7:38 PM EST

So, what IS Randy Couture's involvement in the IFL Mixed Martial Arts league?
 
Rumors have been swirling around the MMA world regarding the reigning UFC Champion, whose contract dispute or retirement (depending on whose legal analysis you listen to ... UFC's or Couture's) has left him in a very interesting situation. Couture, under contract to UFC, appeared at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Chris Horodecki's corner for the main event of IFL's Grand Prix Finals on December 29th, which was broadcast on billionaire Mark Cuban's HDNet.
 
IFL co-founded Kurt Otto mentioned Couture's name as a possible coach during the IFL's conference call to discuss their plans for 2008, but wouldn't commit to anything in terms of Couture's appearances.
 
So www.mmanewsdesk.com asked IFL Manager of Public Relations Jerry Milani about Couture. Here is what Milani had to say:
 
 

 
 
www.mmanewsdesk.com then asked Milani Will he be appearing on television, for example? Can Randy, as the leader of Xtreme Couture, be used in advertising an upcoming show they are  participating in?
 
No matter what the answer is, it will be interesting. The reports about Couture doing MMA for someone other than UFC have been running rampant. Even just seeing Couture in Horodecki's corner while in this legal situation with UFC was a very surreal sight.
 
Kurt Otto's comments back in December were very vague in terms of whether IFL could use Couture.
Otto told reporters on the conference call that Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture (mentioning those two names spefically) could bring in 3 fighters each from Team Punishment and Xtreme Couture to challenge current IFL camps.  "We are also excited about the ability to have this open-door policy, where globally any camp that wants to put together three guys in the weight classes we would specify for that particular event, they're invited to compete," Otto said. "They show up with those three guys in that weight class, they can get in the mix. In the past we didn't allow that. For instance, if Tito Ortiz wants to promote Team Punishment and promote Team Punishment fighters, he can do that."
 
So what was the real deal? Jerry Milani got back to us with an official statement:
 
 

                       
 
So for now, that will have to do.
 
But UFC is crowning a new Interim UFC World Heavyweight Champion in Las Vegas at UFC 81 : Breaking Point when Tim Sylvia fights Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira. Will a unification match take place? Will Randy's dream of a fight with Fedor Emanianenko come true, on or off UFC turf?
 
For now, we will just have to wait and see.