Couture Back in UFC Fold

Tuesday, September 02, 2008
by Sherdog.com Staff


14261
Six-time UFC champion Randy Couture (Pictures) will return to the Octagon this November, ending an 11-month legal battle with the promotion he’s called his home for the last 11 years.

As part of a new multi-fight contract with Zuffa LLC, parent company to the UFC, Couture (16-8) will face Brock Lesnar (Pictures) (3-0) at UFC 91 on Nov. 15 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. The bout will be waged over five rounds for Couture’s heavyweight championship title.

“As you all know, we’ve had problems with Randy over the last few months, but we’ve got them all worked out now. Randy has always been our heavyweight champion,” said UFC President Dana White.

A previously announced bout between UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Frank Mir scheduled for December will determine the next contender for the UFC heavyweight crown, said White. White described the scenario as a “heavyweight tournament.”

Under the new agreement, the UFC will also attempt to lock down a bout between Couture and No. 1 ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko in 2009. The highly anticipated bout has been heralded as the fight of the decade.

We’re gonna do everything we can to make that fight happen,” said White. “Emelianenko’s under another contract right now to another promotion and if we can work it out with the other promotion we will, but we’re not going to screw around with another contract.”

It is believed Emelianenko recently signed an exclusive U.S. contract with the rival promotion Affliction Entertainment. It is not known how many fights Emelianenko has committed to. White said he would not be open to a co-promotion effort with the rival organization.

“I think a lot of compromises were made on both sides,” said Couture, “but we’re both ready to try and move forward. We’ve cleared the air and we’re both in different places than we were a year ago. Sitting last year in legal fights was not something I’ve enjoyed.”

Couture’s abrupt departure from the UFC last October dealt a significant blow to the world’s most visible MMA promotion. Zuffa’s inability to land Pride heavyweight champion Emelianenko played a prominent role in the Couture’s decision to walk away, as did the fighter’s discontent with his pay and treatment by the Las Vegas-based company.

With his resignation, Couture left behind two contracted bouts, his UFC heavyweight crown, and a separate employment contract for on-air commentary services.

The 45-year-old Couture’s return to the UFC signals the end of arbitration proceedings over the fighter’s promotional contract that were underway in Las Vegas. A separate lawsuit filed last January against Couture for breach of his employment contract has also been squashed.

Couture called his return to the UFC “a step in the right direction” to getting a bout with Emelianenko down the line.

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 its heavyweight tournament.

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 was the first fighter to win UFC championships in two weight classes.

His run through the promotion included a memorable trilogy with light heavyweight rival Chuck Liddell (Pictures), the only opponent to beat Couture twice. Following his third bout with Liddell in February 2006, Couture announced his first retirement. Couture returned in March 27 to topple 6-foot-8 giant Tim Sylvia (Pictures) for the UFC heavyweight crown.

Couture has not stepped back into the Octagon since his third-round pummeling of Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures) at UFC 74 in August 2007.

Credit Sherdog.com

UFC will make Couture's return official at Noon PT

After 11 months of fighting in the courts it looks like the UFC and Randy Couture have buried the hatchet. The promotion is holding a press conference on Tuesday at Noon PT to announce a new deal with the heavyweight champion.
Couture is expected to face Brock Lesnar at UFC 91 in Portland in what could be the biggest pay-per-view show in the UFC's history. There is also talk now that with a win over Lesnar, Couture could face Fedor Emelianenko in 2009, under the UFC banner.

The Return of Wanderlei

Credit Xtreme Couture Blog



The Axe Murderer is back in Las Vegas. And he’s intent on learning how to wrestle and how to use the cage. What better way to do that than to study with the Master?



That’s exactly what he’s doing. Wanderlei is studying under Randy twice a week in the mornings. In addition to that he will be joining our Pro Team for practice. Despite physically training here for the Chuck fight, Wanderlei didn’t train with our team outside of sparring with Shawn Tompkins. Instead he worked with his personal trainers. Wanderlei tells us that when he went to rope a dope Chuck in the first round of their fight he realized he couldn’t bounce of the cage and counter Chuck the way he could coming off the ropes in the PRIDE ring.

Training partner Phil Baroni says Wanderlei is already picking up some of Randy’s tricks after the first session. “He feels strong. He’s open minded and willing to learn. He picks things up fast.” The New York Bad Ass adds, “Once he learns to use the cage and incorporate wrestling into his game he’ll be really tough to beat in the UFC. It’s an honor to train with Wanderlei. He’s a guy I’ve always tried to emulate and I look up to him.”

Randy says that he and Wanderlei will continue working up until Wand’s next fight. We’re not sure if we’re allowed to say who he is fighting next. But we’re told it will happen in May and it is someone who has fought Chuck. He and the rest of the UFC’s 205lb division had best be on notice. There will be a new and improved Wanderlei next time he steps in the cage. Wanderlei tells us he’d like to rack up a couple of wins and rematch Chuck on New Year’s. That’s a fight we’d love to see.

Randy Couture with HDNet

Credit Sherdog.com
Article
by Adam Swift (aswift@sherdog.com)

Last week Mark Cuban's HDNet Fights made headlines when it sued Zuffa, parent company of the UFC, in district court in Dallas. As first reported by Sherdog.com, the suit seeks declaratory relief concerning Randy Couture (Pictures)'s contractual status under a promotional contract with Zuffa.

New details of the action have been revealed in the complaint obtained by Sherdog.com. According to the filing, HDNet Fights has entered into a contract with Couture that is scheduled to commence upon the expiration of his Zuffa promotional agreement. At that time, the company plans to promote a fight between Couture and Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) in Dallas, assuming terms can be reached with the highly regarded Russian heavyweight.

The existence of an actual contract between HDNet Fights and Couture is believed to be key to the company's action in Texas. Without it, it is unlikely that the court would find an actual controversy ripe for adjudication.

According to the filing, Couture has stated that he believes his Zuffa promotional contract expires with the stated term of the agreement in July, while Zuffa maintains that the contract remains valid indefinitely under the infamous "retirement clause." In the complaint, HDNet Fights characterized Zuffa's contention as "outrageous."

"Zuffa's position regarding Couture is both illegal and involves critical timing," the filing states. "First, like all fighters, Couture's ability to fight at a championship level will diminish as he ages. Through their actions, Zuffa seeks to ensure that Couture is prevented from gainful employment and practicing his craft until he cannot be an elite fighter. Importantly, the law in Texas is clear that indefinite employment restrictions such as Zuffa claims to be enforcing are per se illegal and against public policy."

Both sides agree that the one-year non-compete provision contained in Couture's employment contract with the UFC expires on Oct. 12, meaning that even with a favorable outcome concerning the term of Couture's promotional contract, the earliest Couture-Fedor could take place would be in the fall.

The complaint also recognizes Zuffa as the undisputed market leader in the MMA industry.

"A key technique utilized by Zuffa to maintain their iron grip on the MMA industry is litigation and intimidation," the complaint reads. "Just a cursory review of court dockets in Nevada demonstrate the remarkably litigious nature of Zuffa and their willingness to tie their opponents down with expensive and lengthy court battles regardless of merits."

In a nod to pending litigation in Nevada, where Zuffa has sued Couture and as yet unnamed defendants for, among other things, conspiracy to commit tortous acts, the complaint notes that "HDNet did not want or intend in any way for such an agreement to induce or cause Couture to breach his UFC Fight Contract or any other agreement(s) he might have with Zuffa and/or UFC or to interfere with any valid contract that Couture might have."

Accordingly, HDNet Fights' contract with Couture will only become effective upon a declaration by the court that Zuffa's promotional agreement is void, invalid or unenforceable in whole or in part, or upon a declaration of the effective date on which Couture's contract with HDNet Fights may begin without violating any provisions of his contract with Zuffa.