Fans are the sure winners in ZUFFA-Strikeforce deal
Earlier today, Ariel Helwani from MMAfighting.com dropped a bomb on the Mixed Martial Arts world. Dana White has publicly announced that UFC’s parent company has purchased Strikeforce. Now with this recent news, what does that mean for the Strikeforce promotion? What does that mean for it’s most important asset, their fighters? Many of the fighters and personnel under the Strikeforce banner have had a past with the UFC and ZUFFA.
People like Frank Shamrock, Dan Henderson, Josh Barnett, Nick Diaz, Paul Daley, Pat Miletich and many more have a history with the UFC, Dana White or ZUFFA. Fighters like Fedor Emelianenko and his management don’t exactly think very highly of the new bosses. All those guys mentioned, don’t have the greatest of relationship with their new owners. With this drastic change in the business, heads will clash for sure, but at the end of the day money talks.
Dana White claims that it will be “business as usual” and they won’t co-promote with their newly purchased promotion. They’ll even still have Scott Coker as the front man of the brand as well. As much as they claim that things will remain the same, logically speaking the UFC could and might bring some of Strikeforce’s biggest names into the Octagon regardless of relationships and personal vedettas.
Could we see Alistair Overeem fight Cain Velasquez? What about Nick Diaz vs. Georges St.Pierre and Gilbert Melendez vs. Frankie Edgar? Or the biggest “dream” match of all, Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brock Lesnar? The possibilities, match ups, and potential cash fights are endless.
It’s going to be a little bit weird seeing Strikeforce events being advertised during UFC events, but now that this is a reality, let’s pay close attention to the future. ZUFFA will honor Strikeforce’s contracts and planned events like Diaz vs. Daley and the World Heavyweight Grand Prix should continue according to plan. The most important part of this purchase, fans will get to see more of the best Mixed Martial Artists get exposure and compete.
Questions about ZUFFA’s purchase of Strikeforce:
– How much power does Scott Coker have now as the CEO of Strikeforce?
– Will people who work for Strikeforce leave because of the recent deal?
– Could fighters under the Strikeforce banner get cut easily like their UFC cousins?
– With a huge chunk of MMA’s biggest stars now working under the same banner, does this mean a Fighter’s Union could become a reality?
– Will women continue to get the needed exposure in Strikeforce?
– How many more Strikeforce events will we have left?
– How long before we see a Strikeforce / UFC merger like WEC?
Photo from MMAWeekly.com
