Plenty of verbal jabs have already been thrown in the recent bout between UFC President Dana White and Hall of Fame fighter Randy Couture and it doesn’t appear the anger is likely to cease anytime soon. The two figures of industry have been facing off over the past few weeks regarding Couture’s decision to sign a deal with Spike TV and work alongside Bellator. In White’s estimation, the move was an underhanded tactic from “The Natural” based on his role as a broadcaster on FOX, while Couture has claimed he was only doing what he felt he had to in order to make a living.
Couture went into more detail recently on The MMA Hour where he explained his position and also referred to the UFC’s recent placement of Matt Hughes in an executive role as being a personal attack directed towards him…
“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. They acted like they were doing me a favor by giving me the four events on FOX a year as a commentator. In my opinion and estimation, not a terribly significant role in the organization, and the company of Zuffa.”
“So I tried like hell to get them to keep me with the company in some significant way and they had nothing for me. I made them aware that this offer had come onto the table, that the TV thing was heating up for me, that there were significant offers being pushed to me, but I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement to even hear those pitches and could not tell them specifically what was going on or who was offering what.”
“So, you know, 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*ck you to me from Dana. And that’s exactly what he intended to do.”
“That’s the way it felt to me. I’ve been trying for over a year to get them to use me in some way, shape or form, and they chose not to. They didn’t have anything for me. They continually told me that. And then Matt announces his retirement, and within a week has a Vice President position for fighter relations. You tell me.”
SOURCE: MMAFighting
PHOTO CREDIT: UFC
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white as never being a lover of couture even after everything he has done for the sport. As couture said he is just trying to earn a living