MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT: Randy Couture Returns to UFC; UFC 91: Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar in Las Vegas
by Kid Nate on Sep 2, 2008 4:20 PM EDT
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The UFC has announced that UFC 91 will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will feature the return of Randy Couture.
Couture will be defending his heavyweight championship belt against Brock Lesnar. The winner will fight the winner of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Frank Mir to unify the title.
Dana White says the legal issues with Randy have been resolved.
They claim they are going to do everything in their power to book Fedor vs Couture if something can be worked out with the other promotions that Fedor has agreements with.
Randy Couture says he "would much rather fight in Octagon than any place else." He also says he hasn't enjoyed the court battles this past year. He also says he isn't concerned about ring rust at all and expects to weigh 225lbs going into the fight.
Dana White says, "Couture vs. Lesnar is the biggest fight in UFC history."
They also hinted at a possible future UFC in Virginia.
UPDATE: More details to come.
- Dana White: Brock vs. Couture will be "the biggest fight in UFC history".
- Dana White on competitors and co-promotion: ": These guys are dying on the vine. You’re not under contract if the company’s not in business anymore.
- Dana White: "I would be horrified if Affliction's still in business in January."
- Couture: would rather fight Fedor, but fight with Brock "a step in the right direction"
- Couture says UFC and he have "cleared the air"; "comfortable with way things stand right now"
- Couture says he'll weigh approximately 225lbs for this fight.
- Dana White says he doesn't know if Couture is the richest fighter in the UFC.
- Dana White: Nogueira is probably thrilled Couture is back.
- Dana White: research was done and proves Brock vs. Couture will be biggest fight in UFC history.
- Couture: re-signing with the UFC to get Fedor is "path of least resistance"
- Dana White: the heavyweight division "is looking pretty damn good now"
- Couture: MMA is the combative sport for this generation
- Couture: how can you overlook a guy [Brock Lesnar] that size?
- Dana White: over the next year we are going to see some really great heavyweight fights.
- Randy and Dana: feels good to have this problem resolved; "to see a little sunshine for a change is pretty nice"
- Dana White: "I like fighting with Tito"
- Dana White suggests Fedor might have to be not under contract for the UFC to sign a fight with him. He didn't say it was required, but he alluded to it.
- Dana White: Affliction is losing "shitloads" of money.
- Couture: biggest part of my decision was communicating with Lorenzo and Dana that I was feeling. Second was frustration with legal system. Tired of throwing money with lawyers with no end in sight. Best place for me to fight is a cage, not a court room.
- Dana White: "I'm like a giddy little girl right now"
- Dana White: "It drives me insane when Fedor is called the best p4p fighter in the world." If Fedor is the best, he has to come to the UFC eventually.
- Dana White: people don't know this, but there was bad blood between Brock and Herring. Herring was insulted he had to fight him.
- Brock Lesnar: "not a lot of people get this opportunity".
- Brock Lesnar: "who gives a shit about Fedor Emelianenko?" I'm sick and tired of sitting on the phone listening about Fedor. "Who fucking gives a shit?"
- Dana White: "UFC Countdown" for this fight could be two or three part series.
- Dana White: this is where all the best heavyweights are. Randy Couture is relevant; Fedor is not.
- Couture: I can't spend any time worrying about losing to Lesnar and losing luster on a fight with Fedor.
- Dana White: rivals can have whichever fighters we cut.
- Dana White: Werdum is still in the mix.
- Dana White: expecting 1million to 1.5 million PPV buys for this fight. It's a new deal: 3-fight deal.
- Dana White: I would not sign a one-fight deal with Fedor.
- Dana White: all court action is dead.
- Dana White: Randy Couture is the guy everyone wants to fight. Fedor is completely irrelevant.
- Couture: Mark Cuban wants what's best for me. He just wanted to facilitiate what I wanted. Now the best path is to make the fight with Fedor happen in the UFC.
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i believe Lesnar will be the champion
if he beats Randy. He’ll have to beat Nog/Mir to unify the belts.
Yeah, at a robust 2-1 in the UFC he’s clearly getting the shaft by having a guy with one less win than him get a title shot.
Look, I don’t think Lesnar “deserves” a title shot, but all this talk that Werdum is getting screwed is ludicrous. He’s 2-1 in the UFC.
If it is such a non factor, then why did Dana make sure to say that Werdum is still in the picture?
We all know that Werdum should be getting the next shot. Who has done more than 2-1 with wins over GG and Vera? Randy-made a bad decision to step away. Lesner 1-1 with a sub by Mir and a beatdown of HH.
We also all know that it will have to wait a while because of the big money fights that are available now.
If Werdum was a ppv draw, he wouldn;t be getting passed over. This is strictly a business decision.
"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'"
Did I say non-factor. I’m just saying that he’s hardly being “screwed.” Is he deserving of a shot? Arguably, but it’s not like he’s had a run of five straight wins or something.
So who has?
Sorry, but no HW in the UFC is more “deserving”.
This is all about $$$$$$$$. And there is nothing wrong with that, it just sucks for Werdum and that is all anyone is saying.
"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'"
I really must have mis-phrased my earlier comments. My point is that although he is arguably the #1 contender, he hasn’t done something so incredible that it’s some sort of crime that he is getting passed over for a huge money matchup. He has won two fights in a row. That’s great, but it’s not like he’s gone on some great run that absolutely demands that he receive a title shot. That’s all I’m trying to say. Sure, he’s getting passed over, but why should we care if a guy with only two wins in the Octagon has to win another fight or two to get a title shot? I must be missing something.
by Richard Wade on Sep 2, 2008 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I think we pretty much agree on this, it’s just the way we think things SHOULD be done that we aren’t stating clearly. No it’s not the crime of the century that Werdum is getting put on hold, but it is a shame. It’s a shame that he is as deserving as anyone, but he just doesn;t put the butts in the seats, so to speak. We all know that Lesner is about selling ppvs and it is smart of the UFC to set it up like this, it just stinks for Werdum.
I don;t think you really have anything against Werdum, you are just taking it from a different angle. I don;t have anything against Lesner, I just want to see the contenders get shots in some order. But if you combine who draws and fighters getting older, you will see guys get skipped over a bit.
"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'"
I agree that it sucks for Werdum right now, but he should be in a good position when this unification business works itself out. Let these guys fight it out. Then, get in there for a title shot. At least they have a plan laid out, and White has already specifically mentioned Werdum.
I think, because of Werdum’s lackluster showing against Arlovski, people underestimate him. Since he’s been training with Chute Box, he’s been more aggressive in terms of striking. Nog was extremely careful on the ground with Werdum when they fought in Pride. He admitted that Werdum is better on the ground. That says a lot, in my opinion, since Nog’s BJJ in the context of MMA is absolutely top tier.
by Cannon Jacques on Sep 2, 2008 11:02 PM EDT up reply actions
He also...
just doesn’t have the name value to sell a fight. That is in part his fault (the Arlovski fight) and in part the UFC’s fault for failing to promote him properly and instead treating him like the guy that they were going to feed to Arlovski and then to Gonzaga.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 2, 2008 11:19 PM EDT up reply actions
He may not have name value..
But he’s got a pretty great name. FABRICIO.. WERRRRRRDUUUUUUUM!!!!
Don’t know if I’d call it a ring, necessarily. But it’s a cool name in my book..
I think Wedum gets his shot.
It just isn’t going to happen until the dust settles
Randy
———————
Brock -——————— vs Werdum
—
Nog
———————-
Mir
I could see the UFC giving Werdum a gimmie in the meantime as a good faith. Money maker type of gesture. Neil Wain,Colin Robinson, Christian Wellisch or maybe even a Cheick Kongo. Somebody he will be a sizable favorite against. Someone to keep the ring rust to a minimum.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
so are you saying the loser of Couture/Lesnar or Nog/Mir will face Werdum
"My job is a decision-making job, and as a result, I make a lot of decisions." --George W. Bush, The Decider, Lancaster, Pa., Oct. 3, 2007
No
I am saying that Assuming that Fedor isn’t facing Randy after it is all over (a fairly safe assumption). Werdum stands to be the first title defense for whomever wins the UFC HWY Tourney.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
Randy: ‘I want to fight Fedor. Fighting is what’s important to me – I don’t know what is important to him. If he wants to be the #1 heavyweight in the world, he needs to come fight me.’
Winner gets Nog/Mir to unify the belts.
Bet me money that, if Randy loses, he goes to light heavy. Says he’s only coming into this fight at 225 (!!!)
Very smart move...
moving this to Vegas. I feel bad for the Portland fans…but this is a Vegas fight all the way. Plus I will actually consider flying to Vegas for a weekend to catch this.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 2, 2008 4:29 PM EDT reply actions
I completely understand the financial/business reasons to do this fight.
I completely understand how physically dominant Lesnar appears to be.
I completely understand the excitement about this fight — hell, I’m excited to see what happens.
All that said, what does it really say about the state of the UFC heavyweight division that they are willing to give Lesnar a title shot after he has earned only one victory, over Heath Herring? To me it somewhat diminishes the value of the UFC heavyweight division to give someone so inexperienced and who has done so little a title shot immediately. I’m not even talking about the outcome — I won’t be surprised if Lesnar wins this fight. I just think it’s a bit of a slap in the face to guys in the division who have worked for a long time to get a title shot — guys like Werdum, for example — to put them on the sideline solely because of the possible money in this fight.
I am pumped to see the fight, though … does that make me a hypocrite?
You should consider
That he would not truly be the champ until beating Randy Couture AND either Mir or Big Nog. If he gets through all of that, I don’t see the issue.
Agreed
Hes still gonna have to go through 2 tuff oponents. THIS IS AWESOME!!!
by xFenixKnightx on Sep 2, 2008 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah but...
Nogueira also wasnt submitted in under two minutes in the fight before Heath Herring and he also had over 30 fights agains ttop class competition and was ranked either 2nd or 3rd best in the world at the time.
Why Randy/Lesnar...
Randy wanted Fedor ASAP b/c his time in MMA is dwindling. So, if that can’t happen, the next best thing is to have him against the other biggest payday possible. Brock might not be ready, but by the time he is, Randy would be back in the play by play booth (although maybe not with the UFC). So, here’s to striking while the iron is hot.
Eddie Sanchez is a whopping 3-2, clearly he is the top contender for the belt! (Your argument sucks)
Clearly some of you are far too emotionally invested in this. My only point is that a 2-1 record is not so incredible as to make being overlooked for a title shot some sort of travesty.
by Richard Wade on Sep 2, 2008 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Fedor takes a back seat to a freak and a reality show...
Poor Randy. A bad movie and legal gridlock puts him in a bad bargaining position and back into the ring against a puffed up MMA noob, cheerleading for Lex Luthor’s fighting promotion and further from his goal of fighting Fedor.
Update
Dana: Portland? What? You guys thought you were getting one of the biggest fights in UFC history? laughs Don’t worry, you guys are getting Bisping vs. Sadollah in March!
Wait.. What? That’s legit? Bisping doesn’t fight again until March and he gets another can? Give me a break dude.. I like Amir, but he needs to get worked in.. What a joke.
Randy says he is choosing a path of least resistance.
"My job is a decision-making job, and as a result, I make a lot of decisions." --George W. Bush, The Decider, Lancaster, Pa., Oct. 3, 2007
Well..
There’s some interesting fights for him there. I don’t think it’s time to panic, necessarily. He’ll get his shot..
You think they’ll put Velasquez up against him before either gets to the title?
Agree about Carwin.
by Michaelthebox on Sep 2, 2008 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed
I think they throw him a bone, essentially, in not having him fight Velasquez. There’s that whole “nothing to gain” stigma. He’d probably be angered at the offer of that fight, on top of this whole situation. Don’t see it happening.
Fuck that - Carwin rules
Dude’s an inch taller than Brock, has been training MMA for years, is 9-0 in MMA (1-0 in UFC, soon to be 10-0 thank you Neil Wain) and also maxes out at 265. Great amateur wrestling background.
Wrestlers that can punch beat BJJ guys. Thus, your future top three in heavyweight will be (interchangeably) Velasquez, Lesnar and Carwin.
by Derek Suboticki on Sep 2, 2008 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Carwin is 33/34 years old, has never trained full time in his career, and is roughly the same weight as Werdum. He’s got plenty of talent, but Werdum is already one of the top fighters in the world, and Carwin is pushing the cart uphill.
by Michaelthebox on Sep 2, 2008 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes a grappler like Velasquez is clearly going to give ADCC champion Fabricio Werdum the most trouble…
The reports out of AKA are that Velasquez is basically a kickboxing and overall MMA prodigy. He ain’t taking Hari or someone like that, but Werdum is no Hari. Calling Velasquez a “grappler” badly undercuts his actual skills: he’s an elite college wrestler who has shown an incredible ability to transition to MMA.
by Michaelthebox on Sep 2, 2008 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions
AKA also had great things to say about Reese Andy, so…
Calling Velasquez a "grappler" badly undercuts his actual skills: he’s an elite college wrestler who has shown an incredible ability to transition to MMA.
As evidenced by all of the great opponents he’s beaten utilizing MMA skills beyond wrestling crickets
Well, Reese Andy did go three rounds with a former top 20 HW. He ain’t exactly chickenfeed. And they never hyped anybody the way they hype Velasquez. I don’t think anybody has gotten the hype Velasquez has gotten. And so far he’s fulfilling it just fine. O’Brien lasted against Arlovski until late in the second round. Velasquez walked through him like he wasn’t even there.
Nobody’s suggesting Velasquez will walk through Werdum. But he’s a very good bet for victory if he meets Werdum the second quarter of 2008 or later.
by Michaelthebox on Sep 2, 2008 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Good one!
"My job is a decision-making job, and as a result, I make a lot of decisions." --George W. Bush, The Decider, Lancaster, Pa., Oct. 3, 2007
Brock just lost it...
I’d clean up what he said, but if I do its not really a sentence. So here goes.
Brock: “WHO GIVES A SHIT ABOUT FEDOR!”
I DONT GIVE A DAMN ABOUT FEDOR
IM TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT FUCKING FEDOR
I DONT GIVE A DAMN IF YOU WANT THAT FIGHT
HE MIGHT NOT EVER BE WITH THE COMPANY SO WHO FUCKING GIVES A SHIT"
Only if Kid Nate keeps us up to date with Brock’s insane ramblings.
by Michaelthebox on Sep 2, 2008 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions
My bad.
Didn’t realise, this page was just regreshing itself and I was just dealing with the comments section.
They signed Royce for a one fight, one million dollar deal to fight Matt Hughes. I don’t understand the Fedor Dilemna of a “one fight deal”.
If the deal is too expensive, fine… that means no one else can afford him either. The fight wouldn’t make Fedor relevant even if he did win. You can’t fight once every 18 months a still draw big numbers.
Because obviously, they knew Royce was going to lose. You don’t sign a guy for one fight, have him kill your champion, and then leave for a rival promotion. It makes no sense at all, and frankly fght vs. Chuck would make them more than the Fedor fight. They do not need him.
Which is why they will make Fedor wait
Chances are VERY high that Randy loses to Lesnar or Nog before he gets to Fedor. If
Randy is no longer the champ. It really doesn’t matter if Fedor beats him.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
Damn. I was in the process of saying about the same thing. I guess the Royce/Hughes fight gives precedent for a one fight deal, although you really can’t compare the danger of present-day Fedor to the Royce of a couple of years ago.
by Cannon Jacques on Sep 2, 2008 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions
If Fedor came in and killed Randy (suggesting Randy beats Brock, and Nog) the way he did Big Tim, you’re correct. Hong Man Choi lasted longer than Tim.
I honestly believe after the Lesnar fight, Randy is going to lose some of his relevance as well. It wasn’t long ago, he was a commentator.
I’m not discounting Couture’s last two fights, but he beat an over-rated Tim and an over-rated Gonzaga. Nog and Lesnar are both a step up from those guys.
Randy is 45, with a record of 16-8. He is 4-3 in his past 7 fights.
You've got a point.
I think they’re kind of hedging their bets by putting Randy through the ringer first. I believe there is a good chance that Lesnar and/or Nog will beat him. If Randy does lose, it’s not as big of a deal for him to go out and lose to Fedor also.
by Cannon Jacques on Sep 2, 2008 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions
it was always my understanding...
that fedor had a problem with the UFC using his likness/fights videos in a forum that he couldn’t be compensated. ie. if he lost/won a fight against Couture there’d be billboards all over europe and thus promoting the UFC at his expense. sort of like the acotrs from gilligan island not getting paid for all the re-runs they show on late night TV.
maybe i’m worng but that’s what i thought when i read into them
by Ronnie Liddle on Sep 2, 2008 6:22 PM EDT up reply actions
The deal with Fedor did not happen for a number of reasons:
Vadim wanted an open deal where he could fight elsewhere.
They wanted a deal in which the UFC would run shows in Russia with Vadim as the co-promoter (and thus get a cut of the profits).
They wanted a deal in which the UFC could not cut Fedor even if he lost his first two fights.
They wanted a deal that included various other members of Red Devil, not unlike the Bodog ppv.
“how can you overlook a guy [Brock Lesnar] that size?”-great quote
“who gives a shit about Fedor Emelianenko?” I’m sick and tired of sitting on the phone listening about Fedor. “Who fucking gives a shit?”-greater quote, not that I agree, but hilarious.
"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'"
Told You So
I’m not the guy who minds telling you. I wonder though how no one seems to be bothered by Randy’s comment on Fedor. How does Fedor need to fight Randy to be #1 HW in the world? I really hope Lesnar smashes Couture. Then I hope they make him fight Velasquez. Though I doubt they will. Randy will only fight big names from here on out and Velasquez won’t have time to build up his before Couture retires again.
Brock moved up on my cool dude list for saying he didn’t give a fuck about Fedor… that shit is hilarious.
He better give a fuck about Randy or the old man is gonna beat his ass.
Rob Dib
http://www.break-your-face.com
Ok..
Why does Brock get all the hate for getting the shot when Randy got a title shot after being KTFO out by Chuck twice?
People love Randy and hate Brock. And there were a LOT of people who thought Randy shouldn’t be getting a title shot, but there wasn’t that much hate because it was expected Sylvia would trounce Randy.
There is a very real chance Brock Lesnar will be UFC HW champ in less than 3 months. A lot of people don’t like that thought.
by Michaelthebox on Sep 2, 2008 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s a little strange that it could be “Heavyweight Champion” Brock Lesnar against “Interim Heavyweight Champion” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira or Frank Mir. In my mind, Nog is the legit champ. Couture left the scene. I know that Couture probably wasn’t stripped just so we could go through this easily marketable unification process, but that would just be a little weird to me. I suppose it’s just semantics.
by Cannon Jacques on Sep 2, 2008 8:49 PM EDT up reply actions
fedor
the only reason brock is dissing fedor is because he is still in that WWE mentallity, that Russian would kick his ass (he would be just another freak Fedor beat!)
Well, I don’t remember everything you said, but plenty of what you said has come true.
by Richard Wade on Sep 2, 2008 11:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Woah.
Picked the right day to check back on MMA after a few months… this is just… crazy.
A sad match though. I love Randy but he will lose. Ring rust, sheer age, lawyers sucking the will to live outta ya… Either Brock vs Fedor (Fedor kicks his ass), or Randy vs Fedor (a better chance for Randy — more technical) would be way more interesting FIRST in my humble opinion.
“Couture: I can’t spend any time worrying about losing to Lesnar and losing luster on a fight with Fedor.” Way to have confidence there buddy! (sarcasm) Does not bode well. Just looking at his physique in the most recent pictures I’ve seen… it has changed in the way that old guys do I think. There is a certain look (and mass) that goes away and just doesn’t come back. Maybe talking out my backside here, but take a look. Brock is plenty stacked and puffy (too puffy?).
“Dana White: Randy Couture is the guy everyone wants to fight. Fedor is completely irrelevant.” Eh, no. No, he really is relevant. See how everyone is talking about him? That means relevant. Nice try for the jedi mind tricks though.
So I figure Brock takes Randy by athleticism over technique, old man Randy gets hurt enough that the Fedor fight either never happens or isn’t interesting (or takes place in 2020 as dueling fogeys in wheelchairs). And we are all somewhat nostalgic, but Randy finally retires.
Brock/Fedor never happens, or on the miracle it does Fedor pulls it off. Then Dana would be in a pickle. So it won’t be allowed to happen, at least not unless Dana owns him, course.
For a second I though this would be the same card as Wanderlei and jumped to my feet… for no apparent reason. ;) It would be too much! Plenty exciting all the way around.
by swarmofkillermonkeys on Sep 3, 2008 2:52 AM EDT reply actions
More Cauliflower ear
Couture = Cauliflower ear yes… That ear was sick the last time I saw Couture fight.
by thesportsaffiliate on Sep 3, 2008 8:17 AM EDT reply actions
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