The UFC has announced that UFC 91 will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will feature the return of Randy Couture.
Couture will be defending his heavyweight championship belt against Brock Lesnar. The winner will fight the winner of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Frank Mir to unify the title.
Dana White says the legal issues with Randy have been resolved.
They claim they are going to do everything in their power to book Fedor vs Couture if something can be worked out with the other promotions that Fedor has agreements with.
Randy Couture says he “would much rather fight in Octagon than any place else.” He also says he hasn’t enjoyed the court battles this past year. He also says he isn’t concerned about ring rust at all and expects to weigh 225lbs going into the fight.
Dana White says, “Couture vs. Lesnar is the biggest fight in UFC history.”
They also hinted at a possible future UFC in Virginia.
UPDATE: More details to come.
– Dana White: Brock vs. Couture will be “the biggest fight in UFC history”.
– Dana White on competitors and co-promotion: “: These guys are dying on the vine. You’re not under contract if the company’s not in business anymore.
– Dana White: “I would be horrified if Affliction’s still in business in January.”
– Couture: would rather fight Fedor, but fight with Brock “a step in the right direction”
– Couture says UFC and he have “cleared the air”; “comfortable with way things stand right now”
– Couture says he’ll weigh approximately 225lbs for this fight.
– Dana White says he doesn’t know if Couture is the richest fighter in the UFC.
– Dana White: Nogueira is probably thrilled Couture is back.
– Dana White: research was done and proves Brock vs. Couture will be biggest fight in UFC history.
– Couture: re-signing with the UFC to get Fedor is “path of least resistance”
– Dana White: the heavyweight division “is looking pretty damn good now”
– Couture: MMA is the combative sport for this generation
– Couture: how can you overlook a guy [Brock Lesnar] that size?
– Dana White: over the next year we are going to see some really great heavyweight fights.
– Randy and Dana: feels good to have this problem resolved; “to see a little sunshine for a change is pretty nice”
– Dana White: “I like fighting with Tito”
– Dana White suggests Fedor might have to be not under contract for the UFC to sign a fight with him. He didn’t say it was required, but he alluded to it.
– Dana White: Affliction is losing “shitloads” of money.
– Couture: biggest part of my decision was communicating with Lorenzo and Dana that I was feeling. Second was frustration with legal system. Tired of throwing money with lawyers with no end in sight. Best place for me to fight is a cage, not a court room.
– Dana White: “I’m like a giddy little girl right now”
– Dana White: “It drives me insane when Fedor is called the best p4p fighter in the world.” If Fedor is the best, he has to come to the UFC eventually.
– Dana White: people don’t know this, but there was bad blood between Brock and Herring. Herring was insulted he had to fight him.
– Brock Lesnar: “not a lot of people get this opportunity”.
– Brock Lesnar: “who gives a shit about Fedor Emelianenko?” I’m sick and tired of sitting on the phone listening about Fedor. “Who fucking gives a shit?”
– Dana White: “UFC Countdown” for this fight could be two or three part series.
– Dana White: this is where all the best heavyweights are. Randy Couture is relevant; Fedor is not.
– Couture: I can’t spend any time worrying about losing to Lesnar and losing luster on a fight with Fedor.
– Dana White: rivals can have whichever fighters we cut.
– Dana White: Werdum is still in the mix.
– Dana White: expecting 1million to 1.5 million PPV buys for this fight. It’s a new deal: 3-fight deal.
– Dana White: I would not sign a one-fight deal with Fedor.
– Dana White: all court action is dead.
– Dana White: Randy Couture is the guy everyone wants to fight. Fedor is completely irrelevant.
– Couture: Mark Cuban wants what’s best for me. He just wanted to facilitiate what I wanted. Now the best path is to make the fight with Fedor happen in the UFC.
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