They Won't Strip Couture

Steve Cofield has a good interview up with Dana White here.

The most notable part comes at the end, when Dana says Randy is still heavyweight champ, and the Nogueira/Sylvia fight is for the interim title.  

UFC contracts have "champions clauses" in them that extend the contract by a year or more if the fighter is still champion when the contract expires.  Until things are settled or worked out, they won't strip him, because it stops him from fighting for another full year from July.