BREAKING NEWS: Randy Couture Quits the UFC!!!

Discussion in 'General MMA Discussion' started by Hanzy, Oct 11, 2007.

  1. Hanzy

    Hanzy "Twinkle Toes" McJack

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    MMA Icon Walks Away From Promotion In Stunning Move

    By Brian Knapp

    At the height of its power and popularity, the Ultimate Fighting Championship today lost the man many recognize as the face of mixed martial arts. UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture announced his resignation from the Las Vegas-based promotion, leaving two contracted fights, his job as an on-air analyst and his heavyweight crown on the table.

    In South Africa shooting scenes for his lead role in the upcoming feature film “The Scorpion King – Rise of the Akkadian,†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€

    A three-time All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State University, Couture won four national championships in Greco-Roman wrestling and made four attempts at qualifying for the Olympics. He made his MMA debut at UFC 13 on May 13, 1997, where, at age 33, he won a heavyweight tournament, defeating Tony Halme and Steven Graham on the same night. Just seven months later, he toppled famed kickboxer Maurice Smith in Yokohama, Japan to win the UFC heavyweight crown for the first time.

    Over the course of the next decade, Couture emerged as one of the most decorated mixed martial artists in history. The UFC’s only six-time champion, he captured the heavyweight belt three times, the light heavyweight title twice and an interim light heavyweight title, as well. Couture remains the only man to win UFC championships in two weight classes.

    His run through the promotion included a memorable trilogy with light heavyweight rival Chuck Liddell, the only opponent to beat Couture twice. Following his third bout with Liddell in February 2006, Couture announced his first retirement.

    As 2007 dawned, his desire to compete returned, and a four-fight contract with the UFC – which included the opportunity to fight Tim Sylvia for the heavyweight strap at UFC 68 in March – was presented to Couture. He accepted, and the wheels for an historic comeback were set in motion.

    Couture floored Sylvia with an overhand right seconds into the bout and punished the 6-foot-8 giant over five rounds. Playing to chants of “Randy!†he regained the heavyweight title for an unprecedented third time in front of 19,049 fans at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Five months later, at the age of 44, he defeated rising contender Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 74, stopping the young Brazilian by third-round TKO despite suffering a broken left arm. It would be his final appearance in the Octagon.

    Couture (16-8) leaves behind an unrivaled legacy in the sport. Fifteen of his 24 career bouts were title fights, and he bested six former UFC champions – Liddell, Vitor Belfort, Tito Ortiz and Sylvia among them. Always willing to meet a challenge, Couture consistently tested himself against the world’s premier fighters. The 19 men he fought (he squared off with Pedro Rizzo twice and Liddell and Belfort three times each) hold 357 victories between them.

    ...................................
    This is making all the rounds on all MMA news sites.
     
  2. joony

    joony "Twinkle Toes" McJack

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    maybe he's quitting because of the potential steroid scandal that's been floating around?
     
  3. Hanzy

    Hanzy "Twinkle Toes" McJack

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    That's one possibility.
     
  4. whiskey

    whiskey Czarcasm

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    :doh:
     
  5. Kaliber44

    Kaliber44 Im Banned

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    randy's a pussy he ran from wandarlei..that's all this is
     
  6. whiskey

    whiskey Czarcasm

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    Or he could be scared of Jardine moving up.


















    :lol:
     
  7. Trplsec

    Trplsec Sleeps in a Cage

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    My thought: It's all a stunt to make the Fedor-Couture match the MEGA-FIGHT that pushes MMA to a new level...


    2 Big stories: Fedor signs elsewhere and Couture retires.


    What better publicity can you get... Great marketing Dana...
     
  8. Bob N. Weave

    Bob N. Weave WBC Champion

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    Damn, The UFC really needs Fedor! Maybe this is a way for Randy to go to M-1 and fight Fedor outside of the UFC. Oh please let it be. If dickhead Dana White cant make it happen, let M-1 do it. I also heard rumors that Mark Cuban may have bought M-1? Wow Cuban owning Fedor. I'd love to see how this all pans out....
     
    Last edited: Oct 11, 2007
  9. Azazel

    Azazel "Twinkle Toes" McJack

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    I'd really love it if Couture quited the UFC to fight Fedor in M-1, that would be amazing. But it seems more of a case of him being fed up with Dana White bullshit.
     
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2007
  10. Mitchell Kane

    Mitchell Kane WBC Silver Diamond Emeritus Champ

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    Perhaps in nine months we'll find out.
     
  11. Beyond the Grave

    Beyond the Grave Undisputed Champion

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    I wish Randy luck,he was a great fighter.
     
  12. Beyond the Grave

    Beyond the Grave Undisputed Champion

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    Yep ,I posted it not to long ago.
     
  13. Rubio MHS

    Rubio MHS Undisputed Champion

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    :clap:
     
  14. admin

    admin has left the building

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  15. Haymaker

    Haymaker WBC Silver Diamond Emeritus Champ

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    is couture acting?? great!! he should get the role of captain america if they ever decide to make the movie :bears:
     
  16. joony

    joony "Twinkle Toes" McJack

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  17. TFK

    TFK WBC Silver Diamond Emeritus Champ

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    What a shit article.


    TFK
     
  18. royyjonesjrp4pno1

    royyjonesjrp4pno1 "Twinkle Toes" McJack

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    MMA promoters need to work together or they will have more problems then this. Boxing is good right now. Theres no problems making fights because the promoters are willing to work together.
     
  19. Beyond the Grave

    Beyond the Grave Undisputed Champion

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    It had more too do with money than fighting Fedor,trust me on this.
     
  20. Hanzy

    Hanzy "Twinkle Toes" McJack

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    True. On top of that, how would you feel if you're being paid 250K per fight and your boss, after telling you that you're the 2nd highest paid fighter in the company, is going out there offering 2 million per fight to a Russian fighter who's never done anything for the UFC whereas you are the company's top dog and helped make the company the monster that it has become.
    Seems like Dana White has been holding out on Randy and the rest of the UFC roster. Dana's got a hidden stash which nobody knew about until now.:lol:
    A guy who pays a combined $1 million or little over/under to his entire talent pool for a ppv event goes out and throws a '2 million bucks per fight' contract to a fighter from another land is kinda weird. Since when did Fedor ever do anything to help the UFC to make it what it is the way Couture, Liddell, Ortiz, Franklin, Hughes all did?
    UFC fighters are now wondering if they've been lowballed by this guy and whether he can really be trusted. Afterall, I wasn't the only one who was bitching about the ridiculous 7K paycheque given to Jardine for a mega ppv event 2 weeks ago. That was 7K to fight and 7K to win....amount to a whopping 14K for fighting in a main event of a big ppv.
    Dana White is enroute to becoming MMA's Don King minus the hair.
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2007
  21. Beyond the Grave

    Beyond the Grave Undisputed Champion

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    Fedor done shook up the UFC without even stepping foot there,awesome:bears:
     
  22. Hanzy

    Hanzy "Twinkle Toes" McJack

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    Fedor is such a phenomenon, his name alone can cause severe damage and chaos. You are right! :lol:
     
  23. Beyond the Grave

    Beyond the Grave Undisputed Champion

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    [​IMG]
     
  24. Beyond the Grave

    Beyond the Grave Undisputed Champion

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  25. Rubio MHS

    Rubio MHS Undisputed Champion

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    You are all a bunch of cockless idiots. Shut up about Couture.
     
  26. royyjonesjrp4pno1

    royyjonesjrp4pno1 "Twinkle Toes" McJack

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    How about all the money he offered Floyd. This was after he said "Floyd can't sell 10 tickets with out Oscar De la Hoya".
     
  27. royyjonesjrp4pno1

    royyjonesjrp4pno1 "Twinkle Toes" McJack

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    Sure it has alot to do with money. I know Steve Dave has been on the money bandwagon for a while. Saying sooner or later the UFC fighters will start to hold out. Now with all these promotions coming out of no where M1, EliteXC and Mark Billionaire Cuban getting involved guys will be able to negotiate. However when the fighters end up in different organistions they have to be able to co-promote if they really want to find out who the best are. Otherwise their will be another UFC/Pride situation where everybody wants to see fights that won't happen.
     
  28. Beyond the Grave

    Beyond the Grave Undisputed Champion

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    It would be good for the fans but so far the way MMA promotions have ran business hasn't hurt there popularity.
     
  29. TFK

    TFK WBC Silver Diamond Emeritus Champ

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    I think too many people are overating Fedor.

    Not as a fighter or for his abilities, as he is easily the P4P best, and I don't think anyone can or will dispute that. But people are building him up as a savoir for the UFC, or saying how the UFC needs Fedor.

    The UFC doesn't need Fedor, not nearly as much as Fedor needs to the UFC. What did Fedor's Bodog PPV do? 15,000 buys? That's a fraction of what UFC PPV's do. What did his Pride PPV's do? 30,000 buys?

    To the hardcore MMA fan, Fedor is a big name, probably the biggest. But to the other 90% of PPV buying MMA fans, Fedor is some guy they may or may not have heard of, who fought in some Japanese league.

    If Fedor came to the UFC and looked impressive in his first few fights, he could bring in great PPV numbers if matched with a marketable opponent. But as long as he's fighting for someone other then the UFC, he'll be lucky to do 30,000 buys.

    Trust me, I would love to see Fedor in the UFC. But to make it sound as if the UFC needs him, or that he is bigger then the UFC.....that's just asinine.

    TFK
     
  30. Beyond the Grave

    Beyond the Grave Undisputed Champion

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    Nobody in this forum or thread said that Fedor was saving anything:nono: The majority are just happy that he got the contract he wanted and didn't cave in to the UFC's greedy/you belong strictly to us demands and don't be surprised if you see Randy fighting in M-1.People talk about nobody knows who Fedor is but he sure as hell shook up the UFC Heavyweight division without even stepping foot in the place lol and with Randy going on ESPN and other news outlet putting Fedor's name out there people WILL be curious to know who this man is that made Randy quit the UFC.
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2007

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