Mixed Martial Arts Forum banner

Dana White: 'I'm happy I don't have to be in business' with Randy Couture

4K views 35 replies 20 participants last post by  Roflcopter 
#1 ·
White: 'I'm happy I don't have to be in business' with Randy Couture
By dann@mmajunkie.com (Steven Marrocco and John Morgan)



LAS VEGAS – Some MMA observers may have misread Dana White's reaction to Randy Couture's new deal with the Viacom-owned Spike.

White's tweet of "I love it" wasn't the pleasant bon voyage it seemed.

Rather, it was an expression of relief at never having to do business with the UFC Hall of Famer again, according to the UFC president.

"Randy Couture comes off as the greatest guy in the world – Captain America," White said. "He's the furthest thing from it, and I'm happy that I don't have to be in business with him anymore. Now I don't ever have to be in business with him again."

Such a venomous comment might come as a surprise to newer fans, who have seen Couture serve as an on-air analyst in the first five UFC events broadcast on FOX, or as deja vu for those who witnessed the fallout from a contract dispute between the fighter and promoter six years ago.

White, though, said it was a long time coming.

"Not for a lot of people that know him it won't be," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "(For) 99.9 percent of the people, that won't be shocking at all. People that really know him, not people that watch him on TV."

In 2007, Couture resigned from the UFC, citing discontent with the promotion's management and a desire to fight Fedor Emelianenko.

The dispute found its way into court, where Couture sued to free himself from a promotional contract and UFC parent Zuffa did the same to block him from signing with rival promotions.

It was there White claims his opinion was set.

"I would say when that whole lawsuit went down, when he lied about his numbers and lied about a lot of things, went into court and it didn't work out for him, I say that's when I really got to know him," he said. "And when that whole thing went down, I was the guy he was attacking.

"It's easy if you look at me and the way that I am in public, it's easy to say, 'Oh, this is the guy we can attack and make me look good.' Of course, everybody's going to side with Randy.

"This guy that he's playing out to be this horrible human being, there were a lot of things that happened in there, but the nail in the coffin was, if I'm this horrible, despicable human being that he speaks about... when he was in town... him and his wife were in town when he had just had a brand new baby, they're down in Las Vegas filming 'The Ultimate Fighter' – would you drop your baby off at that guy's house to watch your brand new baby, and leave him there overnight and come pick him up the next day?"

Couture's rep, Sam Spira, declined comment on the matter.

News of Couture's deal with Spike reportedly incensed White, according to a report from Sports Illustrated, which first confirmed the fighter's deal with the Viacom-channel.

As part of the deal, which was also confirmed by MMAjunkie.com, Couture will serve as a coach on the first season of Bellator's forthcoming reality show, which begins filming next month, and a variety of other projects for Spike TV.

Since retiring from MMA after a loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC 129, Couture has focused on acting projects. This past summer, he reprised his role in the sequel to the action flick "The Expendables," and had a role in the 2011 feature "The Setup."

Couture's image has been a sore spot with the Zuffa-owned UFC earlier in his career. A spat over likeness rights led the promotion to exclude him from an advertising campaign touting its new ownership.
http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/...ont-have-to-be-in-business-with-randy-couture
 
#2 ·
Dana sure didn't have an issue when Zuffa was promoting him heavily and they were mutually making shitloads of cash together (he sure as hell was captain america then, right?). But that era has been over for a long time, randy got old, fought longer than practically anybody at the top tier of competition, and had to stop.

What was Randy supposed to do? Without having behind the scenes details, is Randy obligated to stay unemployed forever? Does it make him a bad person because he took a job with a rival company?

Dana is also notoriously fickle and I suspect if Randy were to terminate the bellator agreement tonight and take any job at all under the Zuffa umbrella Dana would be licking his nuts again. It's almost like's he's pissed that Randy is both a competent fighter AND a capable businessman just like Dana. Boohoo.
 
#8 ·
If Dana disliked Randy so much why did he buy him a new tooth after Machida kicked it out of him?
 
#10 ·
Dana is obviously a little baby about things and always wants things his way. He is a powerful man who is used to most things going in his favor.

That said, on the outside looking in it seems like a dick move by Randy. After the UFC gave Couture fights like Toney and Mark Coleman. And gimmie title fights left and right.

Would be one thing if Randy wanted to fight still and could only find fights other places. But he is resorting to coaching on a show that will get small ratings? In a company he has never been associated with? "here's Randy Couture, long time staple with the UFC ready to coach you Bellator fighters" Seems odd. I doubt Randy is getting paid that great for a coaching gig on a smaller promotion. Maybe they made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Seems like he is just sticking it to Dana though.
 
#21 ·
Again you seem to be under the asinine assumption that the UFC NEEDED to give Randy title shot after title shot.

You know how much Randy vs Sylvia did? 534k. That's average at best. Or how about the 250 he did when he put him against Coleman when he was past it. He even gave him a soft touch in Vera so he could get another LHW title shot and he failed miserably.

Randy has never been a superstar draw.

And he should be gracious for the opportunity he got...instead he lied and bitched about the millions of dollars he was making even though he had a contract that dictated that he'd make money based on the PPVs that he failed to sell.

He went behind the UFC's head with the whole EA MMA deal and refused to sign his likeness over.

He's just generally been a guy who's been about himself. I'm all for guys getting what's coming from but I'm not for guys thinking they are bigger than the sport or bigger than their companies.

If an NFL player or NBA player had pulled this shit, hell if Rampage had pulled it we'd never hear the end of it about these "overpaid primadonnas".


This guy literally tried to sign to another organization in the middle of his contract for God's sake.
 
#26 ·
I just find it hard to understand why people would have hate for Randy. He's the reason I started watchin the sport and became a fan. A guy winning against the odds and doin it for so long deserves respect. For a guy that age to even step in to the ring with machida like he did at that age takes serious stones. That alone merits respect. Never mind his outboxing of chuck and his destruction of many bigger stronger faster guys. So what if he fought with the boss over pay, who gives a shit about that? Surely peoples views of him should be determined from his time in the ring and his achievements there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: oldfan
#33 ·
To be fair, who cares? Fighters need to make a living after fighting, the UFC does not need them once they're past it and they can do what they want. I bet Dana couldn't care less where Randy works, he's just speaking out because that's what he does, you should all know by now.

Couture is an actor, only time he's on camera and not acting is his horribly biased, and often wrong, fight predictions. If he wants to stay in the MMA world, his life might be easier if he had some kind of role in the UFC, analyst, commentator or whatever, but if he does not want that, who cares?

Rampage will be in the same boat, he says he wants to fight elsewhere to make a living and be free to fight where he wants, put on a good show, make movies in his spare time. He'd make a lot more money quitting fighting now, being Dana's buddy and working for the UFC. He can eat what he wants then too. End of the day, these guys are fighters, you're bound to get some stubborn fools who just won't learn.
 
#34 ·
I respect both Dana White and Randy Couture. Neither is perfect. Both have made mistakes. And each man has his flaws. They're no different than you or I in that regard. It's called being human. Dana White has his foibles, but he's also helped grow this sport into something more than most thought possible. To call him an embarrassment to MMA when he's done far more good than bad for the sport is moronic.

Randy Couture is a fighter who defied age and did some truly spectacular things in his own right. He probably isn't a saint behind the scenes, but I care about Randy Couture the fighter and not Randy Couture the man. Again, no one is perfect. These two have had their disagreements, and for the time being, they don't need one another. Dana made his peace, wished Randy all the best and that's that. There's really no need for the 'he's a piece of shite - no HE'S a piece of shite' discussion.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top