PHOENIX — Before he became a six-time UFC champion, an actor and one of the most iconic names in mixed martial arts history, Randy Couture served in the U.S. Army.

On Tuesday, he will go back to his roots and serve as the celebrity grand marshal for the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade.

Couture, who served in the Army’s 101st Airborne Division from 1982 to 1988, said that fighting for his country helped pave the road for his future accomplishments.

“I think in many ways it set me up for success down the road after service, and led me to my college career in wrestling — (I) wrestled for the national team, fighting in mixed martial arts, all of those things kind of grew out of that competitive spirit that I developed in the Army,” Couture said on Monday.

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