Few people, if any, are tougher than Randy Couture.

After all, the expert mixed

martial artist, regarded as the "Natural," is the only five-time champion in the
history of his sport, and he has held Ultimate Fighting Championship titles in
two different weight divisions.

But Couture will be the first to tell you he's got nothing on what several U.S.
soldiers have gone through in Iraq and Afghanistan, particularly those who have
been wounded in action. That's why he and his spouse Kim founded the Xtreme Cout
ure G.I. Foundation a year and a half ago.

On Thursday Sept. 25, you can sign up for Couture's cause at Rhodes Ranch Golf C
lub in Las Vegas by playing in his first-ever charity golf tournament to benefit
the G.I. Foundation. Individuals who play will not only be helping a good cause
, but they also will have a chance to meet the Coutures and a number of other to
p fighters as well as celebrities from the entertainment industry.

The scramble event will pair four-person amateur teams with a celeb. The event w
ill be part of a weekend celebration that will also incorporate an auction, food
and entertainment. Price of the event is $175. The field is limited to the firs
t 144 players.

Couture served six years in the Army from 1982 to 1988. He was trained as an air
traffic controller, but got seriously involved in the sport he excelled at and
spent the last four years of his military career representing the U.S. Army in n
ational and worldwide wrestling contests. He competed in four U.S. Olympic Trial
s and was an All-American at Oklahoma State University before embarking on his p
rofessional fighting career. He says the foundation is about giving back to indi
viduals who have sacrificed for America.

"I was very fortunate, having been through that military experience and lived th
at life," Couture says. "Now, 20 years later, I have the opportunity to do appea
rances and give back. It's a chance to get involved and contribute to those sold
iers who are putting it on the line."
To date, the foundation, which was formed primarily to boost money and awareness
for those wounded in action and their family members, has raised close to $150,
000 through events such as a 5K run and poker event. Several of the 24,000 wound
ed have suffered severely traumatic injuries such as gunshot wounds, burns and b
last injuries, some resulting in amputations, and need the foundation's help, Co
uture says.

Through referrals from the military services, the foundation has been able to as
sist avoid families of wounded soldiers from becoming homeless, paying bills for
those who could not handle the extra expense of staying near their convalescing
soldier and supporting discharged soldiers start their lives back home. A major
part of the funding also has gone toward getting special sports equipment and p
rosthesises for people who have disabilities and want to resume or take part in
athletic activities.

"They kind of use athletics as a means to get themselves back into society and c
ontributing," Couture says. "They could certainly find lots of excuses not to do
those sorts of things."

The goal is to raise $90,000 through the golf event and weekend activities, he s
ays.

Couture says he drew inspiration for the golf event when he took part in ex-New
York Giants' defensive end Michael Strahan's golf event earlier this summer. Str
ahan's event, which was held in the New York City area, raises money for underpr
ivileged kids. Couture, who grew up playing a little golf in his home town of Ly
nnwood, Wash., and once worked at a golf course, says, nonetheless, that it's no
t so much about the golf as it is about having fun and raising money for a great
cause.

"I don't know if golf gets any better than it is in Las Vegas," Couture says. "M
ost people don't need a huge excuse to come to Vegas anyway. A chance to come su
pport our soldiers, especially those troops coming back that have been wounded,
is a pretty good cause."
In addition to Randy and Kim Couture, committed celebrity friends include: Ken C
asey, the lead singer and bass player for the Boston punk band "The Dropkick Mur
phys"; Pete Koller, guitar player for the popular New York Hardcore band "Sick o
f it All"; UFC fighter Karo "The Heat" Parisyan, the No. 10 ranked welterweight
in the world; singer, musician and comedian Bert Lynch; UFC fighter Stephen Bonn
er; world class welterweight John "The Natural" Alessio; and Winky Wright, the f
ormer light middleweight world champion and a current middleweight contender. An
invitation to Strahan and many other celebrity friends such as actors Rob Schne
ider and Kevin James are also going out, Couture says.

Attendees also will have a chance to bid on an auction bundle that will allow fu
ll access to a private mixed martial arts session at the Xtreme Couture Mixed Ma
rtial Arts Training Center in Las Vegas, where Couture still trains some two and
a half hours each day with his fighters.

At age 45, Couture says he hopes to take on Russia's Fedor Emelianenko, who many
consider to be the greatest heavyweight fighter in the world for the last five
years. Couture, who has been in a legal dispute with the UFC, would like the fig
ht to occur by the end of the year.

"The UFC is going to try to keep me from doing that," he says. "But I don't thin
k they will be able to do that forever."