Only in the career of Randy Couture could a loss precede a contract renewal: According to Sherdog’s Loretta Hunt, Couture has signed a new six-fight contract that will keep him in the UFC fold until he’s back in diapers. More importantly, it puts him out of reach of Strikeforce, Japan or whatever other insidious force threatens to take even .002 percent of the UFC’s market share.

Apparently, Couture’s performance Saturday against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira — a valiant effort that smothered any talk of retirement — made Chuck Liddell agitated: According to Dana White’s postfight press speech, Liddell texted him frequently during the show about returning to the cage.

Seeing Liddell against Mark Coleman would probably pique interest without being perceived as sadistic; seeing Liddell against a throat-slitting 205-pound fighter like Thiago Silva would be a brutal bit of work by the Marquis de White.

Both Couture and Nogueira pocketed $60,000 for fight of the night honors, which is deserved in one respect but questionable in another: As headliners, the two have appreciably better salaries than undercard athletes. A bonus of $60,000 isn’t going to change their day, but it could make a radical difference in the lives of guys fighting for $5,000. I’d rather big-money athletes be exempt from bonus incentives.

Anderson Silva 
Andrei Arlovski 
BJ Penn 
Chris Leben 
Chuck Liddell 
Cro Cop 
Gabriel Gonzaga 
Georges St. Pierre 
James Irvin 
Jason Lambert 
Jason MacDonald 
Jeff Monson 
Jens Pulver 
Jeremy Horn 
Keith Jardine 
Kendall Grove 
Matt Hamill 
Matt Hughes 
Matt Serra 
Michael Bisping 
Mike Swick 
Quinton Jackson 
Randy Couture 
Rashad Evans 
Renato Sobral 
Rich Franklin 
Sean Salmon 
Sean Sherk 
Tim Sylvia 
Tito Ortiz