The departure of Randy Couture from UFC is one of the biggest stories in sports this week, and as usual with UFC, blogs are offering better insight than the mainstream media. Here are excerpts from the three best takes I've seen in the blogosphere:This couldn't come at a worse time for the UFC. Their most marketable and beloved champion just retired and they couldn't sign Emilianenko to a deal. Also, their other star, Chuck Liddell, is in the midst of a two fight losing streak after a bad loss to Keith Jardine. The guy's nickname is "the dean of mean" for God's sake, come on Chuck. Is it possible that the UFC and President Dana White may have gotten a little overconfident?-- Rumors and Rants.
Though White hardly seemed upset by UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture's announcement Thursday that he is retiring as a professional fighter and severing all ties with the company, how he handles the situation will determine whether the company will continue its rocket-like ascent toward mainstream acceptance or whether it will return to the netherworld of niche sports status.-- Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports via MMA Junkie.
The loss of Couture is a major deal. It throws the heavyweight division into chaos ... much like the 155-pound weightclass. Losing a high-profile star like Couture the way that they did, certainly makes the situation even worse. In addition, it means that the big SuperBowl weekend card is now void of a main event. Don't be surprised to see Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva (if it gets signed) bumped to that card rather than UFC 79 in December.-- UFC Mania.
Bottom line: Everyone agrees that the loss of Couture is a major loss for UFC, and everyone agrees that Dana White has dug himself a very big hole.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-12-2007 @ 5:56PM
chris said...
What kind of idiot drives their BIGGEST star and one of their Biggest draws into retirement?? I have all the respect in the world for Dana White and what he has done for the sport, but come on, the guy has turned into an Egomaniac and thinks that HE IS the face of the sport. I used to despise Tito thinking that he was full of it when he would rip on Dana for contract disputes and whatnot, but it looks like its legit. If Dana White really loved the sport, and more importantly the UFC he'd walk away from it so it can grow.
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10-14-2007 @ 9:44PM
KiwiFight said...
It is a huge blow to the UFC to loose someone who is as talented as Randy Couture, I am a fan of MMA and think he was one of the greatest fighters of his time. But it is a blow to UFC but hey it's Dana's fault. Someone with the skill and talent of Fedor would have seriously boosted UFC's ratings and bring in new audiences. Sorry UFC, not a good year
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10-16-2007 @ 3:59AM
Tommy C said...
FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE
WFC COMES TO THE WEST COAST
MMA Fights With A Stamp You Won't Forget
Tampa, Fl October 2007 - World Fighting Championships (WFC), a Tampa Bay, Florida company promoting Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) on the East Coast, announces a fight featuring former Tampa Bay Buccaneer defensive tackle, Marcus Jones. Jones will make his professional MMA debut as a part of 'WFC V: Cage Wars" on Friday evening, October 26, 2007 in Expo Hall at the Florida State Fairgrounds. This spectacular event, which includes a card of numerous other exciting matches and a record attendance crowd of approximately 8,000 fans, is being co-sponsored by Telemundo Network, Seminole Hard Rock Casino and South East Toyota. Tickets are available at the Fairgrounds ticket office and Ticketmaster.
In the near future, the U.S. West Coast MMA fans can be updated on this event and other news about the WFC and MMA fights, thanks to Kai Dodaro, a Las Vegas business owner who has been a fan of MMA for over six years. Dodaro elected to become a promoter in the MMA fighting on the West Coast by recently investing in the WFC. He states his interest in the WFC was stimulated by his recent investment in Las Vegas-based, EQ Smart Energy Drink, which is the Energy Drink Sponsor for the WFC. "The enthusiasm, vision, and business philosophy of Mo Owens, President of EQ, and Tom Crowther, President of the WFC MMA was contagious. I was amazed at EQ's commitment to the WFC MMA, and how well-planned and executed the WFC matches were," stated Dodaro. "Mo and Tom invited me to attend one of their events and I took them up on it, only to be amazed at the fact that the event was sold out, each match was great, and the fans enjoyed every minute of it!"
As President of a large multi-million dollar corporation, Dodaro has evaluated and invested in several enterprises over the years. His observation is that the critical elements that distinguish the WFC from its competition are the people involved in its success. "It's a group that puts heart and soul into every aspect and decision made, knowing that with each event, there's always room for improvement," he stated. Cage Wars V will embody a few modifications in order to ensure that the event is viewed by a larger audience, while continuing to enrich its pool of talented fighters, as evidenced by the increased interest being expressed by fighters from other MMA organizations.
This is what really intrigues Dodaro, who has put up a significant amount of his own money to form his own stable of fighters that will train at a Las Vegas facility that he is constructing and managing. This new WFC training academy includes a combination of upcoming and accomplished martial artists from numerous martial arts systems aspiring to become champions in the WFC organization. This training center will not be completed for another few weeks, but the fighters are training vigorously in various locations in anticipation of soon coming together to form one of the strongest U.S. MMA WFC schools on the West Coast. This initiative will complement Dodaro's efforts to achieve the following: 1) create an opportunity for West Coast MMA WFC fighters to compete at top levels of competition; 2) enable MMA fans to recognize and accept West Coast MMA WFC fighters as top competitors in the world of Mixed Martial Arts; and, 3) foster the development of new talent from the West Coast and Latin-American countries by identifying and training new talent that can compete at levels that will bring notoriety to MMA. In fact, Dodaro is already in negotiation with governments and organizations in Mexico, Brazil, and even the U.S. to broaden his network of contacts so that he can recruit new talent and promote MMA competitions in those areas.
"Las Vegas and the West Coast already account for a significant amount of MMA action, but Kai's goal is to convert the MMA WFC into a household name by offering the best of its kind - - top international athletes and non-stop action in an event fans will not forget.
For more details, contact Kai Dodaro or visit the following web sites: www.mmawfc.com and www.myspace.com/eq4u
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11-01-2007 @ 8:49AM
UFC-Whacko said...
I have an incredible amount of respect for Randy Couture. I also have an incredible amount of respect for Dana White the UFC ownership for the success they've had in growing the company.
Sure, Dana White might be a foul-mouthed executive, but he has an amazing ability to connect with his fighters. If it wasn't for Dana White, Randy Couture wouldn't have the celebrity status he has today.
Undoubtedly, Couture was a big part of the growth of the UFC, but he DID retire once before, didn't he? The UFC didn't have to give Couture another chance at a title, but they did. The UFC paid Couture a lot of money AFTER he retired and then returned to fight, and they have the documentation to back it up.
I'm not sure what the root of Couture's aggravation is with the UFC, but my guess is that Couture jumped to conclusions too quickly and didn't give the UFC enough time to work things out. Or, he just doesn't want to fight any more.
The ball is in Couture's court to prove that he made a good decision.
By the way, did Dana White make it through an entire press conference without cussing?
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