Randy Couture vs. UFC legal battle to unfold in Las Vegas

Props: UFC.com
Quoteworthy:
"... the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has been informed by the Texas Court of Appeals that it has granted Zuffa’s Motion to Compel Randy Couture to arbitrate in the District of Nevada, thereby staying all further action by HDNet against Zuffa in the state of Texas. Specifically, the Court of Appeals found that the lower court had engaged in 'a clear abuse of discretion' by permitting HDNet to litigate claims relating to Mr. Couture’s contract in Texas, rather than in Nevada, where Zuffa is presently pressing a breach of contract action against Mr. Couture."
"The Natural's" plans of competing anytime soon appear to have been dashed with this latest ruling. The 45-year-old former champion is still in great shape; however, Father Time is no longer on his side. If he can't broker a back-room deal to return to the promotion within the next few months, then this ruling could spell the end of the UFC Hall of Famer's mixed martial arts career. That's because Zuffa clearly has the legal resources and capabilities to draw this out as long as possible.
(Thanks to MMAmania.com reader "Shaolins Finest" for the assist.)
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50 comments
Comments
Am I the only guy a. sick of Randy and his crying for no reason and b. not that interested in Fedor killing Randy? I would rather see AA/Fedor any day of the week! Randy couldn’t beat Nog, never mind Fedor. All you guys that agree with Randy, remember, Dana showed us the check stubs!!! Why sign the 3 or 4 fight deal, cash the checks and be happy, to just turn around and be a bitch?
by kevin doesn't know shit on Aug 4, 2008 2:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Kevin, Couture said at the Extreme Couture conference that it wasnt just about the money that it had to do alot with respect. I agree completely about signing a contract. If you sign then finish it and then try to get more money. I’d still want to see Couture/Fedor, why not? Ofcourse Fedor/Arlovski is better. At Couture’s age and he is still filling up events. Couldnt the UFC showed him a bit more respect?
by JV on Aug 4, 2008 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
what respect? comes off two losses and gets a tile shot in another weight class, gets a huge signing bonus, gets a commentating job…what exactly did zuffa not do? not sign 15 red devil fighters? not let fedor compete in other (sambo) fights…it’s called protecting an investment! Yeah no one shows up to compete against him, but what if? If zuffa pumps millions into him and the what if happens?
by kevin doesn't know shit on Aug 4, 2008 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
“Kevin Doesn’t Know Shit” it right on the money. I LOVE Randy, the dude is my fricken hero… but he was shown a world of respect at UFC, and he signed the contract. You agreed to X amount of fights for X amount of dollars. Live up to it.
by John C on Aug 4, 2008 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Would someone please put Randy and Brett Favre in a boat and push them out into the ocean. I’m so tired of millionaire athletes complaining about money and respect. If someone in my office whined the way they did, he/she would be ostracized.
Randy, we love you. Now shut the hell up, get in the ring, and fight—that’s why we were fans in the first place.
by BobC on Aug 4, 2008 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Gottta agree with Mr “doesn’t know shit” on this one. If couture keeps being a baby we may have seen the last of his days on top. When the legal battle ends in 2-3 years he can go fight for Elite Yamma XC or whatver crap promotion is around at that time.
by RiverHorror on Aug 4, 2008 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not disagree with you john, but there are to side to every story. On the other side…say fighter XYZ lose 3 fights in row and has 2 fights to go on his current contract well Company ABC is not going to throw them on another card they will wait for your contract to expire. First and for most, it’s a business…ON BOTH SIDES Company ABC and fighter XYZ, you can say what you want…it comes down to the old saying "you have to get while the getting is good". Its not greed, it’s not being selfish, it’s business. Some of you might say well Fighter XYZ is getting XXX,XXX a fight…it doesn’t matter…WE ALL want more.
by WIGGY on Aug 4, 2008 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just so you guys know, that wasnt me who made that post. it was an imposter. I dont think I really ever agree with Kevin. But I do agree that I could care less if Fedor ever beats the crap out of randy or not. Doesnt matter, I know the outcome already. I lost all respect for him when he felt that he was above figting NOgueira, who would submit Randy in a heartbeat!
by john on Aug 4, 2008 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
thats the thing, you never agree with me, sometimes I cloud your vision just because you have it in your head not to agree with me! I don’t get the hate towards honesty!
by kevin doesn't know shit on Aug 4, 2008 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
you know what, John you call out kj noons (which I agree with you, but don’t agree with me when it comes to randy. who hates on me more than you man? LOL, guess we’ll agree to disagree, I still enjoy your rants and posts!
by kevin doesn't know shit on Aug 4, 2008 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
read above. I just said that I agree that I dont even want to see Randy vs. Fedor and that he should have taken his ass whooping from NOG like a man instead of running away from him to get bea up by fedor!
by john on Aug 4, 2008 8:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah but randy still lied to all of us.
dana proved this. i cant trust what randy says.
i dont even think randy himself knows whats going on sometimes.
JV-what respect should the ufc show for randy?
put him on TUF as a coach?
try to sign fedor so he can fight him?
or give him a half mill signing bonus?
or give him a title shot after back 2 back ko’s?
or maybe he should get ppv profit aswell?
or they should pay him quarter mill for a fight?
im pretty sure randy disrespected the ufc and not the other way around.
by ~stinky~fingers~ on Aug 4, 2008 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kevin, john and STINKY!!!!! good to see you posting. If I remember correctly Dana called Randy for a fight with Tim, not the other way around. There was no one to fight Tim at the time. And also Dana admitted himself that he threw Randy to the wolves when he fought Chuck the first time. So ask yourselves this question: If you were his age and wanted to finish your career with one last big fight, what would you do? The UFC has already proven what they do, look at how long they dragged AA. They would have dragged Randy for years to finish his last two fights. So what would you do?
by JV on Aug 4, 2008 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think your mistaken JV, I remember Randy on that UFC show with Rogan and he said he saw that there was no one to fight tim, so he asked to come back! That’s why tim felt disrespected!
by kevin doesn't know shit on Aug 4, 2008 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
would have could have, you don’t know what happened with AA, just like I don’t. The thing is, once again, we see the two highest paid guys complaining, why? Why don’t the fighters start a union, why don’t they strike, i’ll tell you why, the UFC is the place to fight if you want to be regarded as the best!
by kevin doesn't know shit on Aug 4, 2008 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kevin, you didnt answer my question. If you were on your last good fight and wanted to fight the supposed best what would you do? And dont get me wrong, Im a UFC loyalist and I dont hate on Dana like most. But it is crazy to see how much hate there is for Randy just cause he did whats best for him.
by JV on Aug 4, 2008 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’d fight NOG and get paid for it! Not take a year off for a fight that not too many people really want to see! He could have fought nog, lost and been released by now, he’s brought this “hate” upon himself!!!
by kevin doesn't know shit on Aug 4, 2008 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
JV, to answer your question, If I was Randy and wanted to have one last fight, I wouldn’t have signed a multi-fight contract that would put me in a bind. He took the contract because he liked the benjamins, but now regrets the terms and conditions.
by BobC on Aug 4, 2008 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
JV- if i was in that situation?
i would try to fight the best aswell.
i would also never hurt my name by going out and lying
to everybody just to get proven as a lier. he did all that
just to get this fight[that he wont get] and now everybody
knows randy was a great fighter and a legend to the sport
who went out as a lier that lost alot of respect from fans.
he could have pursued the fight without calling out the
ufc. he lied and got busted for it.
what a way to go out.
by ~stinky~fingers~ on Aug 4, 2008 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Randy exchanged the adoration from his fans, the opportunity to become the first MMA Icon, and the respect of many in the MMA community for money.
by PBL on Aug 4, 2008 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Bottom line
1. Randy should have tried tobroker a deal behind the scenes with the UFC before blowing this up.
2. The UFC should have tried harder to make the fight happen. Randy is wasting away and the UFC should let him fight Fedor and then make him give them a 2 to 3 fight deal. Everyone is happy!
3. You AA nut-huggers must forget how he and Timmy the Maniac laid on and danced around each other in the 2nd and 3rd fights. One was scared and the other was glad of it. Fedor would destroy him. If you disagree you are wrong!
4. Rampage is still nuts.
5. Wandi is still vicious.
6. Chuck is still the man.
by Brian "Bisping-Hater" on Aug 4, 2008 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Im fed up of people claiming that Randy left out of “respect”. Its so ideal to lash out with such an elusive term as “respect”.
5 time UFC Champion, Initial coach in the Ultimate Fighter, as well as repeatedly having roles in other seasons, UFC Hall of Famer, immediate title shot after coming out of retirement, Dana White claiming again and again that Randy was the number one heavyweight. I mean come on!!! He was swamped with respect.
Also he was one of the highest paid fighters in the UFC. And you know what ticks me off the most??? Him not fighting Bas Rutten because the old UFC wasnt respecting his contract… I mean talk about a hypocrite…
by chris on Aug 4, 2008 11:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
What I think this ruling does is start the filing process all over again in Nevada. I hate the legal system, it’s sooooo slow and sometimes soooo misdirects litigants, the smaller court ruled to do it in Texas, now the court of apeals says no. It’ll probably be another 6 mths or whatever before the wheels start turning towards resolving the court case.
Couture could have had 2 more fights by now and a few more million in his pocket and gracefully bowed out of the UFC to fight Fedor. Lesson here is, if u can ever avoid going to court, do it!
by THORAZINE on Aug 4, 2008 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I gotta say, I agree. The whole hing is kinda wearing down on everybody. By the way, Respect is spanish for MONEY!
by Jrandolph on Aug 4, 2008 8:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Randy should just drop his love affair with “Feh-door” and just return to the UFC to fight real fighters, unlike Fedor.
by Sean_M on Aug 4, 2008 2:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
“Fight real fighters, unlike Fedor”—oh please. Are you referring to the interim champion that Fedor has dominated twice, or just the generally lackluster UFC heavyweight division?
by Scott on Aug 4, 2008 3:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
fedor is a real fighter he is the best heavyweight in the world
by jordan on Aug 4, 2008 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
perfect example of a fan that thinks the UFC is the only place where good fighters fight…this comment is totally ass-backwards
by --utaptout-- on Aug 4, 2008 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t care how popular it is to hate Dana White. Randy is the one at wrong here.
He was so eager to sign the dotted line to get back into the UFC and after two fights all he wants to do is get out? WTF? 4 fight contract Randy. Suck it up.
At first he was claiming that him leaving the UFC had nothing to do with the UFC not signing Fedor. But nowadays all he wants to do is fight Fedor.
by Diesel Power on Aug 4, 2008 2:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
F**k Zuffa! Free Randy! Freeze Time! Fight Fedor!
by TheNegation on Aug 4, 2008 2:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
You diss Zuffa but I’m pretty sure you’re gonna be watching the PPV’s and the fights on Spike. So much hate for the UFC even though its the best.
by RiverHorror on Aug 4, 2008 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
WEll f**k Zuffa ‘coz they’re stalling while time is runnin’ out. That’s for Randy. But of course I love the UFC and I watch the PPVs!!Who sez I ain’t watchin’?
by TheNegation on Aug 4, 2008 7:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not only that but the UFC gave him a title shot after two straight ass kickings by Chuck
by Mike on Aug 4, 2008 2:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
yea and he won the title….but do agree thats BS after lsing to Chuck the 2nd time he gets a title shot one weightclass up on his first fight back? I like Randy and love to watch him fight. I just wish these idiots could figure something out so we can see Randy fight again. I dont care if its against Fedor or Big Nog or whoever, I just would like to see Randy defy the odds one last time before quitting for good.
by Chadx23 on Aug 4, 2008 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Randy was on insideMMA complaining how the original UFC owners wanted to pay him less than the contract he signed and he said he told them to honor his contract. To bad the guy cant practice his own words.
Also he was fresh off the UFC shoving him down our throat with him as an announcer, coach, fighter etc..spike even had a captain america day. He thought that with all the buzz behind him that he would be able to blow off his contract and get the big time payday fighting fedor. Unfortunately for Randy without the UFC’s marketing team behind him his popularity has gone way down and interest in that fight diminishes on a daily basis.
by kazanski on Aug 4, 2008 3:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
After all of this time he could have had his 2 fights and been done.
by Trsigley on Aug 4, 2008 3:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
This whole thing makes me laugh. About 2 weeks after Randy turned in his resignation, I looked at the flow of commentary on the web and realized this was going to be a complete disaster for him.
Fast forward almost a year, and his reputation has been completely shot to hell among the hardcore fans. And who knows how much longer this can stretch out, or how much more damage his reputation can take.
by Michaelthebox on Aug 4, 2008 3:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Randy should make a deal to fight one more time for the UFC and then be free and clear.
I know he wants to finish his career with Fedor, but he should just face the music and fight Nog. If he really wants to be considered the best HW he should fight Nog, who is perhaps #2 after Fedor if it’s not Randy himself. If he can beat Nog then the Fedor fight will have all the more meaning.
Sure, he might well lose to Nog, but at least he won’t be frittering away his last moments in the sport in court.
Suck it up. Fight Nog. He is a more than worthy challenge.
by Revjames13 on Aug 4, 2008 3:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Randy’s aura will never be what it was, and he can’t repair it. He was never all that good to begin with. On to better fights.
by --utaptout-- on Aug 4, 2008 4:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Whoever was advising Randy was incompetent. There is absolutely no chance of Couture litigating this to an acceptable conclusion (for him). There are multiple suits including collusion with as yet unnamed co-conspirators. What was he thinking? Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him fight Fedor in the UFC. Yes, Fedor seems to be connected with Affliction, but is he really? Remember M-1? Most of us were under the impression that he was tied up then. And anyways, how much longer do you think Affliction will even be around? Now that Lorenzo Fertitta is focusing on global expansion, I could see him coming to terms with Fedor and including the Red Devil Team. What better way to crack the Russian and Asian markets?
by Muscle Dolphin on Aug 4, 2008 4:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
If you are the heavyweight champion YOU HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO DEFEND THE BELT PERIOD……! ! ! !HOW CAN ANYONE SEE IT ANY OTHER WAY??
by b-real on Aug 4, 2008 6:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Man how much money is this going to cost Randy once Zuffa puts him through the ringers? They don’t even have to win just prolong it and suck as much money and time as possible…
Once it is over you’ll probably see Randy fight cause he’ll need the payday to offset court cost.
Randy please go out more gracefully than Ken did.
by Ognitinoc on Aug 4, 2008 7:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
My feelings on this issue are similar to my feelings on the Brett Favre/Green Bay Packers situation. I love both Brett and Randy, and wish them the best, but don’t like the way they have gone about things recently. It doesn’t make me like them less, it just makes me want both issues to get resolved as quickly as possible, with my preference being to see Brett throw the football again and see Randy throw a punch again.
It looks like Brett is heading towards getting onto the field again. Maybe Randy will follow suite???
by Eric on Aug 4, 2008 8:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Got to agree with whoever is sick of millionaire athletes talking about respect. They respected the organization enough to take their money, they should respect it enough to honor their contracts.
In the past year, Randy went from my hero, to someone I’ll point to and tell my kids to make sure they don’t end up like him.
Randy has really just turned in to another Tito. Gets hooked up with some piece of * who then turns him in to a money grubbing bastard.
Seriously, Tito went downhill when he got with Jenna. Randy did the exact same. I’m not sure if Tito was married before, but if not, Randy 1up’d him by getting a divorce before getting with the woman that ruined his career.
That’s right, I’m putting Randy in the same boat as Tito.
by Punk Rock Scott on Aug 5, 2008 12:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Kind of hard to believe Dana couldn’t afford to pay Fedor $300K…low end, compared to Tim The Big Lumpy Silvia $800K??? WEll Randy breached contract and now the UFC has him by the balls.
What happened to AA vs Fedor in Oct???? Now its AA vs Barnett?
by DirtbagHtr on Aug 5, 2008 2:08 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Rampage owns Chuck x 2, Fedor makes Rampage look like a snivelling rookie bitch = Chuck Randy Rampage any of them do not stand a chance against Fedor.
by Big J on Aug 12, 2008 6:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

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