Randy Couture Chooses Spike TV and Bellator Over UFC

Quote :

On Tuesday morning, Spike TV issued a press release announcing a new partnership with UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture (Pictured).

Although the two parties won’t divulge the details behind their arrangement until next Tuesday’s press conference in Santa Monica, California, SI.com is reporting Couture has inked a multi-year deal with Spike, a property of Viacom.

Couture is expected to serve as coach on Bellator MMA’s upcoming reality show, which begins shooting next month and airs later this year. “The Natural” coached opposite Chuck Liddell in the UFC’s first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2005.

The long-running reality series helped propel the UFC into the mainstream. TUF spent its first 14 seasons on Spike before transitioning to FX in 2012 as part of the UFC’s blockbuster broadcast deal with FOX.

Couture’s services with Spike isn’t expected to end with Bellator’s reality show. The retired 49-year-old fighter will participate in multiple projects for the cable channel.

UFC president Dana White and Couture have had a rocky relationship over the years, particularly when finances were involved, but Couture was front and center serving as a panelist when the UFC made their debut on FOX.

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Wow... I didn't see this coming! Basically FOX groomed him for the opposition...

Huh. Well I know I'm not Mr. MMAFan these days but I think it'll be another version of Big John going to work for WAMMA. When I hear people talking, casual fans, I hear "did you watch UFC?" I don't hear them talking about watching MMA or being an MMA fan. I don't facebook but I've trolled around a bit, "UFC" is listed as an interest for a lot of people. Everything else is bush league to people who don't watch every PPV and know every fighters name. Dana is a marketing and branding genius, and he's done exactly what he wanted to all along: Make UFC synonymous with MMA. So good luck Couture but it's futile IMO.

I've always been a fan of UFC on Spike. Spike came to the table first when Dana and Zuffa were looking for some airtime, they gave the UFC free reign .... lots of input into the product etc. The partnership put together some good products and it was easy to find.

I've always thought it was pretty cheap for the UFC to abandon that relationship with Spike for .... how many "new" viewers? ... how much more exposure?....

So I will watch Bellator on Spike and listen to that traitorous scumbag Couture comment.
But really.... Randy, Dana and Zuffa never were really close chums ... were they? So this doesn't surprise me at all.

Couture is also said to be a coach on the new Bellator "TUF" reality show coming out that will be directly competing with FX TUF.

I here the winner will get a 4 fight/4 figure contract with Bellator.

stock wrote:

I here the winner will get a 4 fight/4 figure contract with Bellator.

Now thats funny right there.

Strange move Randy, I dont get it...