Dana Takes a Page from Vince's Playbook

I just read an article by Jack Encarnacao (The Fight Network), on Fox Sports on MSN.

I must say, I'm a little shocked.

The headline reads, 'Zuffa LLC files injunction against Hall-of-Famer'. Before I started reading, I knew exactly what this meant. If you don't follow MMA, let me translate:

'UFC files injunction against Randy Couture'. This is WWE vs. Brock Lesnar all over again.

Now I don't follow MMA like I do professional wrestling, so I don't know every dirty little detail, but I do pay attention. Basically the gist of things here is that due to what Randy was getting paid as compared to other fighters, and the UFC deal with Fedor Emelianenko not happening, he wanted to quit UFC. Randy Couture wanted to fight the best guy in the world, and it fell through. When it was announced that Fedor Emelianenko signed with M-1, Randy Couture resigned from UFC the next day.

Randy has since started working with the International Fight League (You may have seen IFL on TV... MMA fighters are organized into teams). Randy Couture was going to corner a team of fighters from his camp, Team Quest.

...but not so fast. According to the non-compete clause in his UFC 'employment agreement', Randy Couture cannot associate himself with, or work with a promoter of any non-UFC event. So what does this mean for Randy Couture? According to Jack Encarnacao's article, 'The injunction could prevent Couture from appearing at the Feb. 29 event or on any other non-UFC MMA card until October. It may also thwart the IFL's plans to use Couture's gym, Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts, as a promotional tool since it bears his name.'

Ouch.

See, I told you, WWE vs. Brock Lesnar all over again. Will this mean if Randy wants to fight, he's going to have to join Pride FC or K-1 and (like Brock) move to Japan? It does if he wants to fight before October.

Now I don't know Dana White or Randy Couture, and I realize that all I really know about them and their relationship is what the editting room of The Ultimate Fighter showed me... but it seemed pretty obvious to me that Dana White and Randy Couture were good friends and had a lot of mutual respect for each other. I guess that's why this all surprised me so much. It's a shame that this has to happen to a guy that seems like a class act.

If you'd like to read the article, here you go: Zuffa LLC files injunction against Hall-of-Famer

Hmm... WWE is based in Connecticut and Vince McMahon has a home there... Dana White was born in Connecticut. Maybe it's something in the water...