UFC just bought Strikeforce
 

UFC OWNS Strikeforce
 

http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/mma/...ory?id=6209923

Holy shit. This is awesome for fans. Might suck for some fighters though.

beat u to it

Damn you! I guess I'm the Strikeforce to your UFC in this case.

This is very bad for MMA. The last thing you need is Dana being the only show in town.

I'm guessing Zuffa overpaid.

Seems as though they will remain to seperate entities(where have we heard that before...) Scott Coker will stay on, Dana likes Scott apparently. Contracts to Strikeforce and UFC will remain exclusive to their brand. Fighters from Strikeforce will not fight UFC fighters, only once their contract is up and they sign a new deal to the other organization.

Sounds like Dana got the feeder organization the UFC has needed.

Still, while it may be good for us the fans, there no doubt it's not a good move for the fighters. I wonder how much of a factor that played in UFC wanting to inquire Strikeforce. I wasn't even aware they were for sale.

Though, if it is as White has stated, it may not be a bad thing, in the short run anyways

How much money could Strikeforce actually have been making though? Granted they had a deal with Showtime and everything, but they were also co-promoting with m1.

They were expecting to gross something like 30 million this fiscal year I just read. Not to bad, definelty a growing companie. They've been doing great in the ratings lately as well.

Well once Overeems contract with Strikeforce expires he is free to go to the UFC.

I'm sure you'll see fighters from one organization get "released" so he can go to the other, and vice versa at some point.

I wonder what becomes of EA's MMA?

I think it's good for MMA in a sense that match ups fans want to see are more likely to get done. I don't have a problem with Dana being the only show in town from a fan's perspective because the UFC is better organized, presents a better show and has clearer direction than any other organization.

Hopefully they merge the heavyweight division like they did for 185 when the WEC was bought and keep every other division separate for a little while. Eventually it will all probably be UFC though

It sucks for the fighters because now they might be at the whim of Dana, however, since it's the Fertita's money I'm sure Lorenzo would step in to keep certain fighters like Diaz happy.

I do hope they keep the Challenger's series and women's divisions going long after the sale has been consumated.

I wonder if this will prompt Fedor to retire. Barnett's probably not too thrilled either.

fap fap fap

Guessing Hendo will be gutted lol, doing so well after jumping there and talk of a Fedor fight.....

This is fckin amazing though.

No one is getting cut, and divisions won't be merged. They will be to completely seperate companies, with Scott Coker still running strikeforce, and he will be the one still negotiating contracts for Strikeforce, not Dana.

Here's Dana talking about it.

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/3/12...-mma-landscape

Read the initial report folks.

What I'm really interested in is how this how thing came about and started. Strikeforce wasn't in financial trouble, and had a TV deal, seems kinda odd the more I think about it.

Was Strikeforce profitable? They may have had revenues of $30 million or whatever, but without knowing the expenses who knows what kind of shape they were in. Plus, they weren't getting featured prime time on CBS since the brawl so I wonder if that affected the bottom line in any way.

It does seem strange timing wise because they did seem to be hitting their stride. Maybe Silicon Valley Sports isn't doing so hot and just needed to cut the company loose

Expect to see Strikeforce back on CBS, SF has been doing very well in the ratings lately, and it's a demographic that CBS despertley needs.

All Scott Coker's recent interviews were him putting over how great they were doing, how its growing rapidly etc. I know hes the CEO and wouldnt say anything different but it is shocking how it came from nowhere, not even a hint.

Dana says all that and whatever but you know something might happen later down the line. You've just bought your biggest competitor and rival company and you think you can just leave it alone or are you gonna have a huge itch to play with this new toy you've got?

Zuffa now owns both UFC and Strikeforce which is like some corporation owning WWE and TNA. It would be very interesting if things truly did remain mostly unchanged. Zuffa can let these two companies grow as big as they can individually but they also have the luxury of a roster featuring the majority of the world's biggest MMA fighters.

BUSINESS AS USUAL

Ok this is my nomination for the 3 biggest mark out moments in MMA thread. Holy shit!

Zuffa buys Strikeforce!
 

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_yl...eda6a162d18e10

Go I don't know how to read other threads.

well ill be got damned, i just did a search for the word 'strikeforce' to make sure there wasnt another thread. Meh, whatever, merge it, delete it, who cares, just wanted to get the word out.

My issue with this whole deal is that competition is good, and the UFC (Zuffa) just tends to eat 'em up once they get big enough. Wasnt it only a couple years back where they didnt see Strikeforce as competition?

When you say competition is good, it depends on whose perspective your looking at it from.

Due to the individualistic nature of fighting, there's only so many prospective match ups each organization can put together. For the UFC, no matter what Dana says about not co-promoting or doing super fights, the acquisition of Strikeforce gives them several more potential marquee match ups and fighters that they can profit off of. As fans we also benefit, because at the end of the day, no one gives a shit whether it says UFC or Strikeforce on the ticket, good fights are good fights and the UFC can now put more of those together.

The only victims are the fighters who lose bargaining power, BUT, by the UFC becoming the biggest player in town, this gives even bigger incentive for the fighters to form a union to protect their interests.

Dana White would fire every champion and their replacements before he would ever allow a union to be formed.

If the collective fighters could show in court that the UFC had a monopoly and their salaries were repressed in comparison to the UFC's profits, it wouldn't be up to Dana.

Buzzing that they can show Strikeforce stuff in the VP's.

Which seems like it shouldnt be an issue seeing as how Zuffa has purchased every big MMA promotion.

I mean, its clear the winner is 'the fans', but im thinking from perspective of the fighter (like you said, unions). Other promotions existing allows for a stage, even a smaller one, to be available to showcase talents. Sure, the UFC is the 'big leagues', but that road is easier paved when one can prove themselves elsewhere.

GSP v. Shields.

Paul Daley being a bitch over this btw -

Daley fucked himself in the ass by being a poor sport and throwing that cheap shot, then acts like he's the one who told UFC to kiss his ass?

Must still be bitter after he said he was sorry hoping to keep his job and UFC telling him to fuck off.

Technically UFC's parent company Zuffa has bought Strikeforce so technically this thread is more correct eh? But yeah. I don't know how you could have missed the other thread lol.

What other notable MMA organizations are out there in the US? Titan and Bellator?

So is this like Vince buying WCW?

I guess, if Vince had kept WCW going and had Eric Bischoff in charge of it.

This.

If he handles himself professionally, and with a chip on his shoulder against Zuffa, he can keep his spot.

Tito got back into the UFC, and he personally had beef with Dana White

How the fuck do you cut Paul Daley and ban him for life and employ guys like Gilbert Yvel?

They can find someone else to fight Diaz and put just as much money in Whites pockets. Paul daley should stfu.

I don't like this move at all. Strikeforce only last as long as it's deal with Showtime is in place. Fighters are gonna get raped even more in negotiating.

This is a great thing. The UFC is trying to be the best league in the world where all the best players play, similar to the NFL. Ya you have smaller leagues, CFL, Arena, whatever the fuck else pops up for a year or two, but all the best players are in the NFL. I don't see how this is a bad thing for MMA. You worry about the fighters, why? What do you care, you want to be entertained and see the best fights possible. If somebody has a beef with the UFC and won't work for them, go fight in smaller organizations or find a new job, because there will be a line up of guys wanting to take your spot.

The NFL has a players Union, and they're locked out ATM

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answers all questions

I get that, and a union might be a good thing for fighters, but that's up to the fighters. The WWE would probably be the best comparative to the UFC and they don't have a union. If you don't perform you don't deserve to be there anyways.

Monopolys are never a good thing.

I just watched the interview with Dana and that shit sounds retarded as hell. If Overeem's contract expires there's no way in hell he's getting into a bidding war with Strikeforce over his services, so for him to try to say that Strikeforce is going to have it's own budget and be able to sign it's own fighters is bullshit. Especially when you consider the fact that unlike Coker, Dana is a partner in the parent company Zuffa. If he wants a fighter he's going to have him.

Diaz and Gilbert Melendez just resigned with Strikeforce too. It would be a fucking waste to have those guys plus the likes of Overeem, King Mo and Jacare languishing with middle of the road competition when there are some great match ups for them with UFC talent.

What's the point of acquiring Strikeforce if they're not going to use the purchase to put the best match ups possible out there?

Guys, you gotta read between the lines here. Dana has said it as best he can. UFC can't be EVERYWHERE at once. Two or three events a month...ONE mega UFC card, one SF card, and one OKay uFC card. SF is gonna get to go to the 'second' tier markets, where UFC has penetrated, but isn't focused on (Atlanta, Ga. Los Angeles, etc). SF gets a chance to be a national brand while UFC gets to go GLOBAL. It's a good look. I There will come a time SOON when SF will be full of UFC castoffs who are good but don't deserve to be on the show (Machida comes to mind INSTANTLY). I can See Shad evans, RIch Franklin, Mir, Both Nogueras, all coming to SF. Granted they'd be there for different reasons, but they'd be there.

So are they going to do the other Grand Prix QF's in Japan so they can pretend Overeem & Barnett arent on PED's or wat?

You can bet your sweet ass that SF will have that GP in Canada, or somewhere Barnett is able to fight.

If Jones wins, Evans will not fight him, I don't give a damn what he says. I can totally see him giong to SF to give them some cred.

yes

AND WHO'S DICK DO I HAVE TO SUCK TO GET ARIEL HELWANI'S JOB?

This is exciting news. We might see some dream matches now.

I think they're hoping he punches out Steve Mazagatti.

ufc aren't going to send their name talent to strikeforce, unless they have an arlovskiesque fall from grace where they get sparked out every fight. it'll probably be more like guys from TUF who didn't win and didn't quite cut it the few fights they had in undercards.

If Brock loses his fight, we might see Lashley vs Brock.

I was wondering what Krispy would say when I saw the news break.

Too lazy to look for his posts. What was his stance?

Lashley blows mile long donkey dick.

I love you Krim but, if that's the plan for SF then it's still a waste. If SF gets all the guys who couldn't cut it in the UFC, that's going to make SF look like a cut rate company, and no one wants to watch the guys who "aren't good enough" for the big show. The "second tier" markets would still be getting shafted. Plus, that would make guys like Melendez, Diaz, Jacare etc... look like chumps if they're still fighting for the company that gets all the UFC stars of yesteryear.

Plus, at the end of the day, the UFC CAN be everywhere because they have Strikeforce's roster too. It would make no sense to not have Overeem v. Lesnar/Velasquez just because he's signed to SF and Dana is anti Superfight.

Are they really going to let GSP move up to 185 permanently when there's a potentially huge payday in a Superfight with Nick Diaz? Zufffa owns the contracts at the end of the day and they can do whatever the hell they want even though they won't come out and admit it.

Gilbert Melendez v. Melvin Guillard would tear the house down. Is Zuffa going to pass on that potential money fight?

It's not even co-promoting really since Zuffa owns both fucking companies.

Fairly convinced that by the end of Strikeforce's contract on Showtime they'll be nothing more than a feeder group anyway, all the top dogs will have gone by then and it'll be guys like Bonnar & Marquardt their world champs.

I agree that Lashley isn't good but I would still like to see the fight.

I love you too brother! But with the Zuffa hype machine (the same machine who can make Dan Hardy/Damien Maia/Vitor Belfort/Frankie...nevermind this one/et all seem like credible superstars) UFC rejects will look like super acquisitions that are coming for a chance to be the next dominant force ala Hendo. Spin is a powerful thing. Melendez/Guillard, Overeem/HW DIVISION, GSP/Diaz, are all great fights, and will make zuffa money someday. I wanna see Mousassi/Silva myself, but i think if spun correctly SF getting fed a few UFC castoffs would be great.

BESIDES! who else is gonna garner the star power once Dana gobbles up the home grown SF talent, which he'll do waaay before SF's TV deals expire.

Anderson v Fedor at 205.

I need to see this happen or else.

Don't Think Fedor's capable of the weight cut.

Fedor could easily make 205. He's a small HW, and is rather chubby. If he lost just 5 or 10 lbs he could easily make 205. Hell, if he trained properly and had a diet he could make 185.

They were on about him dropping to face Hendo for the LHW title just before SF got bought out too.

He sounded receptive to the idea, which you'd expect after getting pummelled by a much bigger, powerful giant heavyweight.

At first I thought UFC 205 is pretty far away.... :nono:

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Great news! Everybody dance now!