Brian Knapp at TheFightNetwork is reporting that that current UFC Heavyweight champion has resigned from the promotion with two fights left on his current contract. Couture is walking away from the UFC, his position has reigning UFC champion and on-air analyst.
Couture made the announcement official in a letter to UFC president Dana White. The UFC’s inability to land PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko played a prominent role in the decision to walk away, according to Couture.
“I appreciate this opportunity the sport of MMA and the UFC has given me,†the UFC Hall-of-Famer said. “However, I’m tired of swimming upstream at this stage with the management of the UFC. It only makes sense at this point in my career to fight Fedor Emelianenko, and since he’s now signed with another organization, I feel like it’s time to resign and focus on my other endeavors.â€
His abrupt departure deals a significant blow to the world’s most visible MMA organization. Couture was not only a beloved competitor – White once called him “the greatest fighter in UFC history†– but also a revered spokesman for a company that had long struggled to gain mainstream acceptance.
“Randy’s contract was on a fight-by-fight basis, and that’s the way he said he was always going to take it – fight by fight,†said Matt Walker, Couture’s agent at The Gersh Agency. “His acting career is accelerating at an astronomical rate, and without the support he felt some of his peers were receiving in the fight business, this was the logical choice.â€
I, for one, don’t know how to take this news. As of right now, I feel pretty upset and almost cheated by Randy leaving. Randy’s comeback to prominence in the heavyweight division was an inspiration to fans and proved to many that, in the world of MMA, anything is possible. Now, I don’t know who to be more upset with. Randy for just up and walking away or Dana White and Zuffa for letting it happen by not signing Fedor over a few Sambo matches.
Of course, I don’t know the exact details of his contract with Zuffa, but I have to believe that by leaving the promotion with fights still left on his deal that he won’t be able to fight with any other promotion. A possible matchup with Fedor in M-1 doesn’t seem likely, unless his contract was more lenient that I can fathom or perhaps if the contract and fight all take place in Russia outside of the jurisdiction of the US court system.
** UPDATE **
Josh Gross at Sherdog.com was able to speak with Randy today and has some more info on the situation.
Apparently Randy still has 9 months left on the deal with the UFC and will be contractually bound from fighting elsewhere until that timespan is up. Also, Randy said this move was more about not getting the respect he deserved from the UFC management.
“I think the final straw for me was meeting with White and Lorenzo (Fertitta, UFC co-owner) where they claimed I was the No. 2 paid athlete in the organization, which I know is a bold-faced lie,” Couture said. Polling other athletes, said Couture, he learned that his compensation — some $250,000 a fight with pay-per-view bonuses, according to the Couture camp — was nowhere near what other top UFC fighters were making.
“All us athletes are all pretty tightly intertwined,” he said. “You hear what other guys were paid signing bonuses and what other guys were paid on the record and off the record with bonuses. I’ve heard Chuck’s numbers. Tito’s numbers. Hughes’ numbers. Quinton’s numbers. Cro Cop, Wanderlei. I heard what they were offering Fedor, and it’s insulting.”
Couture’s rocky history with the Zuffa-owned UFC began in 2001.
“I think what set us off on the wrong foot was that my management [at the time] wasn’t willing to give up ancillary rights across the board with no option for some sort of compensation,” said Couture, alluding to a reason cited by Emelianenko’s representatives as to why the Russian did not end up with the UFC. “All the other athletes at that time were signing those contracts. That created a lot of animosity and got me pulled out of the Carmen Electra campaigns to promote the athletes and the sport and the video game and all that stuff.”
richard
Jason
bvrasp
Michael Hatamoto
Amir
DAMM I LIKED HIM…WELL INTERM FIGHT FOR THE TITLE… SOMEONE TAKES ON ARLOVSKI?? WHO?? WHAT THE HELL IS UP FOR THE HW BRACKET NOW??
Holy crap, now this is news. I didn’t realize how much fighting Fedor meant to Randy. This just shows how much more of a true competitor this guy is, wanting to test himself against the best of the best. Wow, this is absolutely shocking and a serious blow to the UFC, Dana White, and MMA. Cro Cop has been a bust, Andrei is MIA, and the rest don’t speak english…thank god Tim Sylvia’s back is healed…lol.
LOL AMIR
Doc dont feel cheated, feel disqusted at the fact that the ufc knew probably that randy wanted to fight fedor and they did nothing…or they didnt do enough. I respect what randy did for the plain and simple fact randy is the true warrior and always wanted to fight the best no matter what. He came outta retirement to fight prides great heavyweights and i feel he got cut short. Ufc talks the talk but sometimes dont walk the walk. I believe they could have done more to get fedor if they wanted to. Now look what happend, we done lost two top heavyweights. Im starting to think maybe ufc is kinda retarted when it comes to certain aspects of their game. But i donno, this is some bull…i hope randy signs a fight with m-1 to fight fedor!!!! Then the ufc and their execs would see how it feels to spend their money and make sacrifices to order and watch a mega fight……….Thumbs up to randy for being a true warrior!!!!
@ at pat……..Yea what the hell is gonna happen now?!!!! This is some bull. I liked seeing randy fight. I liked seeing him fight against all odds. I liked seeing him hit tim’s temple in that first round……Wow what a shame. what a shame, what a shame.
doc….i thought that his contract was on a fight to fight basis that is why he was able to walk out like he did?
@Todd,
I hear you man. Just, initially it literally felt like someone had kicked me in the nuts when I heard the news.
It really doesn’t seem possible that Randy will come off looking bad with this whole thing; instead its going to be Dana & Zuffa who are going to look like complete tools for letting this happen.
yea i had to re-adjust my screen because i thought you wrote a typo or something. But a lot of fans are going to be taking a real close look at the ufc as an organization because of this. Because randy just wouldnt leave unless he knew ufc was on that “bullshish” when it came to the whole fedor thing. And i know randy is close with a lot of people throughout that organization so he probably knew that the ufc and dana were being *** holes when it came to the stipulations of fedors contract so, in my mind that frustration from comming out of retirement,putting his body through that vigorous training, regaining the title, and then after all this. NOT being able to test his warriorism against the best in………exuse me…one of the best pound for pound heavyweights in the world probably did cause him to say “f-it” and walk out……..
[quote comment="10123"]doc….i thought that his contract was on a fight to fight basis that is why he was able to walk out like he did?[/quote]
Who knows. I would guess it is his choice to leave but if he leaves early he can’t fight elsewhere until the contract is over??? Dont really know
Stop blaming Dana & Zuffa for not signing Fedor. Did you really think the UFC would caugh up…say…$15 Million for Fedor? Sorry Doc, get your head out of your butt.
This is Randy’s doing. Screw him.
[quote comment="10127"]Stop blaming Dana & Zuffa for not signing Fedor. Did you really think the UFC would caugh up…say…$15 Million for Fedor? Sorry Doc, get your head out of your butt.
This is Randy’s doing. Screw him.[/quote]
It is Randy’s own personal move to leave, that’s all on him.
But not signing Fedor IS Zuffa’s problem and I do blame them. The Sambo competitions where the holdup on the negotitions. They could have had them but they didn’t want to budge on that. I blame them and will continue to blame them.
[quote comment="10127"]Stop blaming Dana & Zuffa for not signing Fedor. Did you really think the UFC would caugh up…say…$15 Million for Fedor? Sorry Doc, get your head out of your butt.
This is Randy’s doing. Screw him.[/quote]
Think your comment was over the top.. agree with Doc not sucking up but yeah.. the organization is a bit greedy at times.. they paid cro cop twice what Randy is making and I blame them too about Fedor and in this situation with Randy… GOOD FOR RANDY… he is too old for this bs..
i dont think randy is too old i really hope we see randy vs fedor next year
I agree with Dr.J too, I dont think that 10 mil was on the table at the time of negotiations. From what i heard they had successful negotiations and the only issue was Fedors right to compete in other areas, including Sambo. I think the UFC was basically trying to play hardball, saying look, this is the deal, take it or leave it. Theyve been doing that since day 1, why should Fedor agree to be put under their bootheel? This M1 organization is a str8 fck you to the UFC and their bullying habits.
And Gatties, i was surprised to hear your reaction to this..
Randy is a smart man. He knows exactly what he is doing. I’m sure he didn’t make this decision without much consideration. I’m sure he has figured out ways to deal with many ufc’s dirty tactics. I’m nearly sure it will be some sort of court battle and randy will fight fedor before he retires. He is only resigning from ufc, not retiring as dana put it.
Let’s face the fact. UFC has monopolized MMA. There is never any good when anything is run or dominated by a single organisation. Gatties, I’m surprise somebody as educated as u don’t know this. Or are you on a payroll by ufc?
It’s disappointing that ufc unable to sign fedor. I’m sure it’s more of ufc being a hardball negotiator than money being an issue. Fedor IS sambo in russia. How can u asked him to not be in sambo? Fedor is not deperate for money. So no amount of money can buy his pride for his country’s event. If u actually see this as fedor’s fault and believe that fedor should bail on his country and come joining ufc, then fedor is a sell out to his countryman. This is the character of a traitor! So I support fedor in his stand. I obviously don’t believe as some people had posted that fedor is avoiding randy. No way in hell!!
Let’s face it. To be on top in the real world, u have to be dirty. Dana and ufc is just doing what is necessary to be the premier in MMA. Nothing more, nothing less. Do u actually think people get rich and famous by always ‘bending over’? You pick your fight and u study your opponent. I bet ufc did not see this coming where there is some anonymous organisation that is willing to buy M-1 and take over fedor. I’m sure it’s a miscalculation from ufc part. UFC thought that they have all the upperhand in this negotiation. Well, too bad. You are wrong DANA. UFC should be blamed for failing to sign fedor. As an organisation, it’s easier for them to make concession even if it just mean signing fedor for only one or two fights.
This sucks. I don’t really know how to take this either. Randy is like a super hero to many people. This is sad news for me because I have total respect for Randy and what he has accomplished. The UFC made a big mistake here and it’s a shame to have Randy leave in this way. The UFC needs to rethink how they are treating their athletes or they will be losing a lot more. This may give Elite the momentum they need to really compete against the UFC. If they can start taking top fighters from the UFC the whole game will change. Dana’s brash attitude is starting to get to everyone. I really hope this is not the last we see of Randy because he truely is a great guy and deserves better.
i think they’re just ******** themselve on both sides…..dana and randy should all be on the same page….now you’ll have to pay lesser fighters like brock lesner to fill spots since gonzaga,cro cop and the rest of the lames have pretty much owned by randy….too bad 4 u UFC.
Eveyone wants to blame Dana and the Ufc but look at it from a bussiness point. If Fedor gets hurt fighting Sambo it takes away from the UFC and its fans they need to insure that their fighters are healthy to compete with their venues. I think Randy is just using this excuse to bow out and into other career options such as acting. I think he is looking at where he is in his life knowing that he can’t keep up the fighting and this is his out. I don’t blame anyone except peoplle that don’t want to look at both sides. I am suce that Zuffa is looking at whats best for them and Randy is looking at whats best for him. Who is right or wrong is not for us to judge.