Randy Couture quits UFC

[presto]

Randy Couture has quit the promotion, vacating his heavyweight title and leaving his job as a color commentator. Stating that he was unhappy with his pay deal, despite being the 2nd highest payed behind Chuck Liddell, though Coture sated that other fighters were receiving much bigger paydays in the form of bonuses etc.... Another factor was the fact that he wouldn't get a shot at Fedor, who signed for M-1 earlier in the week. Randy Coture saw Fedor as his last fight to prove something and as that won't happen feels that expanding his training franchise and acting carear would be the next step.

[presto]

Dana white responds on the official UFC site:

White responded to Couture’s retirement saying, “I’m not surprised at all by Randy’s decision. I talked to Randy several weeks ago and he said that if he couldn’t fight Fedor, then he has nothing left to prove in the sport of mixed martial arts.

“He has been doing a lot of acting, and I know he is in South Africa right now filming a movie. I think it’s a great move for Randy’s acting career to retire from fighting while he is on top.

“As we all know, Randy retired before. The landscape in MMA changes every day. So when he is ready to come out of retirement again, he is still under contract with me, and I’m ready to promote him.”