Randy Couture Retires from UFC

[Slim Pickns]

It was reported that Couture has quit the UFC due to their inabilty to make a fight between him and the number 1 ranked world heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko.

Normally I think its crap when a fighter quits with fights left on his contract, but this is the exception. Randy has busted his ass off for this company, he came back to boost buy rates, and they can't even give him his dream opponent even though they are the top organization in the world and own the rights to what was their only competition.

I think Randy is totally justified in his decision. He has nothing left to prove.

 

[kennyg9]

First off he RETIRED...not quit. Huge difference

The Natural can do this he has nothing left to prove the only guy left that he hasnt beat that is a somebody is Fedor. They were trying for months to get it done abnd have the fight in February. Fedor signed with M1. Sucks.

Jusut remember though, Randy did retire once before.

 

[Slim Pickns]

First off he RETIRED...not quit. Huge difference

The Natural can do this he has nothing left to prove the only guy left that he hasnt beat that is a somebody is Fedor. They were trying for months to get it done abnd have the fight in February. Fedor signed with M1. Sucks.

Jusut remember though, Randy did retire once before.

He had two fights left on his contract, he wanted to fight Fedor but the UFC couldn't go out of their way to get one of their most popular fighters of all time the fight he came back for, so he won't be coming back.

Randy did not say he is retiring, he said he is leaving the UFC, thats called quiting. Its not a bad thing when you do it because the company can't get you competition.

Maybe he will have to follow Fedor in order to get a fight with him?

 

[Slim Pickns]

My bad. The UFC official website said he retired. The fighting news link said he just quit UFC. Sorry Kenny G, you're right, I'm wrong. Still, like I said he had nothing left to prove.

 

[Kasey]

^Ah, but he did have something left to prove. He wanted to see if he could beat the guy nearly everyone has ranked as the top fighter on Earth (and the fighter nearly every top fighter themself professes to be the best). Plus, he observed the concensus of the pay scales in the UFC and realized Lorenzo and Dana were humping him in the bum on the money front, even though he was pretty much the bona fide flag bearer for the company. They weren't even going to pay him the equal of what they'd have paid Fedor for their fight...and Randy is supposed to be their champion?!? What a joke.

I hope that Mark Cuban is the one who purchased M-1 Mixfight so they have ample cash to play with and to sign talent. I also hope that he signs all the other free agents like Gomi, Kang and Barnett so that the UFC doesn't have a monopoly and then continue putting together shitty matchup upon shitty matchup instead of giving people the fights they actually want to see. Hell, I'm STILL waiting to watch Liddell/Silva and who knows if that's actually going to happen. I love that Dana White is now buried up to his neck in shit. Serves him right for having the worst fight barometer in the business when he owns the biggest company in the world. He and Joe Silva need to be relieved of their duties post haste.

 

[Kasey]

My bad. The UFC official website said he retired. The fighting news link said he just quit UFC. Sorry Kenny G, you're right, I'm wrong. Still, like I said he had nothing left to prove.

They said he retired...but he has nine months on his current deal. He has a fracture to his left arm due to blocking a left head kick from Gonzaga in August, so he'd have been on the shelf for a period of time anyway. My guess is that when his deal lapses, he'll likely sign to fight Fedor ASAP. For Randy, the word "retired" doesn't mean much. This was just a case of mismanagement by Zuffa and Randy having contractual issues with them just like he did in 2004 when they kicked him off the video game.

 

[Slim Pickns]

^^Not only would it be awesome if Randy fought Fedor elsewhere because we would get to see that fight, but because it could get another organization (M-1 probably) noticed. Than we could have real competition again.

As for Dana, what you said is spot on. His "bad ass" attitude has finally bit him in the ass. He owns the two biggest markets in the business and he only got one "dream fight" and that Liddell/Jackson which for most MMA fans, was not a dream fight. If your a wrestling fan but don't follow MMA that much, this situation is comparable to the invasion angle, the two biggest companies merge and no big fights are happening.

Only time will tell if we will see Randy fight one more time, hopefully against Fedor.

 

[terminusWSX]

Dana White blew this one badly,man I can't blame Randy for leaving the biggest MMA promotion in the world and they can't get a deal together for Fedor?

 

[Kasey]

Dana White blew this one badly,man I can't blame Randy for leaving the biggest MMA promotion in the world and they can't get a deal together for Fedor?

Dana and the Fertittas are known hardasses in terms of exclusivity with their deals for UFC fighters. Fedor's management team (headed by Vladimir Finklestein) wanted some special concessions with the signing that Dana wasn't willing to bow for. One of them was Fedor competing in the Sambo World Championships. This is kind of bullshittish because Dana let's his other fighters compete in the ADCC every year and those don't really have weight classes so guys have a definite potential for injury that is about on par with Sambo. Randy was smart, though. He has to wait nine months and then maybe, who knows?