Lack of respect prompted Couture's resignation

Randy Couture, explaining for the first time his decision to resign as the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion, said Thursday that an extended feeling of being "underappreciated" motivated the move.

Couture, 44, said he announced his resignation earlier this month after a series of financial decisions by UFC President Dana White and parent company co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta that Couture felt were disrespectful of his loyalty as a 10-year fighter for the increasingly popular mixed martial arts organization...More?

Some fighters think UFC salaries unfair

When discussing fighter salaries, Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White is fond of saying, "I take care of my guys."

Some of those guys aren't so sure.

Last week, UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture walked away from the organization with two fights left on his contract, in part, due to what he thought was low pay compared to other UFC stars. He also told Sherdog.com that the UFC lied to him about being the second-highest paid fighter in the promotion.

Couture is not alone when it comes to being dissatisfied with how the UFC doles out dollars. Light heavyweight Dan Henderson, who was in Houston on Saturday to conduct a clinic at Miletich Fighting Systems, says dealing with the UFC on compensation and contracts is challenging and not as easy as previous negotiations with Pride Fighting Championships...More?

source: www.chron.com

Randy Couture exit shows cracks in slick veneer of the UFC

Leaving the limelight at 44 is not unexpected for an athlete but heavyweight champion Randy Couture's sudden decision to quit the UFC exposes a few cracks in the slick veneer of the mixed martial arts powerhouse.

One visible scratch left by Couture on his way out of the UFC concerns money.

The lid has been lifted on player salaries in most major pro leagues in North America, either because of the need to fit within salary caps or because unions have decided that their membership benefit when the numbers are known...More?

Breaking News: Randy Couture Resigns from the UFC

Randy Couture, the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and one of mixed martial arts most revered fighters, notified the UFC via fax from South Africa at 11 o'clock Thursday morning that he has chosen to resign from the UFC, "The Natural" confirmed with Sherdog.com.

"I sent the letter of resignation to the UFC today, resigning not only from my position in the company as a commentator and as an ambassador, but also as the heavyweight champion," Couture said over the phone from South Africa, where he is currently filming a movie.

"The motivation for the decision is two-fold," he continued. "I know Fedor (Emelianenko) just signed with another organization and that's the only real fight that makes sense for me at 44 years old as the heavyweight champion of the UFC. That's the fight I wanted and if that can't happen it doesn't make sense for me to compete with all these other guys...More?

source: sherdog.com

A&E Biography Series Set To Feature Randy Couture

UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture will be featured on an upcoming installment of A&E’s “Biography,” the Emmy-award winning series that has profiled some of the world’s most influential people, from statesmen and Supreme Court justices to activists and pop-culture icons...More?

source: mmanews.com

Couture Shuts out Sylvia to Win Third UFC Heavyweight Title

By Thomas Gerbasi

COLUMBUS, OH, March 4 – After losing two out of three fights to UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and a tearful retirement in 2006, most believed that Randy Couture had run out of miracles. But before a packed house at the Nationwide Arena, the 43-year old UFC Hall of Famer shocked the world once again, dominating Tim Sylvia for five rounds, en route to a shutout five round decision that earned Couture a third UFC heavyweight championship.

“Not bad for an old man,” said Couture, whose three belts are now added to two UFC light heavyweight championships, giving him five total belts.

“He kept me off balance all night,” said Sylvia, a two-time champion himself. “He kept me guessing the whole 25 minutes.”

Entering the Octagon for the UFC 68 main event to the strains of Aerosmith singing ‘Back in the Saddle’, Couture smiled from ear to ear, seemingly overjoyed to be back in action as an active fighter. Conversely, Sylvia was all business – for him, this wasn’t a celebration; it was an affirmation that he was the UFC heavyweight champion and that an aging legend wasn’t going to change that fact in the next 25 minutes or less....You can read the rest of the story here.

Couture Returning To The UFC

I'm not sure how I feel about this. Randy Couture was a great fighter, but sometimes you have to know when to hang it up. You can read the article here.