Randy Couture's next move is foremost on the minds of those who closely follow mixed martial arts.

But bet on this: Couture will be in a suit in a court room before he's wearing board shorts preparing to fight Fedor Emelianenko any time soon.

Couture's resignation as UFC heavyweight champion and subsequent decision to sever all ties with the company dominated the reader response this week.

But before we get a sampling of what you had to say, here's a quick take on some of the key points in the case:

• Have no doubt that Mark Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks' owner, would-be Chicago Cubs owner and the fledgling MMA promoter, is somehow involved in the M-1 Mix Fight promotion that allegedly signed Emelianenko to a multi-million dollar contract last week. Cuban declined comment via e-mail when asked whether he is part of M-1.

• Non-UFC sources say that the contract Couture negotiated and signed before his comeback fight against Tim Sylvia in March is for four fights and between $13 million and $15

Courage comes in many forms in professional sports.

For some, it's competing despite a serious injury. For others, it's a willingness to take on all comers.

Sergio Mora's display of courage took a little different tack. He displayed his courage by being willing to say no.

Mora knew what turning down a fight for the world middleweight championship would mean. He'd be derided by the media, taunted by fans, questioned by his peers.

And Mora got a bigger onslaught than perhaps he even imagined when, earlier this year, he said no to a bout against Jermain Taylor that would have been for the WBC and WBO middleweight titles, as well as general acclaim as the top 160-pound boxer in the world.

Instead, the fight went to Cory Spinks, a one-time welterweight who was only too eager to take the challenge and who showed no signs of being afraid of Taylor at all.

The strange thing is, Mora wouldn't have been afraid, either. He had fought Taylor in the amateurs and knew what he would face as a pro.

At least for one night, the tournament format is back in mixed martial arts.

Scott Coker, who promoted numerous tournaments when he helped promote K-1 kickboxing shows, will stage a four-man tournament to determine the No. 1 challenger for the Strikeforce middleweight title on Nov. 16 at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Coker said he has signed Joe Riggs (27-9) and Niko Vitale (24-7) to compete in the tournament and is working on landing two others.

In addition, the California Athletic Commission has required him to sign two alternates who can step in and compete in the final if one of the winners in the first round is unable to continue because of injury.

The prize, Coker hopes, will be a shot at the biggest name on the Strikeforce fighter roster, champion Frank Shamrock.

Shamrock, who has fought twice this year, hasn't agreed to fight the winner, Coker said. Shamrock has his eye on a 2008 fight with Renzo Gracie in what would be a rematch of a Feb. 10 match in which Shamrock was

Dana White may be the man most responsible for the meteoric growth of the UFC. It has a national television contract, it does ever-larger pay-per-view sales, it routinely sells out major venues and it has one of the most passionate fan bases in sports.

Much of that is due to White's grit, guile and cunning.

But White, the UFC president, has a challenge before him, the likes of which he has never faced in his seven years at the helm of the world's most successful mixed martial arts promotional company.

Though White hardly seemed upset by UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture's announcement Thursday that he is retiring as a professional fighter and severing all ties with the company, how he handles the situation will determine whether the company will continue its rocket-like ascent toward mainstream acceptance or whether it will return to the netherworld of niche sports status.

Couture quit for the same reason that No. 1 NFL draft pick JaMarcus Russell didn't sign with the Raiders

IBF champion Julio Diaz puts his title on the line against WBA-WBO champion Juan Diaz at the Sears Centre in Chicago. Here is what each man must do to win:

Evander Holyfield has held a version of the heavyweight title on four occasions. He said he'll retire once he regains the undisputed version of the crown. He'll take the first step on that path Saturday on pay-per-view in Moscow, where he faces WBO champion Sultan Ibragimov. Here is what each man must do to win:

With little interest at age 44 of fighting anyone other than the man regarded as the best mixed martial artist in the world, UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture announced his retirement Thursday.

Couture, a five-time champion and UFC Hall of Famer, had hoped to land a bout with Fedor Emelianenko, the top-rated fighter in the Yahoo! Sports MMA poll of the world's best fighters.

But when reports surfaced Wednesday that Emelianenko had spurned the UFC to sign with the Russian-based M-1 Mix Fight organization, Couture opted to retire. The story was broken by Brian Knapp of The Fight Network, which has a business relationship with Couture.

"I'm tired of swimming upstream at this stage with the management of the UFC," Couture told Knapp. "It only makes sense at this point in my career to fight Fedor Emelianenko, and since he’s now signed with another organization, I feel like it's time to resign and focus on my other endeavors."

Couture's retirement stunned the MMA world, but not

Julio Diaz is a two-time IBF lightweight champion. On Saturday, he'll fight Juan Diaz at the Sears Centre in Chicago with his title on the line, as well as his opponent's WBA and WBO belts.

He's one of the game's most entertaining performers.

But he'll never forget the fall of 2003.

"No matter what I do, how far I go, I'm always going to remember that," he says through gritted teeth.

Top Rank was making a match for the late fall for Floyd Mayweather Jr., a bout that would be televised on HBO. It proposed Diaz as the opponent, with the bout to be held in Mayweather's native Grand Rapids, Mich.

Diaz, 27, didn't have a concern about the location. He grew up in a family of boxers and never once was fearful in the ring.

Plus, he'd sparred frequently with Mayweather. He desperately wanted the fight, to not only emerge from the shadow of his older brother, Antonio, but also to decisively make his stamp on the game.

"I know the gym is the gym and you can't compare it to fights, but I had