White to Ryan Couture: ‘Dad can’t corner you, can’t even buy a ticket’
If you had any question as to just how betrayed Dana White felt by UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture lending legitimacy to his competing organization–just check out these quotes from the UFC President. White not only informs Strikeforce import Ryan Couture that his coach and Father can not attend any UFC event, but that he will release his contract to ‘deal with Bellator’ if he has a problem with the decision.
“I called Ryan Couture and I said, ‘Ryan, this is probably the weirdest conversation you are ever going to have with me. You signed a deal with us to fight in the UFC. I want you here if you want to be here. But I need you to understand this; me and your Dad are not good. Me and your Dad are never going to be good ever again as long as I walk this fucking planet. I know he’s your Dad and I don’t want to call you up and tell you how much I don’t like your father, but, if you want to leave the UFC,’ because he, Randy, is not cornering him. Randy Couture can’t buy a ticket to this mother fucking event. I said, ‘He’s not going to be around and I just wanted to be up front with you. I want to be honest and be up front.
If you want me to release your from your contract so that you can go do a deal with Bellator, and have your Dad maybe work with you and come up and do whatever, I will do that for you, too.’ He said, ‘ Every kid that has ever strapped on a pair of gloves is dreaming about fighting in the UFC. And if they say they’re not, they are either lying not they are stupid. This is my dream, I want to be with you guys. He’s my Dad and he’s always going to be my Dad. But, this is where I want to be, I worked my whole life to get here.’ And I told him, ‘This is your house, don’t ever feel like it’s not.’ That was something that I had to do, I had to talk to him. The kid is either with us or he is not. And I don’t mean, ‘Oh, you’re either with us or you’re not with us,’ I mean, I want him to feel like if he stays with us, he’s with us and there is no hard feelings for him because of what’s going on with me and Randy or anything like that. I want him to feel comfortable if he wanted to stay. And I wanted to give him the option to go with his Dad, too. I don’t want him to be in some situation where like he says, ‘this guy is getting to fights with my Dad and I’m stuck in a contract with them and I’d rather (not.)’ That’s the whole story, that’s it, and I’d rather not talk about it again.”
During yesterday’s Bellator press conference, the first question on media’s mind for Randy was, how is this affecting Ryan.
“Ryan is his own man for sure,” said Randy Couture. “He’s created his own style and it’s a burden for him to drag around the same last name, but he’s handled it all in stride. He’s had some hard conversations about how it could affect his future in mixed martial arts but he’s comfortable. I know how some of the other guys play, but I think Ryan is gonna be fine. He’s a sharp kid and he’s very diligent. Dana’s made that transition easy and the media storm has been wonderful. You have to respect Dana’s passion, it’s very admirable. I don’t have the answer to the question right now (about cornering Ryan). That’s an athletic commission issue and we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”









What did Randy do to make Dana so angry?
^ signed with Bellator to help with their new “TUF-like” reality show
He signed with bellator I think to help with their show of TUF
brilliant love it, randy is a miserable old bastard
Yeah exactly
Idk why he’d do what he did…look at Hughes…I’m sure he could have been right there next to him
Just another meglomaniac Dana White moment. Another example as to why he is the most un-professional frontman of any company world-wide……….
Hey, Randy don´t have any obligations towards UFC… It´s like I had an obligation to every company I worked for before…
Poor Dana having his multi million dollar pissy fits again…
I like Dana White (unlike most people) but this is childish -_- I think that is going too far.
Randy is a traitor. Of course he cant come to any UFC show. Not should Greg Jackson be allowed to enter. They have to decide money or UFC.
Too far.. took it too personal.
dana is a bitch.
Bop Dana fucken stupid
*nop
WTF ?
Randy isn’t a slave to Zuffa or Dana. He is a free man who can earn a living as he sees fit. This shit is a bitch move and I’m pretty sure the state commissions would have something to say about it.
Disloyalty should not be rewarded. Good job Dana.
Randy is shady as fuck!
Dana is just too much. Do you have a lifelong obligation to the ufc if you have been a champion?
GET IT RIGHT! Dana is upset cuz Randy didn’t finish his UFC contract with FOX and went to go do the deal eith Bellator while still under Zuffa.. that is fucked up
Randy for Eddie, sounds fair
here an another example of Randy shadiness http://www.mmaontap.com/mma/entry/looking-back-at-the-sportsbook-fiasco
With enough green, he certainly can.
Havin a bitch fit again lol
Nice
He wasn’t just a fighter or ufc champion he was a milestone fighter…took championships in 2 divisions helped the ufc be where it is today, been the spokesperson for events and such, helped the ufc with TUF season 1
I’m sorry he’s a man doing what he needs to and isnt owned by dana, ufc nor zuffa but to have this big of an impact in the ufc and then do this is wrong
dana your a fucking dickhead for not letting randy even corner his own kid i just lost the respect that i had for you the issue is with you and randy not ryan and to not let him corner his own kid is fucked up radny did so much for the ufc and this is the thanks he gets he was there from almost the beginning till he was 49 he deserves to be able to corner his kid
These actions by White legitimize every ones speculations about what it must be like to be in the UFC.This mans ego is off the chart.Once your contract is up with any company/person its over.This isn’t Randy’s first time dealing with him,and I’m pretty sure it won’t be the last. Props to Randy for always being a UFC pioneer and being his own man.Godspeed.
I think it’s to far fetched to ban him from UFC events, though it’s a nice backstab Randy did for all the UFC did for him…
What’s about this Greg Jackson dude, what he did wrong?
no sense having bad blood working for you even if he is hall fame fighter if Dana let Randy say what he wants then he stays makes dana a bitch and that look bad on his image this not wwe where you allow F-5 your Boss and not get fired this big business and you don’t want strings get tangled and form knot you want smooth business relationship all fighters and past fighters it’s Dana money he can do what he wants
Dana is a douche bag…. he acts like a spoiled little child…. Bellator is putting on some damn good shows… Dana is scared of competition
Can you really blame Randy? Dana treats the majority of his roster and employees like shit. I don’t blame him for not wanting to put with that and wanting to take his career somewhere else. Dana mixes business with personal way to often and that is definitely unprofessional.
Very immature of Dana White. There was no non competition clause when Coutoure left the UFC. And he is helping build MMA. Watch Dana keep it up and get slammed with a Sherman Anti-Trust lawsuit for trying to monopolize MMA by sabotaging/blackmailing people who might consider employment by working with competitors.
Most of you are making yourselves look like idiots randy was under contract and for the second time (first was when he bailed to try and fight fedor in affliction) bailed on his contract to do this bellator gig maybe if he had finished his contract Dana wouldn’t have gotten so pissed off about it
for all of you that are saying randy doesnt owe any thing to dana your wrong randy has not finishedd his contract with fox or with the ufc as a spokesman he just up and left thinking he would make more money but both fox and ufc are planning on sueing him