Earlier this February, Randy Couture announced that he had signed on with Spike TV. It was originally believed the former two-division champion inked a contract with Bellator FC, but “The Natural” clarified, explaining that his connection is with Spike.
Apparently, that’s still enough to have upset UFC president Dana White, who more or less told Couture he can no longer come over to his house to play.
“Randy Couture can’t buy a ticket [to the UFC],” the president told MMA Weekly.
The punishment for finding a new employer seems pretty harsh, especially because Randy’s son, Ryan Couture, recently made the jump from Strikeforce to the UFC.
That means his dad won’t be around come fight-time.
According to the elder Couture, the situation is all the more insulting because of the cushy job fellow Hall of Fame fighter Matt Hughes recently landed with Zuffa.
Couture told Sirius XM Fight Club (H/T MMA Fighting for the link) that even though he “tried like hell to get [the UFC] to keep me with the company in some significant way,” he was left hanging.
Then he had to watch as another former fighter inked a deal.
In my professional estimation, they had an opportunity to keep me and use me. They chose not to, and a week later, after this whole thing leaks, they give a job to Matt Hughes in a significant fashion. Frankly that was a big ‘f–k you’ to me from Dana. And that’s exactly what he intended to do.
Prior to signing the deal with Spike, Couture had been working for Zuffa, but he was getting part-time when he wanted—and expected—full-time.
“I gave the UFC and Dana every opportunity to find a way to significantly use me since I retired a year and a half ago,” he explained. “They acted like they were doing me a favor by giving me the four events on FOX a year as a commentator.”
The whole situation reeks of childhood drama, which is perhaps unsurprising given the number of feuds Dana White regularly partakes in.
Whether or not Couture’s relay of events garners return fire from White is yet to be seen, but something tells me the war of words has yet to conclude.
Stay tuned.
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