Fedor is virtually unbeaten (his one loss was a technicality and was later avenged) and considered by many to be unbeatable and the best overall MMA fighter in the world.

After learning that Fedor had declined to sign with the UFC, Couture resigned, stating that Fedor was the only reason he was staying with the company. He cited lack of respect from management and pay issues among his chief concerns.

"I think the final straw for me was meeting with White and Lorenzo (Fertitta, UFC co-owner) where they claimed I was the No. 2 paid athlete in the organization, which I know is a bold-faced lie," Couture said. Polling other athletes, said Couture, he learned that his compensation -- some $250,000 a fight with pay-per-view bonuses, according to the Couture camp -- was nowhere near what other top UFC fighters were making.

"All us athletes are all pretty tightly intertwined," he said. "You hear what other guys were paid signing bonuses and what other guys were paid on the record and off the record with bonuses. I've heard Chuck's numbers. Tito's numbers. Hughes' numbers. Quinton's numbers. Cro Cop, Wanderlei. I heard what they were offering Fedor, and it's insulting."

According to Sherdog.com Couture will have to wait nine months for his current UFC deal to lapse before he can go after Emelianenko. Over that span Couture said he will concentrate on acting, continuing to franchise his Xtreme Couture training facilities, and work on building his Xtreme Couture clothing line.

Couture's decision to leave the UFC in this manner has sent shock waves through the mma world that will likely continue to reverberate for years to come. Most mma fighters don't have the financial or moral clout to follow thier conscience as Couture seems to have done.

"Certainly there's personal motivation for resigning and taking stand for myself," he said. "If it sets a precedence that down the road requires athletes to be treated better than that's icing on the cake."

While the full impact of Couture's departure from the UFC has yet to unfold, it seems obvious that between Couture leaving and the UFC's failure to sign Fedor, mma's premiere promotion has taken a taken a tremendous hit to it's credibility and opened the door for other organizations to move in and capitalize.