s and there wasn’t anything going on then but a Cold War.
Q: Since you’ve teamed up with Lookingglass has it opened your eyes to a different side of war?
A: It’s absolutely opened my eyes to something that I didn’t know was out there. I’m not a techie. I do well with a smartphone, but that’s about the extent of it. But it’s definitely raised my awareness to that side of war, cyberwarfare.
Q: What do you say to those people that don’t support our efforts overseas?
A: It doesn’t matter what your political position is. We have young men and women that represent our way of life around the world today. And they do a pretty spectacular job of that. Wherever you fall on the side of politics, you have to support our troops. They’re doing their jobs and doing it to the best of their ability and, I think, represent and protect us very, very well.
Q: Switching gears, what else is going on this year in Randy’s world?
A: I’m getting ready to start filming The Expendables 3. We’ve got the green light for Aug. 19 to go back to Europe and start filming the third movie. It’s a great group of guys to work with. No posturing, no bull crap, it’s all business. (I) have a new show out, too, called Fight Masters. It’s like The Voice meets MMA.
