“I just love punching people, it’s so therapeutic”

By Jeff Zimmerman

Former UFC heavyweight and part-time boxer Rashad Coulter (4-0, 3 KOs) out of Dallas, Texas, is moving from the cage to the ring on one of boxing’s biggest stages this Saturday, November 28 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, as he has landed on the Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr. exhibition extravaganza against Hasim Rahman, Jr. (9-0, 4 KOs), son of former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman.

Coulter was originally slated to fight Viddal Riley, a British pro boxer and Internet personality, known for training YouTube sensation KSI.

Coulter had heard he may be hurt, but thought it was just a ploy and didn’t think it would impact the fight. Coulter found out late yesterday of the switch.

“The crazy part is we had heard he was hurt and he was in England, but we thought it was just a lie to make us think he wasn’t fighting so we can train less but it was true,” Coulter shared. I saw him 3 times so far and at the press conference I felt weird vibes from him.”

At 38, Coulter, took it all in stride and didn’t flinch when he heard about the change from his coach and was ready to move forward with Rahman Jr.

“I was ok with the change,” he said. “At this point I have been preparing very hard for this fight. The only difference is he is a southpaw and switches a lot. Good thing I have been sparring my teammate Geoff Neal, who is arguably one of the best southpaw strikers in the UFC.

“Geoff is great work, he’s ambidextrous, so he can spar and fight right-handed, left-handed, it doesn’t matter. And Geoff has amazing hands and he’s really the only one I get a lot work in with. I’m training over at Rogers, R&R Boxing Club, so all my sparring partners have been over there.”

For Coulter to even be on the card is quite amazing, as he last fought in the UFC in November 2018 and last boxed August 2016. But an old childhood friend and former Strikeforce light heavyweight world champion, Muhammed Lawal, better known as “King Mo,” made the connection for the fight.

“I was sitting at home and my homeboy King Mo, who also got me into MMA, asked if I wanted to take a boxing fight and I was like, ‘yea.’ And he said it was the Roy Jones Jr., Mike Tyson card.”

“At that time, I didn’t really think it was going to happen,” Coulter admitted. “He gave me the name and number of the matchmaker and asked if I wanted to fight Viddal Riley and I said yes if you give it to me. They called back 10-15 minutes later and accepted the fight.”

Even though he now has a new opponent in Rahman Jr., he is just happy to be back fighting.

“I’m very excited for it,” said Coulter. “I wish I could have had more boxing fights, but we all know how the game is, all the politics. There a lot of guys that don’t want to fight guys such as myself because there’s a risk.

“I wish I could have had more boxing fights, but here I am, on one of the biggest stages with two of the greatest legends to ever participate in the sport. I’m just honored and blessed. I got favor. God continues to show me favor over and over and over again.”

Coulter had a four-fight stay in the UFC and realizes he got caught up in the machine.

“Honestly, the thing with my run in the UFC, I bought into all the hype, you’re getting too old, wanting me to be a crowd pleaser, you don’t have time,” Coulter shared. “This is what you need to be successful in the UFC.

“I ended up taking fights in a weight class that I really had no business fighting in, which is heavyweight. Technically I’m not really a big guy. When I finally went down to my weight class, it was finally a dominant performance all the way across the board. I went overseas to another man’s country and beat the brakes off him unanimously in his country, which is very hard to do.”

Coulter had suffered some injuries in the cage as well, but since he was a late starter to combat sports, he still feels like he has gas left in the tank.

“As far as injuries, I broke my hand,” said Coulter. “I have had a few knee injuries, MCL and all that. I got a late start in fighting. Many people think because of my age, I’m too old or too slow. I didn’t walk into a fighting gym until I was 28 and my first fight at 30.

“I made it to the UFC in less than 5 years and had never fought amateur. I never wrestled and I never did anything except play 17 years of football. So, I don’t have that wear and tear like other guys where they go through the amateurs and have a hundred, two hundred, three hundred fights, I don’t have that damage. The only damage I have received is the damage I imposed on someone else that has caused damage on myself. Like hitting somebody and breaking my hand hitting or kicking them or stepping wrong and tearing the MCL.”

Coulter continued, “I just love to fight. I just love punching people, it’s so therapeutic.”

Coulter is not one to look back on what might have been if he started fighting earlier.

“I’m right where I’m supposed to be in life,” Coulter stated. “A lot of people think that I woulda, coulda, shoulda and start living this life of regret. I am thankful and it helps me that I don’t have all that wear and tear on my body. If I would have started young, who knows, my life could have gone a completely different route. I never think I coulda, woulda, shoulda, I’m just blessed to seize the opportunity now whenever they come my direction.”

Coulter keeps a tight circle and has high praise for his long-time boxing coach.

“I’m 100% with Nate Pipitone he is my guy, that’s my coach. I love Nate and he’s a great human being. He believes in me. He has always believed in me and pushes me and knows my potential. Nate is my guy.”

This weekend can’t come fast enough for the soft-spoken, yet heavy handed Coulter.

“Saturday you can expect fireworks,” Coulter promised. “Saturday night I’m just going to leave everything in the ring. I am going to prove, that I, myself, can defy father time. Just expect me to feel him out and what he’s trying to do and once I feel his power, just expect the fireworks to fly from that point on.”