http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2008/8/29/603880/randy-couture-update


BloodyElbow.com Exclusive: Randy Couture is Negotiating a Return to the UFC in November to Fight Brock Lesnar

Tiny by Michael Rome on Aug 29, 2008 11:16 PM EDT in News

I've spoken with a lot of people about Randy Couture in the last day. Things are definitely happening.

First, I can say with 100% certainty that there are current negotiations for Randy Couture to return in November to main event, and that the current proposed opponent is Brock Lesnar. They can't get Fedor, too many issues to work out on short notice, and he has a US-only non compete with Affliction.

This will be a new contract, not a return to the old one. It will likely pay him more and give him more benefits, but it will lock him into the UFC for the long term. In exchange for signing it Zuffa would drop all breach of contract charges.

From there, things get hazy. Randy is now training full time as if he is expecting a fight soon, but he still hasn't signed anything as far as I know. As far as the details of the Lesnar fight, I don't know if it's title or non title.

Update: Dave Meltzer is now confirming the story:

A source close to Randy Couture has confirmed today that Couture is in negotiations with UFC for a new three-fight deal which would end the nearly nine month legal battle between the two sides.

If the deal is closed, and the source said they are hoping to conclude negotiations and announce the match sometime within the next week, Couture would face Brock Lesnar on 11/15, most likely in Portland, Oregon.

Couture was said to be hoping that if everything went well, the next two fights could involve Fedor, Nogueira, and/or Chuck Liddell. However, all previous hangups involving Emelianenko and UFC remain.

According to Ariel Helwani at MMA Rated, the UFC is planning to announce this deal on Tuesday if all goes well. He also says the UFC is considering an M-1 proposal to have Randy fight Fedor in his second fight:

Believe it or not, the UFC is also considering a proposal from M-1 Global to co-promote a Randy Couture vs. Fedor Emelianenko bout following the Lesnar fight in November. The third proposed fight would be a bout against either current interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira or Chuck Liddell - depending on where both fighters are in their respective careers. However, given the nature of the fight game and the fighters involved, it's hard to predict what will happen that far in advance.

Things are getting very exciting very fast.

Update: Some possible cold water from Dave Meltzer:

Dana White is adamant that nothing is happening right now regarding Randy Couture and UFC, and nothing has been talked about since Tuesday.

I have reason to think he is not being entirely truthful, but who knows. There's a reason every website is hearing this now, and a reason Randy is training full time again. I believe this is an effort to keep the focus on Rashad Evans vs. Chuck Liddell a week from today.


Has anyone actually heard anything about this? I just stumbled upon this while looking at mmscraps.

This is a weird situation. Isn't Randy still technically the UFC's heavyweight champion? And wouldn't a fight with Lesnar be for the title?

not if in their agreement for a new contract they formally strip Randy of the title.

I guess the straight-to-video "Scorpion King II" isn't doing well in the money-making department :tongue6:

Truth to be told, I'd prefer to see Lesnar fight some other (not top tier) heavy weight.

not if in their agreement for a new contract they formally strip Randy of the title.

That would make sense, and I hope that's what happens. But being that ol' Dana kept insisting that Randy was the real champ for all these month, it's not necessarily clear cut as to what he's cooking up.

Either way, it's still a weird situation. Nog and Mir are already tied up with TUF 8, and the heavweight division is just so brutally, brutally thin.

Brock needs somebody a little bit meatier. I think Neil Wain or Cain Velasquez should be next. Then let him take a shot at Arlovsky.

Knowing Dana, Brocks got another year of sideshow fights before he enters general population. He'll probably have that fight he missed against Mark Coleman, then Dan Severn and Kongo somewhere in the near future.

Brock needs somebody a little bit meatier. I think Neil Wain or Cain Velasquez should be next. Then let him take a shot at Arlovsky.


I don't think the UFC will drop Brock after one more fight.

What do you mean by drop?

What do you mean by drop?

Arlovski fights for Affliction now.

Somehow I feel the rumour that UFC would co-promote is simply something Dana's throwing out in negotiaions to butter Randy up.

Arlovski fights for Affliction now.

Oh. Dear god. Who is left in the Heavyweight division?

Oh. Dear god. Who is left in the Heavyweight division?

Nog, Mir, Werdum, Gonzaga, The Brockster............. Um, Herring, Kongo, Vasquez............. Hold on.............. Uh, Coleman?


Can I get a little help here?

Jesus christ I hopke Randy doesn't fight Lesnar. Randy will probably get t fight Nog for the belt since the UFC likes to clear up those ranking conflicts.

So Kongo would make sense for Brock to fight, right?

No, Kongo is ranked lower than Herring after Herring defeated him. It makes sense for Lesnar to fight someone tougher.

Oh, right. So who are his possible matches?