A UFC Division 1 and 2 scenario
With the acquisition of Strikeforce, UFC becomes the complete dominator, the biggest of all Goliaths, the biggest MMA brand with the biggest nuts, the promotion that will propel MMA to the world popularity height beyond that of wold Football (FIFA – Soccer) and the sport that I for sure will keep at the top of my list of daily list of priorities (sometimes even above my woman – when she pisses me off – lol).
With this brings to mind, what could happen to Strikeforce 2 years from now…. Here is my view.
I believe Strikeforce will not become the next Pride and simply be dissolved into the abyss.I believe strikeforce will indeed remain an organ
ization separa te to the UFC but will become the apprentice league, division 2 of the UFC. The UFC will rename the Strikeforce organization to something like ‘UFC Challengers’ and this will be the division 2 league that requires a fighter win 3 consecutive fights in order to progress to division 1, the UFC. On the flip side, it becomes the division that receives fighter from the UFC who have lost 3 consecutive fights and is the entry point for many other organizations and for many of the TUF alumni to begin a UFC career even if they have not done as well in their TUF season.
Therefore, TUF will be moved to UFC Challengers and all TUF semi finalists plus some notable quarter finalists will be contracted as a UFC Challenger. The winner of TUF will gain direct entry into the UFC and the runner up will stay in UFC Challengers but will only require 1 victory in order to progress to the UFC. If the runner up loses both his first 2 fights, he will once again require 3 consecutive victories in order to progress to the UFC, division 1.
This type of structure means less fighters will be over hyped without the required amount of legitamacy (ie: Kimbo Slice), creates an apprenticeship model for fighters to certify themselves prior to division 1, the UFC, and a path for development of good fighters (UFC Challengers) to become great fighter (UFC).
This is a sample of what I believe the rules could be.
Division 2: UFC Challengers
-Entry point into UFC for any fighter outside of the organisation
-Entry point into UFC from TUF fighters
-The season TUF semi finalist is an automatic UFC Challenger entrant
-The season TUF Fighter who doesn’t make the semi finals but who the fans elect will be granted UFC Challengers entry
-The season TUF runner up requires 1 win in order to progress to the UFC
-All fighters require 3 consecutive wins in order to automatically progress to the UFC
-A top contender from another organization requires 1 consecutive wins to progress to the UFC
-All previous UFC Champions require only 2 consecutive wins to progress to Division 1 – UFC Challengers
-End of year, a mini GP event allows for the top 4 fighters in each weight class to challenge to bottom 4 fighters in the UFC to compete for a spot in the UFC, division 1. From the beginning of the following year the winners will gain entry or remain in the UFC, division 1.
Division 1: UFC
-Entry point into division 1, the UFC, for fighters progressing through from the UFC Challengers
-Entry point into division 1, the UFC, for current Champions from different organizations
-Entry point into division 1, the UFC, for current TUF Champion
-All fighters can lose 3 consecutive fights before being relegated to UFC Challengers
-All UFC Champions are provided 4 consecutive losses before relegation to UFC Challengers
This article will hopefully open the conversation and maybe Dana and Lozeno will see this to spark some interest to create a true divisional structure for the UFC, thus creating the worlds first true and measurable MMA leaguedivisional world structure.
Enjoy your day, till next time, KingJoffi out (and off to work).
