To what the roles he adopts in these films affects his ability to fight is for now an open question, but one certainly hopes Couture isn't trading in what fighting years he has left for straight to DVD movies. Notable quote:
Ex-UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture has signed on for a major role in Sylvester Stallone's next action project, titled The Expendables.
Couture joins a strong cast including action stars Jet Li, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren and Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker. The $60 million feature centers on a group of mercenaries (Couture, Li, Staham and Stallone) sent to overthrow against a ruthless dictator. Whitaker plays an FBI agent in the film.
According to Couture's agent Matt Walker, Couture's role is a major one originally conceived for Wesley Snipes and rewritten for the former UFC champ.
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The project is the third major movie role Couture has signed onto for 2009, along with thriller Relentless and Lionsgate action film Warrior.
The upside? At least the exposure will be good for pay-per-view sales when Couture does actually get back to fighting. The downside, I'm afraid, is that beyond distracting Couture from training for fights we are now being treated to what I'm betting will be horrendous cinema.