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UFC Files Lawsuit Against Randy Couture

Jan 15, 2008 10:32 AM John Chandler


Dana White congratulates Randy Couture after his win over Pedro Rizzo at UFC 34. Photo by Joshua Hedges.

The feud between Randy Couture and the UFC has now gone to a completely different level…

The Las Vegas Review-Journal is reporting that lawyers hired by Zuffa, the UFC’s parent company, filed a lawsuit in Nevada’s Clark County District Court yesterday, citing that Couture has made negative comments about the promotion and those involved with it’s management.

They also stated that the comments have caused “irreparable damage” and that he has breached the latest contract he signed with the company in December of 2006.

Basically the lawsuit was filed because Randy’s Xtreme Couture gym will be fielding a team that will compete at the IFL’s next event in Las Vegas on Friday, February 29th. The UFC is claiming that Randy’s gym being involved with the IFL is a violation of his contract with the UFC. Will the claim hold up in court? We’ll just have to wait and see.

The lawsuit will also attempt to collect up to $10,000 in damages from Couture and seek a restraining order that will prevent Couture from being involved with any other organizations that compete against the UFC.

According to UFC president Dana White, the toughest thing about all of this is the fact that he and Couture have been friends for a long time:

“What’s really tough for me, to be honest, is we have been friends for a very long time,” White said. “The hard part is that he is not living up to his obligations. Captain America is not keeping his word. I expect Randy to honor the obligations in his contract that he signed (a year ago). I tried to resolve it by talking to this guy that I’ve had a relationship with for eight years and was unsuccessful. Now this thing’s in the hands of the justice system.”

Fight Teams • Xtreme Couture • Personalities • Dana White • Randy Couture • IFL • UFC • Heavyweight

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Comments:

1. Chris McCorkle
from USA
Jan 15, 2008 2:12 PM

Breaking news! Thanks for filling us in. I hope this is all a big misunderstanding. Submitted to http://www.knockoutcentral.com

2. Joe
Jan 15, 2008 3:57 PM

hate to say it danas got no ground to stand on its coutures gym not couture that is fighting in the ifl hell it was hieron who trains out of xtreme couture who a

3. John Chandler
from Philadelphia, PA
Jan 15, 2008 4:36 PM

I’m not so sure that Zuffa has a lot of ground to stand on either. The IFL has already admitted that they have no contract in place with Randy, just his Xtreme Couture gym, and Randy is not the only person running it.

4. Tyndall
from Milwaukee WI
Jan 16, 2008 11:26 AM

Couture just needs to fight again! People would love to have that belt.

5. John Chandler
from Philadelphia, PA
Jan 16, 2008 12:06 PM

After having the UFC constantly bad-mouth Randy, screw around with fighters that train at Xtreme Couture and fight in the UFC, and now file a lawsuit against him, I would never step foot in the UFC again if I was Couture.

6. Kuch
Jan 17, 2008 2:53 PM

This is a very tough situation.  I have a lot of love for Randy, and he is probably my favorite fighter, but the bottom line is that he signed a binding contract with the UFC and the UFC is well within their rights to hold him to that agreement.  I doubt he was ever promised a fight with Fedor in the contract and he has yet to prove any of his claims about not being paid.  Let’s put this another way; what would people have thought if Chuck Liddell had left the UFC after the second time he knocked out Randy solely to go too Pride and fight Silva?  The UFC would have never let him go and it would have been foolish for them if they did.  This is the same case.  The UFC is protecting their business and Randy is foolishly allowing this to tarnish his legacy.  People might complaint that the UFC doesn’t play fair when it comes to fighter contracts, but any business man will tell you that being shrewd at contract time is what makes the difference between a money-making business and a bankrupt one.

7. firminator
from california
Feb 15, 2008 11:17 PM

Keep you head up Randy. your not my favorite fighter, but i like your style and how you train your camp. We don’t know exactly whats in the comtract, but UFC should not try to regulate what thier fighters do outside their UFC ring. UFC will only lose. maybe not in the court room, but they will lose fans and even fighters. keep free fighting alive people.

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