The six time UFC champion Randy Couture was named in March to fight former Pride heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 102. With Couture’s legendary clash with the Brazilian just months away, the former UFC champ has been working on his acting-chops while filming a movie in New Orleans, Louisiana. The film titled “The Expendables” not only features Couture, but also cinema legends Sylvester Stallone and recent Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke.

“I’m having a good time,” Couture said. “It’s going very, very well. It’s been great. I met Mickey at the premier of ‘The Wrestler’ and some of the fight cards he has come to. He’s a fight fan – obviously he was a boxer himself. I met Stallone a couple of times at the Auto Classic and other places. Working with him has been fantastic. He’s wearing a lot of hats in this movie. He wrote it, he’s directing it, and he’s staring in it. There’s a certain intensity that he brings to this whole thing and it’s made it a lot of fun.”

Couture also had plans to appear in another film scheduled to shoot over the summer, however he said that he is not certain that he will be able to play a role in the movie.

“I was trying to get free and clear to do some small stuff in ‘Warrior’, but the ‘Expendables’ is the first priority.”

Couture will be wrapping up the movie shoot in June and will begin preparations for his upcoming August bout against Nogueira. The former champ had also undergone elbow surgery in January, which he said the recovery has gone better than expected.

“Everything is great. I’ve been training on it and it feels fantastic. I’m glad I did it.”

Well since recovered from the operation, Couture said he is excited to face the 32 year-old jiu-jitsu black belt. Couture’s mutual respect for his cage-savvy MMA opponent, Nogueira, surely stems from the Brazilian’s dangerous submission abilities and gritty toughness.

“I think he’s a great fighter,” said Couture. “I’ve watched him fight for years. Obviously I’ve been around Dan Henderson when he fought him twice. I’ve seen him in some of his biggest fights. He’s a true warrior and a tremendous athlete. He’s one of the best submission guys in mixed martial arts. He’s a great opponent and I look forward to getting prepared and fighting him.”

Couture said that his preparation for Nogueira will primarily stay the same, however he will implement a bit of unique training to get ready for the former Pride heavyweight champion.

“The strength and conditioning part of the training camp will be as it is for everybody. You get ready to go five rounds and go as far as you can go. Strategically he’s a different animal than some of the other guys I’ve faced. I need to come up with situations and a training regiment that prepare you for those problems; the things that he brings to the fight.”

The bout is scheduled to take place in Couture’s old stomping grounds of Portland, Oregon. Having an opportunity to perform in front of his hometown fans certainly gives him an advantage and is something that Couture is immensely looking forward to.

“It’s at the Rose Garden in Portland Oregon so I’ll be back in my old hometown in the Pacific North West where I grew up. I’m very excited about that. I think the place is going to be rockin’ and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

With just two fights left on his UFC contract, and in his mid-forties, Couture is unsure if he will ever get his long time desired fight against yet another MMA legend in Fedor Emelianenko.

“I have no idea” Couture stated regarding a possible match.

Fighting and acting aside, Couture stays busy as the owner of one of the most popular and well known MMA training facilities in the world – Xtreme Couture. His Las Vegas based gym is home to MMA stars including Forrest Griffin, Grey Maynard, and Tyson Griffin. Also known to frequent Couture’s gym is Wanderlei Silva, who recently opened his own Las Vegas based facility.

“I think there’s plenty of room for lots of guys, and there’s lots of gyms in Vegas, and plenty of opportunity. It wasn’t an issue for me at all. Wanderlei is a great guy. He’s still been in the gym and some of our guys have been over there to train with him. It goes both ways. We’ll work together. He didn’t ask me for any advice. I don’t think he needed any advice.”

“The (Couture’s) gym is doing well. I think a lot of gyms are experiencing a little issue with the economy being the way that it is. I think we’re holding our own and doing well.”

Couture lost his last fight and heavyweight crown to rising UFC star Brock Lesnar at UFC 91. Despite the loss, Couture welcomed Lesnar’s request to come and train with him at his Xtreme Couture gym, however the UFC interim heavyweight champion has yet to make an appearance at Couture’s camp.

“He asked me if it would be ok to come train at our camp at the fight for the troops night. I said, ‘Of course. It’d be cool. It’d be fine,’ but so far he has stayed pretty isolated getting ready for Mir on his own. He hasn’t ventured into Vegas.”

Looking ahead, Couture did not shed any light regarding who he will fight after his upcoming August bout at UFC 102, although many faithful fans are curious to find out who the former champ will be facing for the last fight on his UFC contract.

“We’ll see what happens; one fight at a time. I’m not going to look past Nogueira. I’ve always taken it one fight at a time.

The next fight will be apparent after the dust settles with the Nogueira fight. I get back the 24th of June. I’ll be training in Vegas for nine weeks so it’s the perfect amount of time to peak for the fight,” Couture stated.