MMA legend Randy "The Natural" Couture

By Joshua Molina

Bellator has turned heads in recent weeks with its launch on Spike TV and signing of UFC legend Randy Couture.

Couture, one of the early faces of UFC after its 2005 boom, will appear in MMA reality TV programming on the network, which is working hard to brand Bellator as a serious rival to the UFC.

Signing Couture away from the UFC is like Ted Turner’s World Championahip Wrestling signing “Rowdy” Roddy Piper from the WWE in the early 1990s.

But the real money for Bellator is not on Couture starring in MMA shows on Spike.

It’s in Couture stepping back into the cage.

A Couture vs. King Mo fight would draw big ratings – maybe even a strong Pay Per View buy rate.

Bellator needs to get away from its  “tournament-style” fighting and just put on great fights.

Unless it’s a one-night tournament, fans don’t really care or understand months-long MMA tournaments.

Just book great fights. And let Couture have one last run as a fighter.

If Bellator really wants to be daring, it should book a dream fight between Couture and Frank Shamrock.

The fight would be sort of a legends match between two guys who are still in great shape and who can fight.

In fact, Bellator should attempt to scoop up any big-named fighter not under UFC contract. It will need a combination of new and former stars to make people notice.

Bellator needs to stand out from the UFC — not copy it.