Zuffa purchases Strikeforce

[Snail Shell]

The top US competition for the UFC is no more. Zuffa, the UFC's parent company, has done what it did with PRIDE. Strikeforce has been purchased. I'd imagine that soon after this news settles, those fighters who wish to stay on will be imalgamated with the UFC, those who don't will leave and the SF brand will be liquidated and tossed to the roadside.

Good news: We may actually get to see some dream matchups in the coming months. Things like Fedor vs. Couture, Barnett vs. Lesnar, Melendez vs. Penn, Werdum vs. Velasquez and silencing the on-going challenges from Nick Diaz to GSP

Bad news: The major competition in the US world of MMA for the UFC is now gone. We can only hope that this monopoly over the industry does not do to the UFC/Dana White what it did to WWE/Vince McMahon.

Only time will tell. Until then, start your dream matchups and debates. They may finally come true.

SS

 

[Tickler15]

The top US competition for the UFC is no more. Zuffa, the UFC's parent company, has done what it did with PRIDE. Strikeforce has been purchased. I'd imagine that soon after this news settles, those fighters who wish to stay on will be imalgamated with the UFC, those who don't will leave and the SF brand will be liquidated and tossed to the roadside.

Good news: We may actually get to see some dream matchups in the coming months. Things like Fedor vs. Couture, Barnett vs. Lesnar, Melendez vs. Penn, Werdum vs. Velasquez and silencing the on-going challenges from Nick Diaz to GSP

Bad news: The major competition in the US world of MMA for the UFC is now gone. We can only hope that this monopoly over the industry does not do to the UFC/Dana White what it did to WWE/Vince McMahon.

Only time will tell. Until then, start your dream matchups and debates. They may finally come true.

SS

I heard they are planning to operate independently from each other.

 

[Snail Shell]

I heard they are planning to operate independently from each other.

That's Dana White's official word from the first interview since the news.

It was also his official word after purchasing PRIDE.

And WEC.



Realistically, I imagine Strikeforce will stay long enough to fulfill any contracts it has with fighters who won't enter the UFC for one reason or another (Daley, Barnett). After those fighters jump ship, those who remain and are able to draw a fan base will be added to the UFC roster, those who won't will leave and Strikeforce will be liquidated.

Just like PRIDE.

Just like WEC.

SS

 

[Raphael Sorel]

I wonder if they'll keep the female division.

 

[Snail Shell]

I wonder if they'll keep the female division.

Dana White has stated that there aren't enough good female fighters to build an entire division. While you can get a good fight here and there, he doesn't believe a UFC Women's Division is viable. Whether or not SF holds onto its division, while the company lasts, is anyone's guess.

SS

 

[Tickler15]

Sigh, isn't this kinda against the law? Dosen't this violate Anti-Trust laws?

 

[Interrogator]

I have mixed feelings about this. I worry what a monopoly in the MMA world might mean, since there is no real competition for viewers or fans, Dana White could turn the UFC and MMA in general into whatever he wanted (I'm thinking in terms of it becoming highly commercialized among other things). That said there are a lot of possitives for me. The UFC has always been my favourite MMA league, if only because it looks and is produced better. Lots of other related programmes e.g. Ultimate Insider, Ultimate Fighter, allow you to 'live' UFC, MMA entertainment isn't limited to fortnightly fight nights. Also, as Snail Shell points out, a lot of very interesting fights could be on the cards. That said, if Strikeforce goes the way of Pride and WEC, the UFC may simply get too big. With so many great fighters in one division, either they only fight once a year or less, or lower ranked/up and coming fighters get excluded. Or they simply make more events, which I'm all for. Who knows, the jury is out on this one. I'll just wait and see what happens.

 

[Tummy_Luva]

We'll See What Happens

For any MMA fan the positive side of this accquisition is obvious. With the prospect of dream match-ups like Fedor and Coture, Overeem and Velasquez, GSP and Diaz, or Jacare and Siva, the number of great fights on the horizon is seemingly endless. However, as it was mention the danger of the UFC creating somewhat of a monopoly is always out there. We won't know how that materializes until the Strikeforce contracts with showtime, including direct dealings with certian fighters through that network are completed. While the intention may be to operate the two organization seperately, at some point, as we've seen the past a complete merger will become the better option. Even though I am worried about the choices for some fighters and fans if the UFC does corner the market even further, I'm not one of these people who associates MMA with "Oh, yeah that UFC stuff". With the expanded coverage of networks like HDNet offering cards from SharkFights, MFC, and Titan Fighting Championship and MTV's new contract with Bellator, hopely other leagues will be able to have continued growth and provide fans with options outside of ZUFFA. Just like everybody else, I'll be anxiously waiting to see how it plays out.