Couture won't fight Fedor in UFC

Underground
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From MMAJunkie.com

Estranged UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture is still determined to fight former PRIDE heavy title-holder Fedor Emelianenko. Just don't expect to see the fight take place in the UFC, Couture says.

The 44-year-old UFC hall-of-famer made the comments in a recent video interview with the m1mixfight.com website.

Even after he resigned from the organization back in October (citing a lack of respect from UFC executives, issues over his pay, and the UFC's inability to sign then-free agent Emelianenko), Couture said he would return to the organization if UFC president Dana White could arrange a fight with the famed Russian.

However, the UFC recently took Couture to court to bar his involvement with outside fight promotions. The litigation has apparently ruined any shot of a Couture-Emelianenko fight taking place in the UFC.

Couture made that perfectly clear when he was asked if he cares where the fight with Emelianenko takes place.

"I care at this point that it's not in the UFC," Couture said with a dejected laugh. "But outside of that, I don't care where it happens so long as it happens."

The Dallas-based HDNet Fights appears to be the frontrunner to get the heavyweight fight. In fact, HDNet Fights owner Mark Cuban recently joined the legal fight to get a declaratory judgment on Couture's contract status.

"By fall... we'll hopefully have the fight going," Couture said.

And while he would prefer to fight close to home, it's not mandatory.

"I prefer to fight here in the U.S.," Couture said. "It's where I'm confortable. For all the marketing reasons, this is the strongest market for the sport probably outside of Tokyo... but wherever it happens, it happens."

With Couture now unwilling to fight in the UFC, a rumor that Emelianenko was close to signing a one-fight deal with the UFC -- to fight Couture -- appears unlikely.

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Could Dream make this fight happen?

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tick tock tick tock

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It wont happen.

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Now I REALLY hope the UFC signs Fedor to a long term contract worth whatever Fedor wants, just to see Randy on the outside looking in.

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IMO, Randy comes off worse, the longer this thing goes on.

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What I don't understand is, the main reason he left in the first place was they weren't able to sign Fedor. Now, they have the potential to sign Fedor and make the fight happen and he's refusing to let it happen in the UFC.

He wanted the UFC to give a little and co-promote with another organization in order to make the fight happen yet, he's not willing to give a little and fight for the UFC in order to make the fight happen.

Seems kind of hypocritical, IMO.

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Shameful on Randy's part.

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randy is great and all, but he has looked kind of foolish over this whole thing.

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The UFC has a chance to sign Fedor right now.

And yet, Randy says he doesn't want to fight Fedor in the UFC.

Randy sure has a lot of stipulations for a fight that he supposedly wants to badly.

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It's definitely not helping his image.

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I insist upon fighting Fedor, but only in a promotion that is unable to set up the fight.

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He doesn't want to violate his HD Net contract. I blame Cuban.

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"He doesn't want to violate his HD Net contract. I blame Cuban. "

There is no HDNet contract until his contract with the UFC ends.

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"Randy comes off worse, the longer this thing goes on."

Agreed.

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he's really talkign out of both sides of his mouth now.......too bad....

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I really don't think that any fighter in UFC history has been better treated than Randy.

The guy loses...he gets title shots.

The guy opens a gym...he gets a commenting slot where he can promote it for free (actually get paid to promote it).

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"Seems kind of hypocritical, IMO."

Randy has been Hypocritical through this whole deal.

This is teh guy that gave Tito crap for not stepping up to the plate and defending his title.
Something or Somebody is in Randy's head.You can't go from signing a a huge contract less than a month ago to out of the blue sending a fax over saying you quit.
He never even discussed to any of this so called "issues" with Zuffa.He just quit.

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Bye bye Randy.

You were once our hero, now you're just an old man trying to grasp at straws.

There is no way to talk your way out of this one..especially since UFC is trying to do what YOU said YOU wanted.

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"Took place before Fedor left M1. So maybe Randy has an new opinion of the idea. "

Why would his opinion be any different?

I hope it is, don't get me wrong, I just don't know why it would be.

Also, I don't think people should write off Randy as being a hypocrite or not the same Randy or whatever. Business is just that, business. You do what makes sense for you. If he doesn't feel that it would make sense for him to fight in the UFC, I guess you have to respect that decision.