LAS VEGAS -- All fighters celebrate a win differently.
For Ryan Couture, the reaction to his first professional victory over Lucas Stark in August was quick. After locking up a triangle choke in the second minute of the fight, Couture got to his feet, leapt in the air and yelled once at the top of his lungs.
The celebration was simple but, according to Couture, cathartic.
Tweet, tweet:
I think I was in denial that whole camp about how much stress I was under and how nervous I really was," Couture told ESPN.com. "Judging from my reaction after the fight, that release, I was letting all that excitement out.
"That's as fired up as I've ever been after a fight."
Couture (1-0) will finally look to build off the momentum from his pro debut when he meets fellow lightweight Lee Higgins (2-0) Friday on the main card of Strikeforce Challengers 14 in Austin, Texas.
The Las Vegas-based fighter had been scheduled to fight in November, but he had to pull out due to a staph infection in his right leg. The leg got so bad that Couture was hospitalized multiple times, including the night he was supposed to compete.
"I definitely feel like I lost a little steam," Couture said. "I had already put in five weeks of training for that fight when things started to go south. Having to spend the night I was supposed to fight in the hospital was a heartbreaker."
The layoff presented a few unique problems, not the least of which was Couture's weight, which went as high as 187 pounds -- 10 more than his usual walking weight. Couture said he had to modify his diet early but wasn't overly concerned, having faced similar time off during his amateur career due to injury.
With the staph behind him, the 28-year-old is back to his mission of gaining experience in the cage and proving he's more than just a well-known name that Strikeforce can benefit from.
Although Couture has said in countless interviews that he appreciates what his last name has done for him, he admits that, obviously, it's added pressure to this early stage in his career.
He'd like there to be a day when media and fans want to talk more about him and less about his father, UFC legend Randy Couture. And he knows the only path to that day is winning.
"I think this is not so much an opportunity to prove myself as it is my job to do it," Couture said. "If I want my career to mean anything, I have to prove myself. The last name was great getting me opportunities. Now, I have to back it up so people will stay interested and talk about me for me instead of who I'm related to."
Couture hides the pressure on him well. His naturally quiet demeanor makes him a hard read, even to those around him.
Tim Lane, Couture's kickboxing coach and cornerman, didn't even believe it at first when Couture admitted he was nervous last August.
"I guess he fooled me too, because I didn't see it," Lane said. "His demeanor is just kind of calm. You wouldn't know if he's hyped up, or if he's sad, mad. I have a hard time reading him."
The nerves are better for Couture leading into his second fight. His terrific performance in his debut coupled with the anticipation during a long layoff have him feeling more excited than nervous.
While his fighting style is different from his father's, they have the same mentality when it comes to approaching fights -- know your opponent and plan a scenario that gives you the best chance to win.
In Higgins, Couture sees an opponent less than comfortable on his feet but with solid wrestling and a knack for capitalizing on opportunities. He'd like to see what he can accomplish on the feet and try utilizing his 73-inch reach.
"If you give up your back or give [Higgins] a dominant position, he keeps it," Couture said. "So I have to stay ahead of the game and not concede a position to him. Hopefully, I'll be able to apply the advantage I feel I have on the feet."
In describing his game plan, Couture comes off as his usual mild, calculated self. But as Strikeforce fans have now witnessed, there's probably a lot of emotion he's keeping to himself.
Brett Okamoto covers MMA for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter at bokamotoESPN.
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