UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture has no intention to put the gloves back on at 51 years old, but high-profile grappling matches are still a legitimate possibility.
Speaking on Sunday’s edition of Submission Radio, “The Natural” said he’d be interested i…
UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture has no intention to put the gloves back on at 51 years old, but high-profile grappling matches are still a legitimate possibility.
Speaking on Sunday’s edition of Submission Radio, “The Natural” said he’d be interested in competing on a Metamoris card against none other than former Pride FC star FedorEmelianenko.
That would be interesting, and certainly given the time to prepare and get back up into good, solid grappling and wrestling shape, that would be a lot of fun I think, you know. I’m not sure how active Fedor is at this stage, you know him being retired as well, but I’m certainly not opposed to an idea like that.
Couture retired from mixed martial arts after suffering a knockout loss to LyotoMachida at UFC 129 in April 2011, his first defeat in his previous four fights.
The Team Quest co-founder was one of just two UFC fighters (the other being B.J. Penn) to win titles in two separate weight classes: light heavyweight and heavyweight.
Generally regarded as one of the pioneers of MMA, “Captain America” Couture left the UFC in late 2007, eight months removed from his UFC heavyweight title win over Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 in March 2007.
One reason he cited for leaving the company was the inability to bring FedorEmelianenko, one of Pride’s most recognized faces, for a potential superfight, per Sherdog.
Emelianenko retired from the cage after scoring a quick first-round knockout over former UFC heavyweight title challenger Pedro Rizzo at an M-1 Global show in June 2012.
Couture was tabbed a late replacement for ChaelSonnen at Metamoris 4 on August 9 but declined the offer due to media obligations tied to the release of The Expendables 3.
Given the latest turn of events, should Metamoris promoter Ralek Gracie reach out to Couture and Emelianenko in hopes of them headlining a grappling card before the end of the year?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
According to Mindy’s bio, the Massachusetts native “was often teased and bullied for being skinny with buck teeth in elementary school. She claims that ‘It forced me to develop a personality, a sense of humor, and a level of appreciative confidence that can only be achieved when you stop totally giving a fuck about what other people think.’ She also added, ‘Fuck them, (the kids that picked on her) they probably work at Walmart now.'”
On that note, enjoy some of our favorite Mindy Robinson photos in the gallery below — and be sure to click through to page 2 for a few NSFW pics and screencaps. If you like what you see, get to know Mindy better on twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
According to Mindy’s bio, the Massachusetts native “was often teased and bullied for being skinny with buck teeth in elementary school. She claims that ‘It forced me to develop a personality, a sense of humor, and a level of appreciative confidence that can only be achieved when you stop totally giving a fuck about what other people think.’ She also added, ‘Fuck them, (the kids that picked on her) they probably work at Walmart now.’”
On that note, enjoy some of our favorite Mindy Robinson photos in the gallery above — and be sure to click through to page 2 for a few NSFW pics and screencaps. If you like what you see, get to know Mindy better on twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Spike TV’s newest reality series, ‘Gym Rescue‘, is set to debut this Sunday, August 10th, at 10 p.m. ET. Last week, Craig Marks — the glasses-tossing gym owner featured in the episode 1 sneak-preview — reached out to CagePotato.com to discuss how the new series inaccurately portrayed what went down when Randy Couture and Frank Shamrock “rescued” his gym. Marks claims that the show wound up destroying his business, but ‘Gym Rescue’ host Frank Shamrock maintains that he offered Craig valuable assistance, and that Craig’s lack of business expertise is what really sunk his operation. Join us as we present both Craig and Frank’s versions of the experience.
“The entire ordeal was supposed to be fun and beneficial. It was to the production company. To us, it was a disaster and we have had to start our business over from scratch.”
This isn’t what Craig Marks — former owner of T3 Health & Fitness in Cooper City, Florida — thought he’d be writing about his experience when he allowed his struggling gym to be “rescued” as part of Spike TV’s newest reality series. He also didn’t anticipate thousands of dollars worth of fines, a nasty mold infestation that forced him to relocate to nearby Davie, and the loss of several longstanding clients in the process. When Marks reached out to me last week, his ensuing diatribe placed the blame for these and other struggles that his business has endured solely on Gym Rescue.
Needless to say, Gym Rescue host Frank Shamrock does not agree that the show has ruined T3 Health & Fitness. Rather, Shamrock painted Marks as a good-hearted person who is unfortunately trying to blame the reality series for his own shortcomings as a businessman. “Craig was a unique individual who reminds me a lot of what you see in the martial arts,” Shamrock said. “A guy who has a passion for helping other people, but doesn’t really have good business sense.”
What’s indisputable throughout all of this is that Craig Marks has recently filed for bankruptcy. While he’s looking to rebuild Xcelerate Training — the new name for his gym — he’s facing an uphill battle.
Spike TV’s newest reality series, ‘Gym Rescue‘, is set to debut this Sunday, August 10th, at 10 p.m. ET. Last week, Craig Marks — the glasses-tossing gym owner featured in the episode 1 sneak-preview — reached out to CagePotato.com to discuss how the new series inaccurately portrayed what went down when Randy Couture and Frank Shamrock “rescued” his gym. Marks claims that the show wound up destroying his business, but ‘Gym Rescue’ host Frank Shamrock maintains that he offered Craig valuable assistance, and that Craig’s lack of business expertise is what really sunk his operation. Join us as we present both Craig and Frank’s versions of the experience.
“The entire ordeal was supposed to be fun and beneficial. It was to the production company. To us, it was a disaster and we have had to start our business over from scratch.”
This isn’t what Craig Marks — former owner of T3 Health & Fitness in Cooper City, Florida — thought he’d be writing about his experience when he allowed his struggling gym to be “rescued” as part of Spike TV’s newest reality series. He also didn’t anticipate thousands of dollars worth of fines, a nasty mold infestation that forced him to relocate to nearby Davie, and the loss of several longstanding clients in the process. When Marks reached out to me last week, his ensuing diatribe placed the blame for these and other struggles that his business has endured solely on Gym Rescue.
Needless to say, Gym Rescue host Frank Shamrock does not agree that the show has ruined T3 Health & Fitness. Rather, Shamrock painted Marks as a good-hearted person who is unfortunately trying to blame the reality series for his own shortcomings as a businessman. “Craig was a unique individual who reminds me a lot of what you see in the martial arts,” Shamrock said. “A guy who has a passion for helping other people, but doesn’t really have good business sense.”
What’s indisputable throughout all of this is that Craig Marks has recently filed for bankruptcy. While he’s looking to rebuild Xcelerate Training — the new name for his gym — he’s facing an uphill battle.
So how exactly was T3 Health & Fitness chosen to be featured on Gym Rescue in the first place? That would turn out to be a very good question. Craig Marks never gave me an answer. Frank Shamrock didn’t know, and I was told through Spike TV representative David Schwarz that Spike declined to comment on my story.
Marks never denied that his gym was in rough shape, though perhaps “rough shape” is putting things too lightly. While speaking about T3 Health & Fitness before Gym Rescue, Shamrock referred to the establishment as a “homemade deathtrap.” The facility suffered from shoddy design and dangerous equipment to the point where Shamrock recalled that an object actually fell from the ceiling and hit co-host Randy Couture as they first arrived; Couture was also unavailable for comment.
The Rescue
It’s at this point where Craig Marks swears that the series became more about making him look like a pushover and less about actually helping his struggling gym. Marks claims that nearly everything you’ll see when the episode premieres was scripted. “We were told how to dress, what to wear, what to say,” he remarked. “I was even told not to shave my hair, as I usually do every two days, because it would make me look ‘more vulnerable’ on camera.”
Interestingly enough, Marks insisted that the moment that the CagePotato.com staff thought was most likely to have been staged was actually the only non-scripted segment that made the episode — the moment where Marks shoves Frank Shamrock out of frustration. Marks claimed that the tension between himself and Shamrock was very real. “He was a narcissistic asshole from the get-go and [he] kept flirting with my wife,” said Marks, “even texting her after one night of shooting to come join him in the jacuzzi at his hotel.”
While Shamrock vehemently denied that he was ever flirting with Craig’s wife, he was not surprised that Marks had made unflattering comments about him. “My role was to go in there and call him on his craziness,” he told me, “and he didn’t take that very well.”
Shamrock also denied that the exposed piece of metal at the foot of the stairway shown during the episode preview was staged in any way by the producers. That something so potentially dangerous could be “either completely forgotten or overlooked” provoked Shamrock’s reaction.
The renovations made were supposed to save the facility. According to Marks, they did anything but. “All renovations made to the fitness studio were done without one single permit being pulled from the City of Cooper City,” he wrote. “Fines issued were in the thousands and left to the responsibility of the unknowing owners.”
“The owners had supplies and equipment stolen and thrown away. According to the chief building inspector, the renovation work was ‘unlike anything I’ve witnessed in 30 years on the job, horrible.’ The relocated stairway was not up to code and extremely dangerous. They converted the upstairs loft into an office and yoga area even though that space was zoned for storage only. The drywall removed and then put back was coated with mold.”
When all was said and done, Marks speculated that the fines he had to pay the City of Cooper City have financially set him back over one year. He cited ongoing issues with permitting and mold as the reason the gym was forced from its old location to a spot in nearby Davie, Florida in March.
The Chief Building Official Responds
Shortly after Marks wrote to me describing the renovations that Gym Rescue had made, I asked Mr. Ted Fowler if he would like to comment. Mr. Fowler is listed as the Chief Building Official of Cooper City on the city’s official website, and had been directly quoted by Marks when he wrote about the allegedly reckless repairs that the Gym Rescue crew had made to his facility. However, Mr. Fowler did not have any recollection in having made the comments attributed to him by Marks. He also wrote the following:
“A building permit was applied for and issued after the fact, all required inspections were obtained and the permit was closed.”
As of Today
As mentioned earlier, Craig Marks now runs his gym — Xcelerate Training — out of Davie, Florida. Marks claims that most of his clients have remained loyal to the gym throughout the ordeal, but several clients have stopped attending due to the rude treatment they received from the show’s producers. Marks also expressed disappointment over the fact that no one from Gym Rescue has checked in on the gym since filming ended.
When I mentioned this to Frank Shamrock, he replied that he doesn’t keep in contact with the gym owners featured on the show in order to maintain a level of professionalism and distance between himself and his clients. “At the end of the day,” he said, “we’re just helping other people help their communities.”
What the Future Holds for Gym Rescue
Frank Shamrock is optimistic that Spike TV will bring Gym Rescue back for another season. “Gyms are the second place besides the bar where people go to socialize,” he said. “Unfortunately, a lot of gym owners are wonderful people with great intentions, but clueless with how to run a business. That’s why the average gym owner is struggling.”
In the meantime, Shamrock did offer some valuable advice to prospective gym owners — the most important stages of opening a gym are preparation and planning. “Study your market. Does your community really want this? Do your potential clients really want this?” Since everyone has their own expectations of what a workout should be and what a gym should include, it is important to make sure that you’re offering something for any trainee who may attend your gym.
Also, despite the negative comments that Marks made about the show, Shamrock still considers working with struggling gym owners to be rewarding.
“Seeing a gym go from near failure to ‘they have a shot if they keep going’ — that’s why I’m doing this. Just for that payoff. If we make the gym a better place for the two hundred, three hundred members there, their lives are going to be better, they’re going to feel better and the community is going to be better.”
“Before that, I’m beating the heck out of people.”
Former three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen is still supposed to headline Metamoris 4, an unsanctioned grappling event, on Saturday, but apparently he wanted to make sure promoter Ralek Gracie had a Plan B just in case.
The American Gangs…
Former three-time UFC title challenger ChaelSonnen is still supposed to headline Metamoris 4, an unsanctioned grappling event, on Saturday, but apparently he wanted to make sure promoter Ralek Gracie had a Plan B just in case.
The American Gangster reached out to friend and former training partner Randy Couture about possibly filling in for him against Andre Galvao, according to a report from Sherdog.
As of Tuesday, Metamoris officials told Sherdog.com that they still expect Sonnen to compete on Saturday. … Due to previous obligations, which include an “Expendables 3” press junket on Saturday and Sunday and the Los Angeles premiere of the film on Monday — as well a “Gym Rescue” premiere on Sunday — Couture simply could not clear his schedule enough to compete at Metamoris in place of Sonnen.
Sonnen‘s status for Metamoris 4 is in jeopardy since the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which issued the fighter a two-year ban last week, threatened to fine the retired MMA fighter $250,000 per failed drug test if he competed in the no-gi grappling contest.
For those keeping track at home, Sonnen tested positive for five banned substances in two recent failed drug tests, which would mean a 20-minute grappling contest could cost him a whopping $1.25 million, per MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani.
Popular MMA Twitter personality Front Row Brian, a known friend of Sonnen‘s, indicated that the former two-time All-American wrestler would compete for free to fulfill his obligations to the event and avoid further conflict with the NSAC.
So that’s the story. Chael willing to compete for free so he won’t let @RalekGracie down.
In the past, athletic commissions typically only regulate combat sports that involve striking such as boxing, kickboxing and MMA.
Furthermore, Gracie said he has not had any communication with the NSAC regarding the possible sanctions awaiting Sonnen if he competes in California on Saturday, per MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz.
Should Sonnen be able to compete in a no-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu contest without any hassle, or is the NSAC simply trying to enforce the rules here?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
You could probably guess that Spike TV’s upcoming gym rescue series (I believe it’s called, uh, Gym Rescue) starring Randy Couture and Frank Shamrock would not fall into the category of what we call “compelling television.” It’s a reality show, for starters, and one starring former MMA fighters that is attempting to piggyback off the success of Bar Rescue, another Spike TV reality show that is itself a ripoff of shows like Restaurant Impossible and countless others (all due respect to Jon Taffer, #buttfunnel).
What you might not have guessed, however, was that Gym Rescue would be an absolute dumpster fire of epic proportions and quite possibly the nadir of television programming as we know it. Don’t believe me? Check out the sneak peak of Gym Rescue that awaits you after the jump and tell me I’m wrong. Keep in mind that the footage you are about to witness is what the makers of Gym Rescue thought might entice on-the-fence viewers into watching their show, not B-roll that should have been left on the cutting room floor.
You could probably guess that Spike TV’s upcoming gym rescue series (I believe it’s called, uh, Gym Rescue) starring Randy Couture and Frank Shamrock would not fall into the category of what we call “compelling television.” It’s a reality show, for starters, and one starring former MMA fighters that is attempting to piggyback off the success of Bar Rescue, another Spike TV reality show that is itself a ripoff of shows like Restaurant Impossible and countless others (all due respect to Jon Taffer, #buttfunnel).
What you might not have guessed, however, was that Gym Rescue would be an absolute dumpster fire of epic proportions and quite possibly the nadir of television programming as we know it. Don’t believe me? Check out the sneak peak of Gym Rescue that awaits you after the jump and tell me I’m wrong. Keep in mind that the footage you are about to witness is what the makers of Gym Rescue thought might entice on-the-fence viewers into watching their show, not B-roll that should have been left on the cutting room floor.
Fucking wow.
Seriously? That’s the best you got, Spike? A guy angrily throwing his glasses, some footage of an exposed piece of metal, and the most delicate, noncommittal shove in reality show history? Jesus, the Real Housewives of Whore Avenue have more balls than you.
This show is going to be a train wreck, but you bet your ass I will be liveblogging Gym Rescue‘s premiere on August 10th.
Five under-the-radar stories you may have missed last week…
BEN ASKREN WINS…NOW WHAT?
Exiled from Bellator, refused a contract with the UFC, and having rejected an offer from the World Series of Fighting, undefeated welterweight and 2008 Olympian Ben Askren chose to seek his fortunes in Singapore-based ONE FC.
Last Friday, Askren improved his record to 13-0 in his promotional debut against Bakhtiyar Abbasov (now 11-3), winning in the first round via arm-triangle choke. This marks the third opponent in a row that Askren has finished. Where does this leave the American wrestler?
Askren spoke to CagePotato.com earlier this year and said that he believed he was the best welterweight in the world, with a caveat: “I definitely agree that [Johny Hendricks] should be ranked number one because I haven’t had the ability to prove I’m number one.”
Askren pointed to bantamweight Bibiano Fernandes and lightweight Mike Chandler as top fighters outside the UFC who could give a good challenge to the UFC’s champions at their respective divisions, but he was adamant that the bulk of the sport’s top talent lies within the UFC.
Unfortunately for Askren, there is no reason why the UFC—or any other MMA promotion—has to sign top contenders like himself. Combat sports have always been a business, with the promoter’s mandate being to maximize revenue.
Unlike the organizational titles in place in MMA, there are world titles sanctioned by third parties in boxing. This means that contenders can climb the ladder with each win against ranked opposition, earning leverage towards a title shot. The system is wide-open to corruption—managers and promoters often pay cold hard cash to advance their boxers in the rankings, evidenced by the 1999 IBF rankings scandal. However, with the right backers, fighters can have more career traction in boxing than currently exists in MMA.
Five under-the-radar stories you may have missed last week…
BEN ASKREN WINS…NOW WHAT?
Exiled from Bellator, refused a contract with the UFC, and having rejected an offer from the World Series of Fighting, undefeated welterweight and 2008 Olympian Ben Askren chose to seek his fortunes in Singapore-based ONE FC.
Last Friday, Askren improved his record to 13-0 in his promotional debut against Bakhtiyar Abbasov (now 11-3), winning in the first round via arm-triangle choke. This marks the third opponent in a row that Askren has finished. Where does this leave the American wrestler?
Askren spoke to CagePotato.com earlier this year and said that he believed he was the best welterweight in the world, with a caveat: “I definitely agree that [Johny Hendricks] should be ranked number one because I haven’t had the ability to prove I’m number one.”
Askren pointed to bantamweight Bibiano Fernandes and lightweight Mike Chandler as top fighters outside the UFC who could give a good challenge to the UFC’s champions at their respective divisions, but he was adamant that the bulk of the sport’s top talent lies within the UFC.
Unfortunately for Askren, there is no reason why the UFC—or any other MMA promotion—has to sign top contenders like himself. Combat sports have always been a business, with the promoter’s mandate being to maximize revenue.
Unlike the organizational titles in place in MMA, there are world titles sanctioned by third parties in boxing. This means that contenders can climb the ladder with each win against ranked opposition, earning leverage towards a title shot. The system is wide-open to corruption—managers and promoters often pay cold hard cash to advance their boxers in the rankings, evidenced by the 1999 IBF rankings scandal. However, with the right backers, fighters can have more career traction in boxing than currently exists in MMA.
Those signed to the UFC have their own grievances—title shots are often assigned based on expedience, with marketable challengers at the front of the line.
Where does all of this leave Ben Askren? As he continues to win fights, curiosity will arise over how he matches up with top UFC welterweights.
BELLATOR ON UPSWING
The industry got a shot in the arm with Bellator 120—the promotion’s debut pay-per-view show—getting over 100,000 buys, according to a report broken on Sherdog.com. Additionally, the Sherdog report stated that the buy rate would be confirmed by Viacom’s SEC filings later this year.
Competition in the pay-per-view market could be a game-changer. UFC fighters renegotiating their contracts have more options and the biggest stars may have even more leverage if they threaten to quit for a competing promotion.
The 100,000 buy rate figure also raises questions about the UFC marketing machine: If Jon Jones or Chris Weidman appeared on a Bellator PPV — yes, this is purely hypothetical — would the buy rate be similar to what those fighters have pulled in the UFC? And would Bellator sweeten the deal by offering them a better contract, with a bigger cut of pay-per-view revenue?
On the downside, Bellator contracts are among the most constrictive in the MMA industry, according to a gripping investigative feature on BloodyElbow.com by John S. Nash. Winning a tournament and a title can lead to multiple extensions of a fighter’s contract.
“The original 6-fights agreement could turn into one for 17-fights or even more, lasting for years,” writes Nash.
Bellator caught widespread flack from fans and media for choosing to exercise the promotion’s right to match the contract offer Eddie Alvarez received from the UFC. Bellator’s new strategy appears to be holding the reigns even tighter in retaining homegrown talent.
“BITCHES IN A BEAUTY SALON”
Despite Randy Couture’s last UFC fight occurring over three years ago at UFC 129, tensions between the former two-division UFC champion and UFC president Dana White continue to simmer.
“Randy Couture looks like a great guy on paper. The reality of it is he’s not. He’s not a good guy. You can ask everybody that’s ever dealt with him,” White told the assembled press after the UFC Fight Night Berlin weigh-ins last Friday.
The roots of the falling out between Couture and Dana White go back to 2007, when Couture attempted to leave the UFC. Couture was chasing a fight with Fedor Emelianenko, and believed he would be free and clear of his contract—where two fights remained—after nine months.
Explains lawyer Rob Maysey, “HDNet on behalf of Couture, believing that Couture had satisfied his promotional obligations under his contract with Zuffa by waiting for the term to expire, filed suit in Texas to obtain a declaratory ruling that its promotional agreement with Couture was valid and that the Zuffa promotional agreement with Couture was no longer in force. In response, Zuffa filed for a motion to stay the HDNet litigation and compel arbitration in Nevada. The stay was granted, and the dispute regarding the enforceability of Couture’s promotional agreement was pushed into arbitration then pending in Nevada.”
At 45 years of age, time was not on Randy Couture’s side. The matter was settled out of court in 2008 with Couture returning to the UFC—but that does not mean the courts or arbitrator would have ruled unfavorably on Couture’s position.
Dana White was quoted in a Yahoo! article saying UFC fighters were “like bitches in a beauty salon. They pass along rumors and gossip, which has no basis in reality.”
Without disclosure of accurate financial numbers however, gossip and rumors will continue to circulate throughout the industry in the foreseeable future.
TITO ORTIZ IS DANA WHITE’S EX-GIRLFRIEND
Former UFC fighter Tito Ortiz gave a video interview to Rick J. Lee where he likened his situation with the UFC president to that of an old flame, “I’m like his ex-girlfriend or something. I’m like his ex-wife, the guy just doesn’t leave me alone.”
Ortiz bears some responsibility for the situation, as he himself plays into the continuation of the toxic love affair, like when Ortiz demanded to be removed from the UFC’s Hall of Fame after beating Alexander Shlemenko at Bellator 120.
“Take me off your Hall of Fame, each and everyone one of these people will remember this the rest of their MMA life,” said Ortiz post-fight.
We can only await the next episode of the soap opera between White and Ortiz—perhaps it will occur during the marketing and promotion preceding Bellator’s next pay-per-view show?
JOSE ALDO WANTS MORE MONEY
UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo became the latest to speak out on UFC fighter pay to ESPN Brazil in an article translated by BloodyElbow.com:
“I do feel devalued, for sure. Every fighter dreams to reach a level where he will make good money. I have other thoughts nowadays — I’ve been around the world, I have a big wide vision about that. At the same time that they give us our business, they could improve it (payment). We bring millions for the company, I’m a very sellable fighter and everybody wants to watch my fights.”
Aldo is hardly alone in his criticism; his Nova Uniao teammate UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao went on the record before UFC 173 to talk about his salary, saying “I’m very happy being a UFC champion. But I would like to improve my contract.”
Throughout the debate concerning Jose Aldo’s contract, the one question that remains unanswered has to do with how his pay as a fighter is calculated against the revenue the UFC earns from events he fights in.
Until legislation appears that allows greater financial transparency of profits in MMA, fighters will continue to be treated like mushrooms by promoters—kept in the dark, and fed lots of shit.
