If current UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture ever becomes free from his existing commitment to Zuffa, it's clear that Mark Cuban's HDNet will be a new home for him.

According to Adam Swift of Sherdog.com and MMAPayout.com, it's revealed in HDNet's recent lawsuit against Zuffa, which seeks a declaratory judgment about Couture's contract status, that HDNet has reached an agreement in principle with Couture:

According to the filing, HDNet Fights has entered into a contract with Couture that is scheduled to commence upon the expiration of his Zuffa promotional agreement. At that time, the company plans to promote a fight between Couture and Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) in Dallas, assuming terms can be reached with the highly regarded Russian heavyweight.

The existence of an actual contract between HDNet Fights and Couture is believed to be key to the company's action in Texas. Without it, it is unlikely that the court would find an actual controversy ripe for adjudication. 

It's interesting to note that Swift indicates that HDNet has every intention of promoting a fight between Couture and Fedor Emelianenko should Couture be declared a free agent. While there's been no announcement about an accord between HDNet and M-1 Global, it wouldn't be surprising if one existed considering that both parties were involved with the New Year's Eve telecast of Yarrenoka! from Japan. 

Considering a big reason behind Couture's decision to withdraw from the UFC was their inability to get him a match with Fedor, it's unlikely he'd agree to anything with HDNet unless they could guarantee him with reasonable certainty that they could make the dream match a reality.

In order to try and get Couture to be declared a free agent, it appears that HDNet plans to go after Zuffa's "retirement" clause:

According to the filing, Couture has stated that he believes his Zuffa promotional contract expires with the stated term of the agreement in July, while Zuffa maintains that the contract remains valid indefinitely under the infamous "retirement clause." In the complaint, HDNet Fights characterized Zuffa's contention as "outrageous." 

It should be noted that a deal technically hasn't been executed between Couture and HDNet and only that a deal is in place in the event that Couture becomes free and clear:

HDNet Fights' contract with Couture will only become effective upon a declaration by the court that Zuffa's promotional agreement is void, invalid or unenforceable in whole or in part, or upon a declaration of the effective date on which Couture's contract with HDNet Fights may begin without violating any provisions of his contract with Zuffa. 

While I'm not lawyer, it still seems there is some gray area here even though a deal between Couture and HDNet hasn't been consummated. It's very possible Zuffa could claim that even by talking about a possible deal with Couture that HDNet committed acts of "tortuous interference." However, according to Swift's article, HDNet is being proactive in that regard:

In a nod to pending litigation in Nevada, where Zuffa has sued Couture and as yet unnamed defendants for, among other things, conspiracy to commit tortous acts, the complaint notes that "HDNet did not want or intend in any way for such an agreement to induce or cause Couture to breach his UFC Fight Contract or any other agreement(s) he might have with Zuffa and/or UFC or to interfere with any valid contract that Couture might have."

Things have gotten more interesting but the real wild stuff probably still is around the corner. In any event, make sure you check out Swift's article by clicking here.

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

Randy Couture was on ESPN2's "First Take" program this past week discussing the UFC's recent decision to file a lawsuit against him:

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

Here's a YouTube clip showing a portion of this past week's "Inside MMA" on HDNet with a story on Randy Couture and Fedor Emelianenko having a pre-arranged staredown during the filming of a new Affliction commercial in LA:

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

The gloves are off.

On Monday, the UFC filed a lawsuit against its heavyweight champion Randy Couture in Las Vegas, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Lawyers for Zuffa, LLC, the UFC's parent company, on Monday filed suit in Clark County District Court, alleging chiefly that Couture's comments about the UFC and its senior management caused the business irreparable damage and that he is in breach of the contract he signed with the company in December 2006.

"We are alleging numerous intentional torts, which have caused Zuffa and the UFC significant harm," attorney Donald J. Campbell said. "Based upon that harm we are seeking to address these matters before a court of law."

The UFC is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages from Couture and requests an injunction against Couture from participating in any way whatsoever with a fight promotion that is competing with the UFC.

It appears that Couture's new relationship with the IFL has raised the ire of the UFC. Even though the IFL has never promoted the Xtreme Couture entry into their league as "Randy Couture's Xtreme Couture," that doesn't seem to matter to the UFC:

The lawsuit also alleges conspiracy, stating that several unnamed parties to be identified at a later date worked with Couture to intentionally inflict harm on the UFC.

According to the lawsuit, Couture is also in breach of a stipulation that prohibits him from engaging in "direct or indirect competition" with the UFC for a period of 12 months following the termination of his contract.

Thus, Couture's sponsorship and promotion of a team in the International Fight League would be in direct violation of the stipulation. Currently, the IFL's Web site lists Couture's Xtreme Couture team taking on Mario Sperry's World Class Fight Center at the IFL's Feb. 29 card at the Orleans Arena.

According to UFC president Dana White, Couture has broken his contract and attempts to resolve things peacefully were not successful:

"What's really tough for me, to be honest, is we have been friends for a very long time," White said. "The hard part is that he is not living up to his obligations. Captain America is not keeping his word. ..

"I expect Randy to honor the obligations in his contract that he signed (a year ago). I tried to resolve it by talking to this guy that I've had a relationship with for eight years and was unsuccessful," White said. "Now this thing's in the hands of the justice system."

How did we go from UFC 68 last March to this?

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

Fedor Emelianenko and manager Vadim Finkelstein will be traveling to the United States on Thursday, according to the website M1Mixfight.com.

Fedor apparently is planning on meeting Randy Couture in person while in Los Angeles: 

Fedor Emelianenko, Vadim Finkelstein and Apy Echteld will leave for Los Angeles on Thursday, 17 where they are going to meet with Affliction representatives. Also Fedor plans to meet Randy Couture there to discuss things in person.

All the details of the meeting will be revealed soon.

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

In a recent interview with PunchDrunkGamer.com, UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture closed out the Q&A session by ruling out a scenario in which he would settle with the UFC:

PDG: Well Randy that’s it. I appreciate you taking the time to do the interview; I know you didn’t really want to do any. I also wasn’t planning on bothering you about your issues with the UFC, but thank you for the comments.

Randy: Well I didn’t really want to do any interviews that would inflame the situation or prevent me from settling with the UFC in a positive way. But the ground work has kind of been laid and now the situation is I’m not really going to settle with the UFC so it doesn’t matter. People are getting the word now though, but it’s all good.

Couture also continues to talk about a potential match vs. PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko as if it's a near-certainty:

PDG: So you’re definitely planning on fighting Fedor at the end of the year?

Randy: Yeah, the last quarter of 2008 I expect to be in a position to find a way to make the Fedor fight happen. I know he’s going to have competition in between, and I hope those go well for him, and the status [of the fight] remains the same as it is now. I certainly have some acting and training to do between now and then that I am excited about. I’m going to focus on those things and stay in shape and stay sharp and be ready for that fight after my contracts have expired.

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com