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MMA Fan
03-09-2008, 15:04
UFC (http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=14275)

SATURDAY, NOV. 15, 2008
LIVE FROM MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – On November 15th, the champ is back.

Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White today announced that after a year away from the game, UFC® heavyweight champion Randy "The Natural" Couture will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon to defend his title against rising star Brock Lesnar in a clash of titans destined to shake the foundations of the sport. This championship bout, the biggest heavyweight title fight in years, will headline UFC 91: COUTURE vs. LESNAR, live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008.

"I am happy to announce that UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture will be returning to action in the Octagon," said Dana White, UFC President. "He's a legend in the UFC, and one of the fighters that helped build this sport. I have always said that wrestling is one of the best bases you can have in MMA and not only is Randy a top level wrestler but his opponent is as well. Brock Lesnar showed the MMA world that he is for real in his last fight, dismantling the far more experienced Heath Herring. His combination of speed and power was absolutely devastating. It is a fascinating matchup: the crafty, multiple-time heavyweight champion versus the younger, bigger, and stronger challenger. This is one that will go down in the history books."

Ticket information for UFC 91: COUTURE vs. LESNAR will be announced shortly.

UFC 91: COUTURE vs. LESNAR will be available live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

A UFC Hall of Famer whose name is synonymous with mixed martial arts, Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture (16-8) is the only fighter in history to win the UFC world heavyweight title three times, and that’s not even mentioning his two UFC light heavyweight titles. Owner of heavyweight wins over the likes of Maurice Smith, Vitor Belfort, Kevin Randleman, and Pedro Rizzo (twice), the 45-year old Las Vegas resident turned back the clock in 2007 with a stirring win over Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 that netted him his third heavyweight crown. Couture defended his title for the first time at UFC 74 with a third round TKO of number one contender Gabriel Gonzaga, and now the man often referred to as “Captain America” will look to prove once again that he should never be counted out in a fight when he takes on Brock Lesnar.

“I have a lot of respect for Brock as an athlete and a collegiate wrestler, but I know exactly where he’s at, he’s trying to make the transition from a wrestler to mixed martial arts,” said Couture. “I’ve been there, done that, and I know what the pitfalls are. This will be an interesting matchup, and it will be very nice to be home in the Octagon for this fight.”

A physically gifted athlete with the size, speed, and power to impose his will on any opponent, Brock Lesnar (2-1) made an immediate impact in the UFC when he debuted here in February of 2008, and he has his sights set on shocking the world on November 15th. A four-time All-American, two-time Big Ten Champion, and 2000 NCAA Division I National Champion in wrestling, Lesnar made a name for himself internationally after college as a professional wrestler, but he soon found his true love in mixed martial
arts in 2006. After a 69 second win in his pro debut a year later, Lesnar entered the UFC and made a positive impression in a loss to former heavyweight champion Frank Mir at UFC 81, but at UFC 87 in August, the Minneapolis-St. Paul resident showed why he is rapidly becoming one of the most feared fighters in the sport today and an immediate threat to the heavyweight throne.

"It's an honor to fight Randy Couture, he's a legend in this sport, and to get the chance to test myself against him is a gift," said Lesnar. "A lot guys would love to have this opportunity, Randy is the UFC heavyweight champion. There is one goal that I've had since I started training in MMA and that is to capture the title. Now that I'm getting the chance, nothing is going to stop me. I'm walking out of the Octagon with the belt around my waist."

About The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC produces over twelve live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including iNDEMAND Networks, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN Entertainment, Shaw Pay-Per-View, Bell ExpressVU, Viewers Choice, SaskTel Max™ and via the Internet worldwide on Yahoo! Sports, and commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. In addition to its North American distribution, UFC programming is distributed in over 100 countries and territories throughout the world. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or ufcespanol.com.

Ultimate Fighting Championship, Ultimate Fighting, UFC, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa™, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.

Couture Returns to Defend Heavyweight Crown against Lesnar on Nov. 15

If we’ve learned one thing in combat sports, it’s to never say never. This old adage was solidified once again today, as UFC President Dana White announced the November 15th return to the Octagon of heavyweight champion Randy Couture to face Brock Lesnar in the main event of UFC 91 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The announcement comes after nearly a year of contentious relations between the organization and Couture, who walked away from the UFC in October of 2007 with two fights remaining on his contract. But in August, the heavyweight champion and the organization worked on a renegotiation of his contract that will enable ‘The Natural’ to finish his Hall of Fame career with the UFC.

“We had some problems with Randy, we’ve resolved them all, and he’s always been the heavyweight champion of the UFC,” said White. “It took us some time to get everything straight, but I think we’re all good now and ready to move forward and get Randy back out there fighting again.”

”I think we cleared the air and addressed a lot of the issues, we’re both in a different place, and both the company and myself are trying to move forward,” said Couture. “I think we understand each other, and I certainly would much rather fight in the Octagon than anywhere else. Spending the last year in legal fights is not someplace where I’ve had a very good time. At 45, I can’t sit around in court rooms for very long – I want to fight.”

Couture’s first order of business – taking on the imposing 6-3 ˝, 265 pound Lesnar, a former NCAA Division I National Wrestling Champion whose arrival in the UFC earlier this year shook the foundations of the MMA world. Add in the former pro wrestling superstar’s spectacular victory over Heath Herring at UFC 87 in August, and the stage is set for what will most certainly be one of the most highly-anticipated heavyweight title fights in history.

“I haven’t looked at tape yet and studied him,” said Couture of Lesnar. “Obviously, he’s a great big guy, and on the ground or standing, he poses some interesting problems, so I’ve got to go to work and find the answers to those questions.”

“My whole goal coming into this company was to get a shot at the UFC heavyweight title, so for me, this is a great opportunity, one that anybody in my position wouldn’t turn down,” added Lesnar. “Randy poses all kinds of threats, and we’re gonna try to nullify them and try to win the title that night.”

You don’t have to convince White when it comes to the importance of this matchup.

“I can tell you this right now,” said White. “Couture vs Lesnar will be the biggest fight in UFC history.”

And though some might question whether Couture
- 45 years old and more than a year removed from his last fight – will be able to keep up with a younger, faster, and stronger challenger, keep in mind that the Las Vegas resident has made a career of baffling oddsmakers, most recently in March of 2007, when he returned from a year-long retirement to shutout 6 foot 8, 263 pound Tim Sylvia to win the UFC heavyweight crown a record third time.

Couture went on to successfully defend the title with a third round TKO of Gabriel Gonzaga in August of 2007, but two months later, the title was left in limbo, leaving Brazil’s Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to swoop in and take the interim belt by submitting Sylvia in February. Nogueira is scheduled to clash with his fellow Ultimate Fighter 8 coach (and former heavyweight champion) Frank Mir in December, with the winners of these two heavyweight megafights to meet sometime in 2009.

“The winner of the Brock-Randy fight will be the heavyweight champion of the UFC,” said White. “Obviously, the reality show is already in motion, and those two (Nogueira and Mir) are already scheduled to fight, so they’ll fight for the interim (title) and then it will be Champion vs Champion when this thing’s all done. So it’s a pretty interesting little tournament.”

Of course, Lesnar will have something to say about putting a dent in Couture’s fighting plans, and he’ll get his chance to say it on November 15th.

“Things happen in mysterious ways, and I’m fortunate and honored to get in the Octagon with Randy, so it’s very exciting all the way around,” said Lesnar.

As for Couture, it’s been a long, strange trip to get to this point, but suffice to say, he’s happy to put acting, book tours, and speaking engagements on the side for now in order to get back to where he belongs – the Octagon.

MMA Fan
03-09-2008, 15:06
He is back !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES YES YES !!!

Joris
03-09-2008, 15:15
Gadverdamme,

kut ufc, waarom lesnar :S voor de kijkcijfers zeker..

Iedereen weet dat big Nog gewoon tegen randy moet, stel desnoods die partij tegen mir maar uit...

leks
03-09-2008, 15:32
Vind het leuk dat Couture terugkomt, maar vind dit vage shit, echt van die hele dunne lichte diarree-shit.

Pfff hopelijk sloopt Couture um.

rafi
03-09-2008, 15:37
randy had 10 miljoen gevraagt om tegen fedor te vechten. en ik denk dat die organisatie het niet deed. en dat die daarom terug is gegaan naar de ufc.;)

MB667
03-09-2008, 16:02
Couture Exclusive: 'Never Say Never'
Options: Email Article | Printer Friendly
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
by Brian Knapp ([email protected])


14266
Faced with the potential of spending the remaining years of his competitive career fighting in a courtroom instead of a cage, Randy Couture (Pictures) was left with one decision.

The 45-year-old heavyweight champion finalized an agreement Tuesday to return to the UFC and defend his title, ending 11 months of well-documented legal jockeying between himself and the world’s most prominent and successful mixed martial arts organization.

An eventual fight with World Association of Mixed Martial Arts heavyweight king Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) remains a top priority for Couture, though his next appearance inside the Octagon will come in a title bout against former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Brock Lesnar (Pictures) at UFC 91 on Nov. 15 in Las Vegas.

“I said all along, ‘Never say never,’” Couture told Sherdog.com. “When I sat down, looked at the legal situation and how long it was going to take for me to fight this battle [in court] and to be in position to fight Fedor, that was kind of a turning point.”

Reality has a way of changing uncompromising men. Couture has not competed since he stopped rising Brazilian contender Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures) on strikes at UFC 74 in August 2007. He resigned from the UFC in October in a move that shook the MMA world to its foundations and touched off a firestorm of controversy and debate. With two fights remaining on his contract, battle lines were soon drawn, and Couture went to war with the UFC in court.

Couture cited pay and unfair treatment for his resignation, along with the UFC’s inability to secure Emelianenko’s exclusive services. While he stopped short of declaring those issues resolved, enough progress has been made for the two sides to strike a deal.

“We still have a long way to go as fighters as far as getting our fair shake in relation to the income [promoters] garner,” he said. “I still feel there are lingering issues, like health insurance for fighters, but the UFC at least seems willing to discuss those issues.”

The road to compromise began, Couture said, with a meeting between himself and Emelianenko last month in Los Angeles. Couture made contact with UFC President Dana White soon after, and the wheels were set in motion.

“After that meeting, I kind of had the wild idea that the path of least resistance would be to go through the UFC,” Couture said. “I texted Dana, and that opened up the dialogue. He immediately wanted to meet. Both sides had certain things they wanted. We let the attorneys do their work, and it got finalized [Tuesday].”

Always a fan favorite, Couture also addressed the issue of how the public might perceive his latest move. Some had viewed him as a trailblazer whose decision to leave the UFC and expose MMA’s darker side could alter the landscape of the sport. Might his popularity suffer now that he has agreed to return?


Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Couture's road to compromise began
with a meeting between himself and
Emelianenko (above) last month. “I don’t like to live life that way,” Couture said. “I have to do what’s right for me, my career and other people in my life. Hopefully, I raised some awareness and brought some attention to fighters, to what we need and where we need to be.”

Couture sought the advice of many confidants during the legal process, including outspoken Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. His HDNet Fights promotion had also filed suit against the UFC in an attempt to get Couture released from his contract. In its Feb. 13 lawsuit, the rival promotion announced it was ready to enter into a business agreement with Couture once he had fulfilled his contract with UFC parent company Zuffa LLC. The suit -- against which the UFC was later granted a stay -- requested that a Texas court decide exactly when his contractual obligations would be satisfied.

“Mark is still someone I consider a friend,” Couture said. “He’s been very generous and forthcoming. He was certainly the first person I went to about going in this direction instead of traveling down the same path. He was OK with that.”

Couture admits the legal fight with the UFC had begun to wear on him. Talk of depositions and injunctions grew old quickly.

“It wasn’t a lot of fun,” he said. “I’m a fairly positive person, but I felt like I had been walking around beneath a dark cloud. Having that go away is a relief.”

Now, his attention turns back to what he does best.

Long layoffs are not unfamiliar to Couture, who will have been away from competition for almost 15 months when he meets Lesnar in November. He retired following a second knockout loss to Chuck Liddell (Pictures) in February 2006 and did not fight again until March 2007, when he regained the heavyweight championship in a unanimous decision over 6-foot-8 Tim Sylvia (Pictures).

“I think the time off was good in a lot of ways,” Couture said. “I still spent a lot of time in the gym, but, physically and mentally, the break wasn’t bad for me.”

Couture, it could be argued, has never tackled an opponent with Lesnar’s frightening blend of size, strength and agility. A former national wrestling champion at the University of Minnesota, the 6-foot-4, 280-pound Lesnar rebounded from a submission loss to Frank Mir (Pictures) and dominated veteran Heath Herring (Pictures) at UFC 87 in August.

“Obviously, the only fight I’ve been pining for is the Fedor fight, but that’s not going to happen right away,” Couture said. “In the interest of resolving our differences, I agreed to fight Brock. He’s a huge man and a formidable opponent. I’m not overlooking him by any means.”

When asked whether or not Lesnar -- who has three professional bouts under his belt -- was worthy of a title shot, Couture left UFC officials to answer the question.

“That’s not for me to decide,” he said. “The UFC is interested in making huge fights, and this is a huge fight.”

kooivechter
03-09-2008, 18:33
die ufc heavy weight in de ufc gaat nergens meer over. Dat heeft alleen nog maar te maken met naamsbekendheid. frank mir die na een gewonnen partij voor de heavy weight titel mag snap ik al niks van. een grote aanfluiting is het geworden. En Lesnar is 1 partij weg van een titel shot?! Te gek voor woorden, er is maar 1 echte ufc kampioen op dit moment en dat is nogueira. Arlovski heeft z'n laatste 3 partijen gewonnen en die komt helemaal niet in aanmerking net als werdum die z'n laatste partijen ook heeft gewonnen. De heavy weight klasse is puur een commerciele klasse geworden, waar naamsbekendheid voor aantrekking van ppv kijkers voor het niveau en gewonnen wedstrijden van de vechter gaat.

RtoDeep
03-09-2008, 18:35
mijn gevoel zegt dat lesnar couture gaat pakken, en fedor vs couture zal er niet zo snel meer komen, miss als randy 50 is ofzo :D

The Bulldog
03-09-2008, 19:33
lasnar gaat dit winnen op pure force ben ik bang...zou jammer zijn maar goed..

couture submit hem niet...misschien staande positie, maar dan is het hit and move...

top positie pakt ie moeilijk en houdt ie niet vast lijkt me...


echt jammer enige doel hiervan lijkt me couture zijn naam naar de klote helpen zodat hij geen kans meer heeft op de party fedor...

chief108
03-09-2008, 19:42
I'm with The Underdog on this one...

Mike
03-09-2008, 19:48
randy by tko

The Bulldog
03-09-2008, 19:50
randy by tko
I fucking hope so...

anonymous001
03-09-2008, 20:01
lasnar gaat dit winnen op pure force ben ik bang...zou jammer zijn maar goed..

couture submit hem niet...misschien staande positie, maar dan is het hit and move...

top positie pakt ie moeilijk en houdt ie niet vast lijkt me...


echt jammer enige doel hiervan lijkt me couture zijn naam naar de klote helpen zodat hij geen kans meer heeft op de party fedor...

Waarom zou het jammer zijn? Moge de beste winnen, toch?

fedor
03-09-2008, 20:17
Waarom zou het jammer zijn? Moge de beste winnen, toch?

eens maar toch...Randy en Lesnar zijn beide HW maarja daar houdt de vergelijking wel op.
Randy is een "1.0" HW en Lesnar is een "2.0" versie ik denk dat daar het gevoel vandaan komt...
Randy heeft absoluut meer skills maar Lesnar is zoals de yanks zeggen "bigger en better".

HUNEBED
03-09-2008, 21:21
Lesnar goes down... Randy pakt hem, maar eig. zoals hierboven reeds beschreven is moeten ze hem tegen Nog / Fedor of Barnett zetten, zoals wel vaker: vage UFC poep maar wordt wel 'n leuke partij m.i.

Mephisto
03-09-2008, 22:12
Randy op GnP

Ivo C.
03-09-2008, 22:37
This is a fucking joke! A title fight!
Get a f... out of here! It is a pure insult having two HW belts!
HW and interim HW belts. That is the biggest joke of all times....

Ronald
03-09-2008, 22:46
Echt waardeloos dit. Vind het persoonlijk ook een nederlaag voor Couture dat ie nu toch weer voor de UFC gaat vechten. Ronduit belachelijk verder dat in dit geval de interim champ niet tegen de "champ" gaat vechten. Echt teleurstellend dit bericht.

Ivo C.
04-09-2008, 09:30
Echt waardeloos dit. Vind het persoonlijk ook een nederlaag voor Couture dat ie nu toch weer voor de UFC gaat vechten. Ronduit belachelijk verder dat in dit geval de interim champ niet tegen de "champ" gaat vechten. Echt teleurstellend dit bericht.
I mean look at GSP vs Serra.
Immediately a fight for the belt.
The same goes for BJ Penn vs. The doping Machine Shean Sherk!
And now?!? WTF Dana...

YoMarK
04-09-2008, 10:42
Het kan niet vaak genoeg gezegt worden, waardeloos, en wel om...
1) Het gevecht met Fedor er zo nooit zal komen
2) Couture Affliction naait hiermee.
3) Couture Fedor naait hiermee.
4) Dit gevecht tegen Lesnar gewoon opgezet word om Couture te laten verliezen.
5) Couture dus schijnbaar lak heeft aan "respect"
6) Dana met z'n grote bek weer de touwtjes in handen heeft
7) UFC naait Nog hiermee
8) Waarvoor vecht Frank Mir nu straks tegen Nog?
9) Wie helpt mee :(

Slome
04-09-2008, 11:29
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/video?id=3566944

Mack
04-09-2008, 18:55
Is dit niet de manier voor Dana White om een partij tussen Lesnar en Fedor af te dwingen en te hypen?
Stel dat Lesnar Couture kapot slaat en dus blijkbaar de champ is, dan heeft een partij tegen Fedor voor Couture dus eigenlijk geen zin meer. Lesnar - Fedor wordt dat een stuk interessanter. Lesnar's kansen schat ik tegen Fedor ook wat beter in dan die van Couture. White waarschijnlijk ook.