Couture to Bellator/Spke

[Cbear]

It would be funny as hell if Bellator signed Fedore after Dana never could make it happen.

[ATroms]

It would be funny as hell if Bellator signed Fedore after Dana never could make it happen.

Fedor vs Rampage coming soon..

[KnockOut]

Who cares what Randy does? It's not like he's going to bring in any additional viewers. And having him as a coach is great if you want to teach all your fighters how to hold their opponent against the cage for 15 minutes.

[seansloan]

Randy brings instant credibility to a MMA show.Of course he will bring extra viewers for at least the first episode.Who knows if he can sustain it in week 2,but he is #1 or at worst top 5 recognizable fighters/figures in mma.Its a huge get,regardless of what you think of his fighting or womanizing ways

[LordZardoz]

Zuffa already know where they stand with Randy. They basically bent over backwards for him his entire career. They gave the man title shot after title shot. Lost your last few fights? It's ok, titleshot. Coming back from retirement? Title shot? Dropping weight classes? Title shot.

Not to mention the time Randy tried to leave the UFC to fight Fedor and lied about how much he got paid. Dana held a special press conference where he showed the check with Randy's signature and made him out to be a lying fool.

I don't think this latest move will be a shock at all to UFC or Dana. Couture just simply isn't a company man.

Regarding Randy's title shots:
UFC Japan vs Maurice Smith: Earned by beating Belfort and winning UFC 13 tournament. Vacated when SEG dicked him around on pay.
UFC 28 vs Kevin Randleman: SEG got around to paying him so he would defend the vacated title.
UFC 39 vs Ricco Rodriguez: Barnett pissed hot so Randy got another shot at a title.
UFC 43 vs Chuck Liddell: Randy was brought in to make Chuck look good (hey, he is old but has value...). That did not work out.
UFC 49 vs Vitor Belfort: Rematch due to cut stoppage.
UFC 57 vs Chuck Liddell: Rubber match with Chuck made sense, and money.
UFC 68 Vs Silvia: Randy was a late replacement when the preferred challenger was unavailable at a time when the heavyweight division was very goddamn weak.

Every other title fight he was in, he was a title holder. Of those fights only UFC 43 and UFC 68 are questionable. As for the Fedor thing, Randy basically pulled a bull**** retirement while champion to chase that fight. It was dirty business all around. No one involved in that cluster **** comes out of it looking totally in the right. Ultimately, Randy was treated well by the UFC, but Randy did awesome things for them. He earned what he got from them. Dana is about as entitled to be bitchy about Randy taking a job with Spike as your previous boss would be to be to bitch about you taking a new job.

As for Randy not being a company man, if he wanted to be he would be. Dana would absolutely give him a job in the UFC. Randy just doesn't want it. I doubt Randy will get any invites to UFC events while working for Spike. I also believe that once Randy leaves Spike bygones will be bygones. Unless Randy starts talking **** about the UFC / Zuffa / Dana on television, I think Dana's response will be a calculated 'Hey, good for him. I wish him the best'.

END COMMUNICATION

[RangerLee]

It would be funny as hell if Bellator signed Fedore after Dana never could make it happen.

Dana would probably love that, look at the history of every org Fedor has been with since PRIDE. It seems taking on Fedor with his stipulations is like taking a cyanide pill.

[Cbear]

Dana would probably love that, look at the history of every org Fedor has been with since PRIDE. It seems taking on Fedor with his stipulations is like taking a cyanide pill.

Very true.

[Cbear]

Randy always has several things going on business wise. Gyms, films, tv parts, etc... He might be the busiest retiree in mma.

[Best80smovieRAD]

Randy says Zuffa giving Matt Hughes a job was the final **** you to Randy

mmafighting

For all intents and purposes, the bitter war of words between UFC President Dana White and exiled UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture seemed to have died down over recent days. White aired his grievances in typical White fashion, Couture was banned from all UFC events -- including any cornerman work for his son, Ryan -- and was free to embark on his new ventures with Spike TV.

That ceasefire, however, was predictably short-lived, as Couture recently re-stoked the flames during a conversation with SiriusXM Fight Club.

"I gave the UFC and Dana every opportunity to find a way to significantly use me since I retired a year and a half ago," Couture said flatly. "They acted like they were doing me a favor by giving me the four events on FOX a year as a commentator.

"In my opinion and estimation, [that's] not a terribly significant role in the organization, and the company of Zuffa. So I tried like hell to get them to keep me with the company in some significant way and they had nothing for me. I made them aware that this offer had come onto the table, that the TV thing was heating up for me, that there were significant offers being pushed to me, but I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement to even hear those pitches and could not tell them specifically what was going on or who was offering what.

"So, you know, in my professional estimation, they had an opportunity to keep me and use me. They chose not to, and a week later, after this whole thing leaks, they give a job to Matt Hughes in a significant fashion. Frankly that was a big ‘f--k you' to me from Dana. And that's exactly what he intended to do."

Following his surprisingly scathing response, Couture was asked to clarify his final statement, if he indeed believed that Hughes' new role as UFC Vice President of Athletic Development and Government Relations was intended to serve as one last parting jab.

"That's the way it felt to me," Couture concluded. "I've been trying for over a year to get them to use me in some way, shape or form, and they chose not to. They didn't have anything for me. They continually told me that. And then Matt announces his retirement, and within a week has a Vice President position for fighter relations. You tell me."

[AngryBill]

Randy says Zuffa giving Matt Hughes a job was the final **** you to Randy

mmafighting

If you were Dana, who would you give VP of fighter relations to? Hughes, the good ole boy who does everything you ask, or Randy, the gilted ex-lover you seem to have a flare up with every two years?

Gee, Randy, why wouldn't they want you in charge of FIGHTER RELATIONS?