Early today on March 12, 2011, it was announced that Zuffa, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, had purchased the number two American based MMA promotion Strikeforce. Since the brand of Strikeforce grew in popularity & recognition, UFC President Dana White was ready for interviews where he would put down the competing promotion with criticism from their style of promoting, to their lower level competition of fighters, while also saying that having competing promotions helps to build the UFC along with the sport. With counter-programming & jabs from UFC brass, this purchase of Strikeforce by Zuffa comes as a complete shock to UFC-only fans & widespread MMA fans altogether. While there are so many questions to be asked by fans, including from us personally, there is potential that keeping the San Jose based promotion alive will benefit both companies, and push the sport to great heights.
Hearing of this purchase, fans of both companies & each individually, were and probably still are shocked of this news. In an exclusive interview with Ariel Helwani of mmafighting.com, Dana White had spoken for the first time to announce the purchase and assure that this was a purchase to own the product that is Strikeforce, not a merger. Prompted with questions, White ensured that this purchase would not be like the PrideFC purchase where fighter contracts were absorbed directly under Zuffa & renegotiated, but would keep Strikeforce going with CEO Scott Coker still at the head with its investors. Since this is not a merger, every employee and competitor under the Strikeforce brand will remain with the San Jose promotion not in danger of losing their jobs. White also made it clear that fighters' contracts under Strikeforce will remain under the promotion, though when their contracts are expired or come up to their expiration, the UFC can make the first offer, have Strikeforce make an offer to keep the fighter, or simply allow the contract to expire making the fighter a free agent. This option gives the UFC the choice to take in high level competition into their roster, keep not yet ready prospects where they can build their stock, or simply let them go.
Specific fighter related questions that were brought up in the interview on mmafighting.com mentioned UFC outcasts Paul Daley & Josh Barnett, former fighter due to contract negotiation issues Dan Henderson, and fighters whom the UFC has been interested in like Alistair Overeem & Fedor Emilianenko. While Zuffa may own the Strikeforce brand, they will permit the continuation of the existing contracts with now #1 170lb contender in Strikeforce Paul Daley & Heavyweight Grand Prix competitor Josh Barnett. Daley had been released from the UFC after landing an illegal sucker-punch after a three round bout with Josh Koscheck, which immediately prompted White to banish the Brit for life. Barnett had been released from the UFC after defeating Randy Couture to take the Heavyweight title, and then testing positive for multiple banned steroids, and has repeatedly trash talked about White & the company ever since. White made it clear that while he was no fan of either & assured that he would not allow them back into the UFC, Zuffa would permit Strikeforce to keep them on their roster to honor their contracts allowing Coker to still control the company. Henderson, while leaving the UFC after not being offered the pay he desired, can be brought back into the promotion after his current contract expires, providing payment is negotiated. Fedor has been a top of the list priority for White to acquire for some time, but had failed to do so do to Fedor's stubborn management that despised the company. Should Fedor wish to continue his career & honor his Strikeforce contract, come back from his recent slump, and finally agree to terms, White could finally accomplish his goal. Overeem has seen his stock rise becoming the first MMA fighter to own championship titles consecutively in MMA & pro kickboxing. White has been interested in the Dutch fighter for some time, but his contract has kept him from even getting into talks about potentially signing him.
With this acquisition of Strikeforce, it could ease some stress from competitors in the UFC who worry about being released. Strikeforce has been seen by many as the #2 American promotion also for signing UFC cast offs as if following every step the UFC makes. This deal could mean while a fighter could be released by the UFC, they can refer them to Strikeforce simply with lower pay to build them back up or become a top competitor in the trailing promotion. While White has declared that co-promotion even with this deal is not in his interest, potentially Zuffa could move a Strikeforce champion such as Gilbert Melendez or Nick Diaz into the UFC & build up another champion for the trailing promotion. White says a full merger to absorb the entirety of Strikeforce is not in the agenda, so keeping them going would allow such maneuvering.
Many MMA fans who follow celebrity gossip through TMZ can recall that recently in January, White had been asked on the street by a TMZ cameraman when womens' MMA will come to the octagon, & his answer was simply "never." Purchasing the Strikefroce brand gives Zuffa the rights to everything with the brand & to use the fight video from the promotion, which will include video of the growing roster of female competitors. While he has already said that Strikeforce fighters will not be automatically absorbed into the UFC, this brings the thought, would White become more open to including female fighters into their brand? Since the brand is a new investment, it is important to help better the promotion by helping promote the popularity of womens' MMA. This branch of the sport is building in popularity adding to the debate that female competitors should be taken more seriously & legitimately.
There are plenty more questions for fans to ask, as this single deal has stricken us all wanting to know if anything will happen to our favorite fighters, or the accessibility for fans to see the sport they love.
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