At least we’ll probably get this in the next UFC videogame…
There is zero need for sarcasm here. No reason at all for me to act like you haven’t already heard that Strikeforce has been purchased by the UFC. Mac Danzig is a fan of the acquisition. Paul Daley, not so much. While most of the implications of this merger are still up in the air at this point, let’s make one thing clear: There will NOT be any UFC vs. Strikeforce cards. If Dana White says it, which he did, then he’ll never, ever reconsider. Just ask Karo Parisyan.
Are we really to believe that Strikeforce will be the UFC’s version of the D-League? Dana White purchased his biggest rival in the hopes of harvesting a small time promotion that occasionally produces a Chris Andersen, but usually produces a bunch of journeymen? Or maybe he plans on giving his new acquisition the Bamboo Lounge treatment. Well…
The Case For a UFC vs. Strikeforce card:
Let’s look at The UFC’s title situations, division by division:
Heavyweight: The winner of Lesnar vs. Dos Santos gets to fight Cain. Good thing, because the only other top 10 heavyweight on their roster currently riding a win streak is Frank Mir…
Light Heavyweight: No comment.
Middleweight: When your champion takes fights at a heavier weight class because he’s sick of the chumps he’s already beaten, you’ve officially reached a stalemate.
Welterweight: See above.
Lightweight: The winner of Edgar vs. Maynard lll gets the winner of Pettis vs. Guida, assuming that neither fight ends in a controversy and/or a draw. Stranger things have happened.
See a pattern here? Now is the perfect time to shake things up, and Strikeforce’s champions are a perfect way to do this. Even if Dana White doesn’t want to risk putting all of his champions on the same card, he doesn’t have to. Strikeforce doesn’t have featherweights or bantamweights, for one. More importantly, there’s plenty of intriguing non-title bouts that this merger can give us. Think of what the UFC can do with Shinya Aoki, Tim Kennedy and Gegard Mousasi. Or how about a rematch of the notoriously awesome Ray Sefo vs. Mark Hunt fight? How many years now have we been dreaming about Fedor vs. Couture? You get the idea.
The Case Against a UFC vs. Strikeforce card:
The best fighters fight in the UFC, and their champions are the only champions that matter in the world of MMA. Go ahead and ask Dana White for his opinion. But wait until after Shields vs. GSP, though. We know that there’s a lot riding on GSP winning this fight, but just imagine how crazy it’ll look of one of those D-League champions walks in and defeats the UFC’s untouchable icon.
If you’re going to make a card like this work, you’ll need to put at least one of your league’s champions up against the other league’s champion. Now look at Strikeforce’s champions: Alistair Overeem, Gilbert Melendez and Nick Diaz wouldn’t exactly be easy fights for the UFC’s champions. For that matter, after Dan Henderson left the UFC as the organization’s number two middleweight, Chael Sonnen demonstrated that a good wrestler can give Anderson Silva problems. Now imagine if one of the Strikeforce champions actually wins. What do you do, give him a call up to the big leagues for an immediate title shot against the guy he just beat? Send him back to the minors after he beat the best fighter in his weight class? Instantly announce opponents for both fighters and act like the fight never happened? Or does Zuffa create a trophy for the organization whose fighters win the most fights, so that the interns at each company’s respective offices have something to motivate them? I think I just answered my own question.
-Seth Falvo
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commentsWhen will Dana White vs Scott Coker happen ? The stipulation being the winner gets full ownership of the UFC.
I'd pay money to see that. (but not much money)
There's maybe a handful of actual UFC washouts in Strikeforce with Arlovski being a prime example. Werdum on the other hand wasn't doing all that bad in the UFC, going 2/4, with a losses to Dos Santos, and Arlovski who he later beat. Who else do we have... Barnett? He left as a champion, who else... Henderson? He left due to contractual issues with a 3-win streak...
What I'm saying is, Strikeforce may not be the UFC but for its lack of funding, it is doing a damn good job with some of its events and talent. I mean, they arguably have the best HW division, and if it isn't the best, it's by far the most exciting. There's no doubt in my mind that the UFC was threatened by it and now we KNOW for a fact that they were.
I hope they don't ruin Strikeforce - it's the most entertaining MMA promotion since Pride if you ask me.
With all the UFC's fighters, plus all they absorbed from WEC, and now with Strikeforce, they have plenty of fighters to put on a show every weekend!!
Burrrrrrrrrrn!
Hw. Overeem maybe, let's see how he looks existing in a testing area before making a conclusion. Fedors done. Barnett won't happen, aa, lol, big foot? Too slow for lesners and carwins and mirs (those as big as him)
Lhw hendo? Oh come now. Definition of punchers chance. King mo is nothing, and jacre (sp) ain't making top 10.
Mw. I like miller more than most, kennedy some, but who else? Do they have a belt holder?
Ww. Same as mw, just adding bodies for gsp. Diaz is nowhere near strong enough to have a chance.
Lw. Melendez is stockton pipe dreams. I knew bj would kill him and edgar\maynard would also. Kell kenflo would come back up to abuse melendez.
Poignant and relentless rationality is what I do best! Do you hear that? Its the sound of your speculative dreams being utterly dashed away. Ha! ;)
1. The fighter is interpreted as having no current or future value, and is let go.
2. The fighter shows intermediate value, and is kept around in SF to see what happens (until the 2 year period is up) where they will be then be re-evaluated. This keeps talent that has shown potential under contract in the 'minors', preventing them from going to Bellator, MFC, etc.
3. The fighter shows much potential, is a star, and is bumped up to the UFC.
Upon the 2 year expiration date of SF being reached, which all contracts will be conveniently coordinated to as well, all remaining talent will be evaluated for the 'final' time and the good will be kept while the Daley bad will be discarded.
It seems unlikely that they will bother with any cross brand fights. All the SF contracts are fairly short term from what I understand (ie no 3 year deals). Its easier just to sign the fighter to the UFC when their contract is up, or re-sign them to SF (within the expiration period) to hang on to them until SF is done.
Also the heavyweights! Now we'll really see who has the best heavyweights in the world. Awesome.
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