UFC Champion Quits The Company Reported By
OnlyUFC
Sources at The Fight Network broke news Thursday that Randy "The Natural" Couture has departed the UFC.
Couture, UFC's Heavyweight Champion and one of its most recognizable fighters, quit via a letter to Dana White, the company's President.
In a statement, Couture, who will vacate his title and also depart as an on-air color commentator, confirmed that the UFC's failure to sign Fedor Emelianenko played a large part in his decision.
“I appreciate this opportunity the sport of MMA and the UFC has given me,” Couture said in the statement to The Fight Network. “However, I’m tired of swimming upstream at this stage with the management of the UFC. It only makes sense at this point in my career to fight Fedor Emelianenko, and since he’s now signed with another organization, I feel like it’s time to resign and focus on my other endeavors.”
Both Couture's agent and UFC President Dana White noted that the fighter is interested in developing his acting career.
"I’m not surprised at all by Randy’s decision. I talked to Randy several weeks ago and he said that if he couldn’t fight Fedor, then he has nothing left to prove in the sport of mixed martial arts. He has been doing a lot of acting, and I know he is in South Africa right now filming a movie. I think it’s a great move for Randy’s acting career to retire from fighting while he is on top," said White in a statement on UFC.com.
He added, "As we all know, Randy retired before. The landscape in MMA changes every day. So when he is ready to come out of retirement again, he is still under contract with me, and I’m ready to promote him.”
WrestlingObserver.com noted that Couture was also upset over the fact that recent offers to recruit former PRIDE fighters consisted of much larger downside guarantees than he and other veteran UFC names were making.
UFC has not given an update on its plans for the vacant Heavyweight Championship.
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