Brian Knapp of TheFightNetwork made the announcement now that Couture has quit the UFC.
A few quotes from the article:
“I appreciate this opportunity the sport of MMA and the UFC has given me,” the UFC Hall-of-Famer said. “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.”
“Randy’s contract was on a fight-by-fight basis, and that’s the way he said he was always going to take it – fight by fight,” said Matt Walker, Couture’s agent at The Gersh Agency. “His acting career is accelerating at an astronomical rate, and without the support he felt some of his peers were receiving in the fight business, this was the logical choice.”
This is a crushing blow to the UFC having a champion leave abruptly during the height of his reign. Couture is and always will be one of the UFC’s most popular stars and is obviously disturbed by the non signing of Fedor.
The man has held a belt more often than any other fighter in history and is leaving after his surprising return from retirement at the top of his game.
“The Natural” will truly be missed and is a true icon and ambassador to the sport.
Edit: Sherdog has posted more regarding this |
