Randy Couture Quits UFC

Fozzy

From TheFightNetwork.com:

COUTURE QUITS UFC


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.”

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.”

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.

So he's going out on top. On one hand I suppose it's understandable. He's got a lot of things going on in his life now and the fight he really wanted isn't going to happen. Plus, it's not as if he's got anything left to prove

But damn...I'll miss him


EDIT: Here's a bit more from the Wrestling Observer:

Couture quits UFC

by Dave Meltzer

The Fight Network has just reported that Randy Couture has quit the promotion, vacating his heavyweight title and leaving his job as a color commentator.

Couture, who works for The Fight Network itself, so there is no way they are going to miss on this story, wrote a letter to Dana White saying not getting a match with Fedor Emelianenko played a prominent part in his decision.

It is known Couture was one of the top UFC fighters who was unhappy when reading about the huge money guaranteed in the company's offers to Emelianenko, because he felt he and a few others were the fighters who helped build the current popularity and they weren't getting guaranteed income for fights anywhere near that level, particularly since they were bigger drawing cards.

With the decline of Chuck Liddell, Couture was likely the company's biggest short-term drawing card, and without question, was its most popular fighter.

We will have more on this story later.

dlofnep

Yeah just read. Terrible for UFC. They had a plan for Crocop which backfired, then a plan for Gonzaga which backfired.. Then Couture was the logical saviour, but he's walked out.

Brandon Vera v Sylvia for interim title I'd imagine.

Valmont

I'm just hoping this retirement is similar to his last one. Probably not though. What a champ

goo

Could he not be going to M-1 or wherever it is that Fedor's fighting?

Frank Bullitt

Jaysus, didnt see that coming at all myself, this really whips up the UFC again but I cant help but feel that Randy is cutting short a fantastic career, its really funny saying that about a man who is 44 and pretty much ruling the MMA game.

Nothingcompares

i was surprised that Dana White wasn't looking after Randy better. He says he didn't feel he was getting the respect (aka $$$) that he deserved. Apparently he cant fight for another organisation for another 9 months...

I'd love to see Randy fight Fedor and the only chance I think Randy had was fighting Fedor in a Cage, in the UFC, in Vegas. I wouldn't bet on him winning in a ring in Russia against Fedor though. It's a pity.

It be interesting to see some other big names in the UFC walking out and trying to make it elsewhere.

HammerHeadGym

I can't help but feel that his walk out is the pre-cursor to a big money title shot, pay-per-view, comeback fight.

Yo Mamma

Couture and Emelianenko were penciled in to clash on SuperBowl weekend in February 2008 if contract terms were able to be reached with the PRIDE FC heavyweight champion.

It didn’t happen.

Here’s a snip from “The Natural:”

“I appreciate this opportunity the sport of MMA and the UFC has given me. 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.”

Indeed, with mind-blowing wins over two of the top fighters in the division (Tim Sylvia and Gabriel Gonzaga) since his comeback in March of this year, Couture perhaps feels that there is not much left to prove.

The 44-year-old had two fights remaining on his contract.

In addition, Dave Meltzer at WrestlingObserver.com is reporting that Couture (and other fighters) is unhappy about the big paydays that were promised to the Russian during the failed negotiation process.

Here’s more on that:

“It is known Couture was one of the top UFC fighters who was unhappy when reading about the huge money guaranteed in the company’s offers to Emelianenko, because he felt he and a few others were the fighters who helped build the current popularity and they weren’t getting guaranteed income for fights anywhere near that level, particularly since they were bigger drawing cards.”

This is without question a monster blow to the organization, which was riding the crest of his remarkable return and stunning unanimous decision win over Sylvia at UFC 68. He was as marketable as marketable gets, helping promote the sport of mixed martial arts along the way as its most respected and well-spoken ambassador.

Unreal.

There is no telling how Zuffa will handle this situation and the now-vacant heavyweight strap. However, it’s possible that the winner of the fight between Sylvia and Brandon Vera will go up against the winner of the bout between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cheick Kongo.

In the meantime, Couture plans to focus on his budding film career and other business ventures such as his popular training facilities.

Who knows … maybe we’ll see him back in action someday soon against Emelianenko.

It just won’t happen under the UFC banner.

www.ufcmania.com

hardCopy

I really hope Randy gets tempted by M-1, it would be an awful pity to see Randy retired and Fedor fighting no-hopers without the two ever having met