[EmpireWF]

Breaking news, stunning news, shocking, etc. Randy Couture has reportedly resigned from the UFC in the wake of Fedor Emelianenko signing with M-1 in Russia.

The Fight Network broke the news within the past hour. Couture, the current UFC Heavyweight champion, "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."

“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.”

Rumors have circulated that Couture was not too happy with his salary per fight (which is reportedly around $250,000 base) compared to guys like Cro Cop who were paid much more. Not to mention the offers for Fedor were for $2 million per fight. Couture is (/was) one of the top draws in the UFC (next to Tito Ortiz).

It now seems the UFC Heavyweight title is vacant. It remains to be seen how UFC plans to crown their next champ. It's hard to describe just how much this will hurt UFC. Randy Couture has been the biggest story in 2007 since defeating Tim Sylvia in March. Couture, 44, looks to be focusing on his acting career and other business ventures. Best of luck Captain America, you certainly are one of the best.

[bears9]

So who gets his belt ?

[EmpireWF]

UFC President Dana White commented on Couture on the UFC web-site:

"I’m not surprised at all by Randy’s decision. I talked to Randy several weeks ago and he said that if he couldn’t fight Fedor, then he has nothing left to prove in the sport of mixed martial arts.

He has been doing a lot of acting, and I know he is in South Africa right now filming a movie. I think it’s a great move for Randy’s acting career to retire from fighting while he is on top.

As we all know, Randy retired before. The landscape in MMA changes every day. So when he is ready to come out of retirement again, he is still under contract with me, and I’m ready to promote him.":

[vincesanity82]

Originally Posted by EmpireWF

UFC President Dana White commented on Couture on the UFC web-site:

"I’m not surprised at all by Randy’s decision. I talked to Randy several weeks ago and he said that if he couldn’t fight Fedor, then he has nothing left to prove in the sport of mixed martial arts.

He has been doing a lot of acting, and I know he is in South Africa right now filming a movie. I think it’s a great move for Randy’s acting career to retire from fighting while he is on top.

As we all know, Randy retired before. The landscape in MMA changes every day. So when he is ready to come out of retirement again, he is still under contract with me, and I’m ready to promote him.":

I think he'll come back for a pay day..

[Lefty Noob]

Interesting. That does seem to be an awful low payday. Big-time boxers make more than that, and the UFC has to be at least as financially solvent as some of the larger boxing organizations, right? You'd think they could pony up a little more for their champions.

[EmpireWF]

That's one of the major criticisms of the UFC, Lefty. They have some fighters (none of the big ones of course) who get paid maybe $5,000 to show up and $5,000 for a win. Obviously with that kind of salary, the fighter has to have a second job or else there's no way he can live. Meanwhile, the very top guys get six figure deals.

Randy Couture spoke to ESPN Friday and said he was disrespected by UFC management and felt he wasn't fairly compensated. He see's the only reason he has left to fight would be for a potential Fedor Emelianenko fight. Since he just signed with M-1, that can't happen in the UFC so Couture decided to stand up to the man and leave.

What's interesting about this is Couture definitely hasn't retired. I have a feeling he'll look into seeing if he could get a fight with Fedor wherever they can and head in that direction. Of course if he can't, then he'll further his acting career (he's filming the prequel to The Scorpion King right now) and other ventures.

Dana White, in all of his comments about this, comes off as trying to make Couture look like the bad guy or in the wrong light. Couture has built up such good will with fans, people inside the MMA world and journalists that there's no way anyone will doubt Couture in his decision.

Still no word from UFC on how they plan to handle their heavyweight title right now though.

[mervinout]

Originally Posted by bears9

So who gets his belt ?

who cares, the heavyweight divison stinks. i kinda think its a pointless weight class

[EmpireWF]

It's not like the heavyweight division is without talent though merv. Right now they have Antonio Nogueira (one of the best ever), Tim Sylvia (although fans don't like him, he's a former champ), Brandon Vera, Andrei Arlovski, Cheick Kongo, Mirko Cro Cop (who may have only one or two fights left), Gabriel Gonzaga and Heath Herring. The rest aren't established (not many guys put together consecutive wins) and they do have a problem beyond Nogueira of having no draws.

There's no question, the light heavyweight and weltwerweight divisions are the UFC's bread and butter still.