Former UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture is paying tribute to Chuck Norris following the martial arts legend’s passing, sharing a personal memory that speaks to the kind of man Norris was off camera.
In a recent interview, Couture opened up about his connection to Norris while recounting how he came to land a role in Sylvester Stallone‘s blockbuster franchise, The Expendables. The story of how Couture was cast led him directly back to his memories of Norris, a man he had known long before either of them appeared on screen together.
“We all just lost Chuck Norris,” Couture said. “And I knew Chuck before that because of his martial arts history. He’s a big fan of MMA and a fan of me.”
Couture recalled a particularly meaningful moment that Norris invited him into.
“He rented the theater up in Santa Clarita for The Passion of the Christ and I got to sit and watch The Passion of the Christ with all his friends and family, which was an amazing experience for me,” Couture said. “He was an amazing human and he will be missed.”
It was a generous gesture that left a lasting impression on Couture, who described it not just as a film screening but as an intimate look at the kind of community Norris built around himself. Being welcomed into that circle alongside Norris’s closest friends and family clearly meant something to the former champion well beyond the event itself.
Couture’s admiration for Norris is rooted in a shared world. Both men built their identities through martial arts before crossing over into entertainment, and that common foundation gave their relationship a genuine footing.
Norris, who earned multiple karate titles before becoming one of Hollywood’s most recognizable action stars, was an early supporter of mixed martial arts at a time when the sport was still finding its footing in mainstream culture.
The two moved in overlapping circles, and Norris made it a point to follow Couture’s career with genuine interest.
“He was an amazing human and he will be missed,” Couture said.
