UFC fans! :(

CoolJ · Post by **CoolJ** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:07 pm

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.”

http://mmajunkie.com/2007/10/11/report- ... eaves-ufc/

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:16 pm

Read about it a little earlier, very surprised he did that.

cho · Post by **cho** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 8:27 pm

Wow that sucks...

64bit · Post by **64bit** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:37 am

Yeah that sucks. He was great to watch and listen to too.

Jamie_R · Post by **Jamie_R** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 7:06 am

that sux ...

it also sux that Dana couldn't get Fedor signed ... from what I've read, he was offering him the most money of anyone in the UFC ... he just couldn't meet some of the more extreme demands of his managers ...

seems to me that when someone is making negotiations that difficult there is a reason.

I think Fedor is scared of Couture - or his managers are afraid of losing their meal ticket ...this fight would have been the biggest fight in the history of MMA - would have made everyone involved rich - all Fedor had to do was sign.

btw - I think Couture would've kicked Fedor's a$$

Gixxer · Post by **Gixxer** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:22 am

YARDofSTUF wrote:Read about it a little earlier, very surprised he did that.

why surprised ... bigger paycheck and less bumps and bruises in the movies

tarpoon75 · Post by **tarpoon75** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:30 am

I have a feeling he will be back. I can't believe that he is just going to vacate his title. I think Brandon Verra is going to be the next champ. He is going to beat the tar out of Tim Silvia.

KINGoFOOLS · Post by **KINGoFOOLS** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 11:24 am

Jamie_R wrote:
btw - I think Couture would've kicked Fedor's a$$

Are u mad?!

MadDoctor · Post by **MadDoctor** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 11:42 am

KINGoFOOLS wrote:Are u mad?!

I believe it is just a statement.

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:04 pm

Jamie_R wrote:I think Fedor is scared of Couture - or his managers are afraid of losing their meal ticket ...this fight would have been the biggest fight in the history of MMA - would have made everyone involved rich - all Fedor had to do was sign.

I dont think the big thing was money, I think it was giving up ownership rights to his name for like use in video games, promotions or something. But also someone mentioned in another forum that fedor could end up making 10 million in the M-1 league he did sign with.

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:06 pm

Gixxer wrote:why surprised ... bigger paycheck and less bumps and bruises in the movies

He was doing the movies anyway, and hes very involved in MMA. He quit before and got bored, and he was at the top of the heavyweights.

Gixxer · Post by **Gixxer** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:25 pm

YARDofSTUF wrote:He was doing the movies anyway, and hes very involved in MMA. He quit before and got bored, and he was at the top of the heavyweights.

i didn't know he was in movies already

CoolJ · Post by **CoolJ** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 5:13 pm

I also heard Fedor wanted to fight in other tournaments and Dana said no, and just wanted him strictly to fight in the UFC. That was the biggest snag supposedly.

It's sad, UFC could have made a ton of money off of Fedor vs Couture. And all the fans would have got something they all dreamed of. Most likely we will see Liddell vs Silva in December. Atleast that's something.

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 5:17 pm

Gixxer wrote:i didn't know he was in movies already

Nothing really major, but ya gotta start somewhere.

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 5:18 pm

CoolJ wrote:It's sad, UFC could have made a ton of money off of Fedor vs Couture. And all the fans would have got something they all dreamed of. Most likely we will see Liddell vs Silva in December. Atleast that's something.

Theres still jackson, henderson, shogun, and griffen too.

CoolJ · Post by **CoolJ** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 6:08 pm

Yea, but it seems the big "hype" fights never happen. Couture vs Fedor, Liddell vs Silva...etc I just want to see one come through!

I for one haven't lost faith in Liddell. I believe he can beat Silva. Everyone says "Liddell is done, he lost two in a row". But the real MMA also realize Silva is also coming of two losses JUST like Liddell.

MadDoctor · Post by **MadDoctor** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 6:13 pm

CoolJ wrote:Yea, but it seems the big "hype" fights never happen.

Fedor & Mirko Cro Cop was a good "hype" fight.

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 6:30 pm

CoolJ wrote:I for one haven't lost faith in Liddell. I believe he can beat Silva. Everyone says "Liddell is done, he lost two in a row". But the real MMA also realize Silva is also coming of two losses JUST like Liddell.

2 losses, no big deal, a loss to rampage again, ya thats normal, but he lost to Jardine! I was laughing after I saw that.

Liddel also has a lot of real competition in his division now.

CoolJ · Post by **CoolJ** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 6:56 pm

YARDofSTUF wrote:2 losses, no big deal, a loss to rampage again, ya thats normal, but he lost to Jardine! I was laughing after I saw that.

Liddel also has a lot of real competition in his division now.

Sera also beat on Piere bad (not sure if I'm spelling those correctly, lol). And he came back and put on a good show. IMO Liddell only had one bad performance, and that was Jardine. Know one knows how Chuck would have performed against Rampage because he got caught quick and that was it.

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 7:08 pm

CoolJ wrote:Know one knows how Chuck would have performed against Rampage because he got caught quick and that was it.

Well we know how he did perform, and he lost, sure it was quick, but thats how he performed.

Next time? Ya if liddel gets back up there then I'm sure it will be different, but hes got a ways to go to find out.

Right now I think Griffen, Alexander, and Jardine are the ones that deserve title shots.

CoolJ · Post by **CoolJ** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:08 pm

YARDofSTUF wrote:Well we know how he did perform, and he lost, sure it was quick, but thats how he performed.

With their KO power, for all we know if Jackson didn't land that, it could have been Jackson on his back. I agree Jackson won fair and square, and IMO it was not a lucky punch. People accused Liddell for the longest time of being a "lucky puncher". But he has ridiculous power in his hands, and all it takes is one clean hit.

What I meant by "performance" in that fight is we did not see if Chuck was aggressive (which he wasn't in the Jardine fight), if he gassed easily, if he was accurate with his punches...etc because it ended so quickly. If Jackson knocked him out in the 2nd-3rd round, and we seen him fight like he did with Jardine, then I would say it was a poor performance all around.

If I come off like a Liddell nut hugger, that's because I am, haha. I just try not to be ignorant like most of sherdog. Couture and Liddell are my favorite fighters to watch.

Know one knows how Chuck would have performed against Rampage because he got caught quick and that was it.

^Someone should come over here and punch me in the face for that sentence. lol.

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:37 pm

I figured quoting it was enough punishment lol

Liddel is always passive aggressive, he likes to back up a little and then move in with a punch, that style is what cost him the jardine fight, by the time he was adjusting jardine had already done good leg damage.

Liddel and Jackson both have 1 punch knockout power, but I dunno why you'd care to be like oh we didnt see how liddle was. Of course hes not gonna gas and hes gonna have his normal style.

CoolJ · Post by **CoolJ** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 2:08 am

YARDofSTUF wrote:Of course hes not gonna gas and hes gonna have his normal style.

He has shown up to fight before not in the best of shape (Liddell Couture 1). And his performance against Jardine was piss poor IMO.